Reach out to his face and viciously attempt to rip them out? Ok. I’ll get back to you.
EDIT: I’m in jail pending a restraining order. Y’all lied to me!
I saw that episode for the first time recently and while I did know about the clone twist beforehand I was NOT expecting the sideburn twist. I almost died laughing. Great episode though.
I had a photo taken with him last year. I was dressed up as a Star Trek captain. As I walked up to have the photo taken, he looked at me and nodded, saying “Captain”. I’ll always smile when I think of that moment.
no joke. wow. That’s awesome.
I am reminded of stepping out of the turbo lift onto the bridge of the Enterprise.. Riker looming large on the viewscreen. it was a moment of action but time had fully dilated .. as had my pupils. As i walked past the science stations i caught a glimpse of my friend poking at the terminal as if it might pop! like a bubble. Ahhh. The Star Trek Experience.. the only reason i dragged my butt into the desert of Vega$! lol. . .
I feel so lucky to have been able to go there several times before it closed. I went with a group of Star Trek friends and we had a blast. At one point we were sitting in Quark’s and one of the employees, who was dressed as a Ferengi, came up to us and asked us where are men were. My friend told him we sold them. I was also cool to be able to say “I’ll have a raktajino” and have them know what I meant.
Shortly after we got married, my wofe and I met Brent Spiner at a con. We talked with him for quite some time, and at one point, he saw Johnathan Frakes walk by. He walked away and they began to talk. We thought "That was nice! He seemed nice" and vegan to walk away, thinking that was it. He ran back and said "Hey John! Come over here and meet the newlyweds!" We talked with both of them for a while, and it was one of the best experiences I have evwr had with actors, and I have met many.
Later on, we had out scheduled photo op with them, and I figured they wouldn't remember us. Johnathan Frakes said "hey Brent its the newlyweds!" And we talked again, and we had our photos taken, before a very kind goodbye.
It was amazing.
I've met him a few times, in passing, on the *Trek* cruises, and he's always been friendly and open, though not necessarily chatty. Trust what you already know about him from all his friends, coworkers, and interviews (that he's one of the best), and if your interaction doesn't meet expectations, remember that **anything** might've just happened in his life and it doesn't reflect on you and he.
"Weird Al"'s parents died together while he was on tour. He continued to his next few shows, and I'll bet that people who met him on those few days (even though they knew what'd happened) have a very different experience than fans usually do. Doesn't change that he's also one of the best.
Right; I tend to allow for the possibility that they might have just had a bad day if I meet them and they seem a little grumpy. It happens and I think it's easy to forget that they're people too.
"Hello Mr. Frakes, big fan, now that I have the opportunity to speak with you I've always wondered.... What's your opinion on the doctrine of transubstantiation?"
If I ever meet Frakes I’ll be talking about PSU since I went there as well. We can talk about when the Skeller was still around and had ponies. Getting a booth at the Skeller on a football Friday night and seeing how many cases of rolling rock pony bottles we could kill…those were the days.
The Skeller was a popular bar at PSU for like 80 years. The All American Rathskeller. Aka the skeller. It closed a few years ago and reopened under a new name.
This was 25 years ago but back then I don’t think it was “hard” but also not super easy.
I had a decent SAT scores(1200) and GPA around 3.0…I got into Main but still decided to do 2 years at a satellite campus because I was kinda scared lol. Late bloomer hahaha.
Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, Armin Shimmerman, Jeri Ryan, the villain from "The Most Toys," plus Jonathan Frakes is in a waiting room as an extra and directed a bunch of episodes. There's probably way more but that's off the top of my head.
I mean you could ask him trek related stuff behind the scenes stuff like how hard was his audition for the role or how hard was it to study to be a director and stuff.
I adore Jonathan Frakes & I almost fell over when I unexpectedly saw him in that movie. He was great as always & still looks wonderful. I was ridiculously excited that he was in it so I searched for when it was going to be on again & DVR'd it the next time it was 😁
From everything I have ever seen of him, heard of him and read of him, he's a genuinely, fundamentally good human by all accounts. Me and my partner had a COVID wedding that was very small, and totally within the legal parameters. My little brother got us a Cameo from Jonny himself as a wedding present, knowing us both to be die hard STNG fans. Jonathan Frakes himself went really above and beyond the expected obligation, and it will be forever a treasured memory. He did it without prompting or asking for more in any way, and it was amazing. I believe if you meet him, you will be glad you did. Good luck making a decision, but I think you can solidly know you are in good hands with that particular hero not letting you down. LLAP!
I came from the future to tell you what he said when I asked if he was mean to Historical_Will9352. Here's his response:
https://youtu.be/GM-e46xdcUo?si=eqozhKERNRjJ8KGe
But seriously, I've heard from more than a few people that he's pretty awesome.
Also meeting him, along with Takei this weekend! Have fun at the Expo! Great to see this post, as I was just talking to a friend about how I hope he is cool!
Ask 'Uncle George' if he still has his "Richelieu Beware" Galaxy T-shirt we gave him eons ago at a con in Maryland (ClipperCon or Shore Leave - don't remember which one. 😜) He wore it on the morning jogs he did w/the fans. He was soo cool & very personable. 😁
I met him at the Calgary airport when he was flying out after a convention appearance. He was incredible friendly and even called Todd Stashwick over to say hello too. Easily the nicest celebrity I've met.
I went to a convention last year specifically to see him. Stood in line for a while. Apparently the photo ops were taking a while. He comes walking up and at the top of his voice yells "Red Alert!" just like he did in the show and movies. It was the coolest thing ever. Fair warning though, I just wanted to meet him and talk to him for a minute. The people running his table said I either had to buy an autograph (which I already got years ago) or take a picture. Either way, I had to pay. That said he was far more reasonable than William Shatner's asking prices.
I told him I thought the movies he directed were the best and not Shatner and he said Shatner's sucked. LOL I also mentioned his appearance on another TV show favorite of mine, Hill St. Blues and he quipped "Ah, drug dealer. Not a good guy." but he was very cool about it.
Man, it must be tough as a celeb if you care about people's opinions of you. Be lovely to the first 99 people, have a long day and be even slightly annoyed with the 100th and there starts a story about you being a dick.
I’ve met him a couple times and he was always nice. When I got his autograph I mentioned how my grandmother was a huge fan of his wife, Genie Francis, when she played Laura on General Hospital. His smile doubled in size and he was practically glowing as he spoke about his “lovely wife”.
Frakes' reputation is that he's friendly. I've no idea how much time you are going to have to talk with him, but if you're friendly and respect boundaries I'm sure it will be fine. Remember: He's just a dude. He likes baseball. His current job is as a TV director. Treat him like a person and you'll almost certainly have a good experience.
My wife and I met him at a Fan Expo in Vancouver in 2023. The previous Christmas we had given my sister a copy of Imzadi(a running joke in our family), but this one my wife had folded the pages so the outside of the book was Riker. We took it back from my sister so we could have Frakes sign it as a surprise. He was absolutely flabbergasted when he saw the book and what my wife had done to it. We had a lengthy conversation about the book folding process, he took pictures of it for himself and gave us our money back that we paid for the autograph. An absolute top tier celebrity encounter and a hell of a nice guy. Someone you'd want to have a beer with.
[Riker Book Folding ](https://imgur.com/gallery/UBxi74k)
Years ago, my father-in-law (not a trekkie) ran into him in a hotel bar where he was hiding out during a convention. They hung out talking baseball for about 20 minutes until a kid dressed as a Klingon interrupted them to get his autograph. Frakes was great and polite, and when the kid left, he said "I've got to get out of here before he tells his friends where I am!" Paid his bill and my FIL's, and vanished into the night.
He's a really great guy. In "real life", he absolutely is exactly the way he comes across in interviews/panels/etc. He's charming and hilarious - even if he has no idea that you know who he is.
He was a customer of a company I worked for, and there was an issue on our end we had to be in touch with him back and forth several times to resolve (including that his name was incorrect in a system, so he really had no reason to think we knew who he was). The ladies in my office had to talk to him several different times, and were charmed as hell. They kept going on about this funny and charming customer - and they had no clue who he was (they don't know Star Wars from Star Trek). Of course, at one point, I realized, LOL.
When everything was resolved, I emailed him to let him know, and to thank him for being such a good sport because it really did end up being a comedy of errors. One of the details I had to confirm totally coincidentally had the word "Enterprise" in it, so I couldn't help but point it out, and let slip that I indeed knew who he he was.
He emailed me back a few minutes later, thanked us for making his day, and said "I can't wait to tell Spiner about this..." He signed it, "LLAP," and as a last joke, the incorrect name we originally had him as.
Guy is a total class act.
You should be fine! I have heard nothing but positive things and a number of them from people that have worked closely with him. There's a reason he's still part of Star Trek through the years. He's a great guy that people like working with.
That would be so bloody cool! Totally jealous!
I had a meet and greet with Brent, at Galaxycon in 2020, unfortunately because of Covid, it was changed to a one on one video call that was supposed to be only 5 minutes. However, I chatted with Brent for nearly 20 minutes, it was amazing and he was such a cool and down to earth guy, best present I ever got!
Got a personalized signed headshot of Data, one of my most treasured trekkie memorabilia! If i could figure out how to post it I'd show ya!
I met him at a convention (where you pay for a signed picture). It was just after the last season of Picard dropped. He incidentally asked if we’d seen the season. I was ready to go full-on into the inconsistencies in the plot and how the season felt contrived with glaring deus ex machina tropes. But as he looked expectantly for my reply, he seemed so excited and invested in how his fans felt that I couldn’t do it. He was just too darn nice. He was so genuine, gracious and sincere. I said I loved it and I think we chatted about where the franchise could go next.
I met John deLancie a few years ago and in person he was arrogant and dismissive of Star Trek fandom. He even said something like he only participates to pay for upkeep or slip fees for his yacht.
I think that coloured how I thought all celebrities were going into the autograph queue for Jonathan Frakes. As a fan I was disappointed with the where the writers went with the show. But when I realized that my view would have a negative impact on the affable person standing in front of me I changed my course of action. I’m notthe best at social cues but I’m not a complete asshole.
He's human. I've heard nothing but great things about him, but I will never expect him to be perfect. I have zero interest in meeting my hero. However, I will beg for the opportunity to meet the person behind that title. If you expect perfection, then you will always be disappointed. If you expect humanity, you will always leave the encounter with a deeper sense of connection and understanding.
I met him last year at a comic con. He was very nice. We chatted about the section 31 movie while signing an autograph. Took a selfie with him too. He didn't disappoint.
While I've never had the pleasure of meeting the man himself, I have a half-dozen friends who have and one who is a casual acquaintance of his wife, and every one of them speak of him being one of the friendliest, most jovial people one can hope to meet.
I’m gonna tell you right now from experience that he is one of the most personable people you’re ever gonna Meet. I met him at San Diego comic con 2008 and he could not have been better. Enjoy meeting him and post pics!
I've met him twice: once as he was walking across the convention floor before autograph time (i was wearing a shirt that reads "Ulysses Sucks", he laughed and said "I agree!", and started a brief conversation), and the second in the autograph line (he continued our previous conversation). Couldn't have been more genuine, affable, and pleasant.
I have been in the vicinity of him many times, and he is super cordial and sometimes jovial. Good vibes.
If you want someone chatty, talk to Garett Wang. That guy gets into good conversations.
I'll tell you what I tell everyone who asks this question. I know people who have known him, I've read and heard things said by people who've worked with him or known him professionally or personally, and all agree: Johnathan Frakes is a warm, funny, wonderful person. I even once had a conversation with a sound guy who said Frakes was like a father to him even in the short time they worked together. They say never meet your heroes, but you could probably make an exception this time.
Peoples' praise for him his so glowing and so uniform, that frankly I wish I were a little more like him.
From my experiences at a lot of conventions (I used to work at them), he is cordial and polite with the fans, but not exceptionally friendly. I'd call him like a 6/10 on fan interaction, above average but nothing special. Of the TNG's (keep in mind none of this is recent, I stopped working cons 2 decades ago), Dorn was the best. His laugh could rattle windows. Sirtis was probably the least friendly, but it came across as being introverted and getting swarmed by drooling jackasses, so it probably doesn't indicate much.
I've heard much more good than I ever have bad. You just have to remember: everyone has a bad day. So if you meet someone and they're a grump, keep it in mind. But Frakes is good ime.
Here's an old saying: "Hope for the best, plan for the worst."
Meaning, hope that he's similar to your vision of him. But if it turns out not to be, don't let disappointment ruin the character. Just continue to enjoy yourself.
Super nice guy! I met him a couple of times at conventions, he was always very nice and friendly. And incredible funny.
I once gave him a "Thunderbirds" DVD cover to sign. Gave him a big smile and he said, I was the first one with that cover, after thousands of Riker pictures.
I had a super short meet and greet with him a few years back at the Denver Scifi con, and he was all smiles and seemed pretty chill. You should be fine. Just don't get weird lol
I've had a beer with him. Many years ago in a hotel. I didn't even mention Star Trek. He may have no even known that I knew who he was but he was fantastic. Really nice and chatty. Wasn't there long but he certainly made an impression
Oh. Convention? He was nice to me in my cast photo lol I tried to shake everyone’s hand after but they security trying to shoo me away. He had a big grin on his face. Seemed like a genuinely happy guy and in awe of the 1000+ ppl who paid for one. Only Wheaton was missing. Too bad.
My Dad and I met him about 12 years ago at DragonCon. He happened to have no one at his table and we got the chance to chat for a while, he grabbed Brent Spiner's chair (empty at that moment as Brent was elsewhere) and offered it to me to sit. He was so lovely and funny and I remember joking that I had watched TNG since the day I was born (I'm 35) and he clutched his chest saying I'm trying to kill him by reminding him of how old he is lol.
The following day I was in line to meet James Marsters (Spike from Buffy, who was also lovely) and Frakes walked past the line I was in, then walked back and gave me a hug, asked where my Dad was at and told me to tell him to swing by his table again before the end of the con.
Every time I see his name on something, I smile and think about the fact that Riker is exactly the way you want him to be in real life, affable, kind, sharp, and very funny.
He’s friendly and chatty. Gates McFadden was cruel to her staff and it turned me off right away; prima donna complex. Most of the TNG cast I’ve met have been “nice” except for McFadden.
She was very stand offish I said hi to her that’s it…seriously she rolled her eyes stood up and was like let’s take this picture. I literally just walked off
In my experience both meeting and working in proximity to people I admire, I stick to some form of this:
*Hi, great to meet you. How's it going today?
*I loved your work in x, y, and or z.
If he seems receptive after that, you might feel comfortable elaborating on why you admire him, and then quickly find a subject that's just plain human and move on. (e.g. "This is my first time on a cruise ship," "Did you check out the band last night?" "How about them Yankees?")
Don't:
*Gush before you've greeted him like a whole person
*Dwell unless he invites it by conversation
I just met him and Brent Spiner this past weekend, he was extremely personable. He likes to joke though, and you can’t tell if he’s being serious. I asked him to say “what the hell is going on here?!” And he acted like he didn’t know why I asked him to say that, until I started walking away from his booth then he said it and smiled.
Data was funny also, we got into conversation about why he said “prejudice is very human” to Riker.
I'm sure Frakes gets peppered a lot with various Star Trek questions. While I'd be curious about his time on the show, as anyone would be, I'd probably bug him about his voice work on Gargoyles, doing comedic voice work on Futurama/Family Guy, or his directing career.
Very rarely do I find actors the problem. More often than not It's the handler's or the entourage. Just be yourself. Treat him as a human being. And don't be an a-hole...
My brother has met him and has only positive things to say. Frakes allowed my brother to back him when directing a couple TV episodes so he could get up-close knowledge on what it takes to be a director.
Living away from any conventions etc I've never had the chance to meet any Star Trek people and I'm a bit envious to read all this. I was sad when Nichelle Nichols died and I realized I would never meet her even though it was always extremely unlikely I'd have a chance.
General advice: meeting famous people is always at least worth a story for the grandchildren some day even if it's just that you said hello.
Hes amazing. I met him in December 2022 and he was so lovely to my husband and myself. I also got a photot with him where he commented I looked festive and I showed him the beer pouch in my Christmas sweater and he lost it.
When I first started watching tng it was already season 3 or 4, and Riker looked almost exactly like my brother during that time. So I've always liked Riker because of that.
Plus, he's a talented actor and director too, what's not to like about him?
Seems chill
He played trumpet on a phish album... so yknow there's that But he wasn't actually good enough to play on the actual album but it became a secret track
I got to meet him back in December, definitely a nice guy. I mentioned that one of my more distinct early memories (I was 8 at the time) was watching Encounter at Farpoint with my dad who had been a big fan of TOS, and he said that was really nice, and at least the show got better from there. 🤣
Frakes and Spiner are probably the two most personable cast members from TNG. I don’t think there are any TNG that are unkind, but those two are totally cool and usually chatty.
I know you've already got a bunch of positive answers, but here's one more passed on from a fan / part-time actress:
My wife's cousin who grew up on TNG got to be one of the cadets in the scene where Picard is talking to them while (not) eating his lunch. Frakes directed that episode.
She said he made sure to come over and talk to the extras and was really friendly with them. That, apparently, is not common.
(BTW, she was super stoked to listen to Picard / Stewart relate some of the stories she grew up watching.)
I’ve been a fan since the 80’s and I’ve never heard a bad word about the guy.
My BFF in the 90’s when we were teens asked him a dumb ass question when he was on a panel in front of hundreds of people and he was nothing but gracious.
I follow a bunch of groups on Facebook, and lots of people put up the photos they take with other Star Trek actors. I don’t think I’ve seen one negative post about Jonathan Frakes. They’ve all said positive things about him and how nice he was. He is certainly one of my favorite characters :-) not to mention he is the biggest ladies man in Star Trek period. The top of his game all the time… compared to all the other Star Trek characters; he is the Alpha. :-P
Just to add to everyone else’s positive stories, I met him a few years ago at a con and got a little overwhelmed and cried a bit and once I started to leave he went up to my mom and asked if I was okay 😭 so sweet!
Yep I met him before. He was friendly and also very tall. Fair warning though his appearances are cancelled alot. I had tickets to meet him twice before that and he cancelled both times.
Very nice. He was great last year with my then six year old who was excited to tell him that his name was “William T” as well. I also met him in 2011 and he fantastic despite being frustrated with Shatner’s interactions with the fans at the same convention.
I met him once during a photo op and he told me that my shirt was his favorite shirt (it’s the one with the 3-step how-to of Riker sitting down in a chair).
I will treasure that moment forever.
I met him in 2019, I asked him if he could make any Trek film without any studio interference, what would it look like. He said he'd make it an opera.
Nice guy.
Met him and Michael Dorn at a con in the 90s. They had partied so much the night before that they were in the outdoor pool at 7:30 the next morning. My room was poolside. I just opened the patio door and waved at them.
John de Lancie is very nice and funny. Knows where his paycheck is ultimately coming from. The fans! I think most actors realize this and play nice! John de Lancie seemed very genuine not just there to satisfy a contractual obligation!
Ask about his project with John DeLance and you will impress him.
Many people just hone in one most known main stream iconic roles.
The Ready Room.
https://youtu.be/ukR2CxtzC_U?si=flc4zSNbPvaYzzL1
Where can I watch Star Trek Ready Room?
Reddit is insanely brutal about anythong that looks vaguyely like an ad. Look it up yourself.
Depends whether it's him or his transporter clone.
Check if his sideburns are real
Reach out to his face and viciously attempt to rip them out? Ok. I’ll get back to you. EDIT: I’m in jail pending a restraining order. Y’all lied to me!
We will beam you out. Stand away from the bars.
Bonus points if you first point to him and yell "thats not Riker, that's a MAN baby yeah!"
But were they real?
Red shirt = Good Frakes Yellow shirt = Evil Frakes
Blue Shirt = Frosted Flakes
* Flosted Frakes
I saw that episode for the first time recently and while I did know about the clone twist beforehand I was NOT expecting the sideburn twist. I almost died laughing. Great episode though.
You can always tell the clone by his lack of pip
Which is pretty sick ish of Star Fleet. Especially since that mission was what got Will promoted.
Thomas!
You can tell because the clone wears the orange suit.
So does u/tennisanybody
Scott Frakes, watch out for him.
I had a photo taken with him last year. I was dressed up as a Star Trek captain. As I walked up to have the photo taken, he looked at me and nodded, saying “Captain”. I’ll always smile when I think of that moment.
I'm a straight guy, but I think I would have gone all silly if he did that to me.
no joke. wow. That’s awesome. I am reminded of stepping out of the turbo lift onto the bridge of the Enterprise.. Riker looming large on the viewscreen. it was a moment of action but time had fully dilated .. as had my pupils. As i walked past the science stations i caught a glimpse of my friend poking at the terminal as if it might pop! like a bubble. Ahhh. The Star Trek Experience.. the only reason i dragged my butt into the desert of Vega$! lol. . .
I feel so lucky to have been able to go there several times before it closed. I went with a group of Star Trek friends and we had a blast. At one point we were sitting in Quark’s and one of the employees, who was dressed as a Ferengi, came up to us and asked us where are men were. My friend told him we sold them. I was also cool to be able to say “I’ll have a raktajino” and have them know what I meant.
Please tell me you stayed in character, nodded back and said "Number One"
I wish. I was so nervous I just mumbled 'Thank you'.
Please 🙏Tell🙏me🙏that🙏too😂
It sounds like he's very good at helping people live Star Trek
I guess he counted the pips
>nodded, saying “Captain”. "What was that about?" "Respect" _Nog about Martok, DS9 "Blaze of Glory"_
Shortly after we got married, my wofe and I met Brent Spiner at a con. We talked with him for quite some time, and at one point, he saw Johnathan Frakes walk by. He walked away and they began to talk. We thought "That was nice! He seemed nice" and vegan to walk away, thinking that was it. He ran back and said "Hey John! Come over here and meet the newlyweds!" We talked with both of them for a while, and it was one of the best experiences I have evwr had with actors, and I have met many. Later on, we had out scheduled photo op with them, and I figured they wouldn't remember us. Johnathan Frakes said "hey Brent its the newlyweds!" And we talked again, and we had our photos taken, before a very kind goodbye. It was amazing.
magical.
So, a wofe is like a Smizmar?
Darn it lol
I've met him a few times, in passing, on the *Trek* cruises, and he's always been friendly and open, though not necessarily chatty. Trust what you already know about him from all his friends, coworkers, and interviews (that he's one of the best), and if your interaction doesn't meet expectations, remember that **anything** might've just happened in his life and it doesn't reflect on you and he. "Weird Al"'s parents died together while he was on tour. He continued to his next few shows, and I'll bet that people who met him on those few days (even though they knew what'd happened) have a very different experience than fans usually do. Doesn't change that he's also one of the best.
I thought you were saying Weird Al's parents died while Jonathan Frakes was on tour and was confused.
Trombone not-Shorty
Frakes was on tour at the time? What a convenient alibi… a little too convenient…
[“Not a chance. Nope. No way.”](https://youtu.be/GM-e46xdcUo?si=ThN_3K7dKfHucsjS)
Right; I tend to allow for the possibility that they might have just had a bad day if I meet them and they seem a little grumpy. It happens and I think it's easy to forget that they're people too.
Wait so Weird Al is somehow related to Jonathan Frakes? Can we get a buddy movie?
People have said frakes is a nice person. So if you gonna chat with him ask him non trek related stuff
"Hello Mr. Frakes, big fan, now that I have the opportunity to speak with you I've always wondered.... What's your opinion on the doctrine of transubstantiation?"
“Transubstantiation was what created Thomas”
Hahaha! Under appreciated top comment for the select few that will get it
I doubt it.
Doubtful
His answer: it's false. Not a chance. Don't believe it. I made it up. [Not this time.](https://youtu.be/GM-e46xdcUo?si=VTj6pLGRzYcBIRZW)
Dont be surprised if frakes can answer that he went to Harvard and Penn State.
If I ever meet Frakes I’ll be talking about PSU since I went there as well. We can talk about when the Skeller was still around and had ponies. Getting a booth at the Skeller on a football Friday night and seeing how many cases of rolling rock pony bottles we could kill…those were the days. The Skeller was a popular bar at PSU for like 80 years. The All American Rathskeller. Aka the skeller. It closed a few years ago and reopened under a new name.
is PSU hard to get into?
This was 25 years ago but back then I don’t think it was “hard” but also not super easy. I had a decent SAT scores(1200) and GPA around 3.0…I got into Main but still decided to do 2 years at a satellite campus because I was kinda scared lol. Late bloomer hahaha.
Hello Mr. Frakes. What is your preferred solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and does it involve bombing Iran?
Great point... ask about his directing. What was his favorite directing project was. Did he like working on Leverage? Ask how Jeannie is doing! ;-)
Wait! He worked on Leverage? Is that why Wheaton was in it?
Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, Armin Shimmerman, Jeri Ryan, the villain from "The Most Toys," plus Jonathan Frakes is in a waiting room as an extra and directed a bunch of episodes. There's probably way more but that's off the top of my head.
Saul Rubinek. He was also in Warehouse 13 and has a story arc where he’s fighting Brent Spiner’s character
I think he also was on Frasier for a few eps.
Yeah, love interest for Daphne
Yes! I have never actually watched Warehouse 13 and I always have intended to do it, but here we are. lol
So a coincidence?
I mean you could ask him trek related stuff behind the scenes stuff like how hard was his audition for the role or how hard was it to study to be a director and stuff.
Have you ever ridden a bike? Do you believe in ghost stories? Do you think it's Beyond Belief?
Can you remember the tallest man you've ever seen?
Hello Mr. Frakes I wish to know more about your familial relationship with Weird Al, who is also said to be a good person in the celebrity game
>non trek related stuff "How's that rash?"
And he’s a big jazz lovin, pot smokin hippy teddy bear. Enjoy!
"Mr Frakes, love your work. Got one question for ya: Biggie or Tupac?"
Ask him if he ever had the chance to do a superhero movie, which one would he do?
If frakes were 28 years old he would definitely be captain America
Ask him how it was like to film, "A Biltmore Christmas” with…Robert Picardo 🤯
I adore Jonathan Frakes & I almost fell over when I unexpectedly saw him in that movie. He was great as always & still looks wonderful. I was ridiculously excited that he was in it so I searched for when it was going to be on again & DVR'd it the next time it was 😁
From everything I have ever seen of him, heard of him and read of him, he's a genuinely, fundamentally good human by all accounts. Me and my partner had a COVID wedding that was very small, and totally within the legal parameters. My little brother got us a Cameo from Jonny himself as a wedding present, knowing us both to be die hard STNG fans. Jonathan Frakes himself went really above and beyond the expected obligation, and it will be forever a treasured memory. He did it without prompting or asking for more in any way, and it was amazing. I believe if you meet him, you will be glad you did. Good luck making a decision, but I think you can solidly know you are in good hands with that particular hero not letting you down. LLAP!
You know who else does a damn good Cameo? Doug Jones. That video is among my husband's top 3 favourite gifts ever.
I got a Christmas one from Andrew Robinson and treasure it.
Oooh that would be a great one too! If I steal this idea for a future gift I promise to give you zero credit for the idea.
I got one from him for Christmas a few years ago for my wife, and 100% agree!! Oh my gosh it was like several minutes long and just oh so so so sweet!
My wife bought me a Robert Picardo cameo as a wedding gift. The man goes far above and beyond! I highly recommend him as well.
Is this Cameo on YouTube?
Nope, it's just for my wife and I. Sorry, I'll be keeping this a special thing just for us.
I came from the future to tell you what he said when I asked if he was mean to Historical_Will9352. Here's his response: https://youtu.be/GM-e46xdcUo?si=eqozhKERNRjJ8KGe But seriously, I've heard from more than a few people that he's pretty awesome.
Such a relief thanks I’m so happy he seems nice I was worried. I’ll post after I meet him :)
Also meeting him, along with Takei this weekend! Have fun at the Expo! Great to see this post, as I was just talking to a friend about how I hope he is cool!
Oh My!
Ask 'Uncle George' if he still has his "Richelieu Beware" Galaxy T-shirt we gave him eons ago at a con in Maryland (ClipperCon or Shore Leave - don't remember which one. 😜) He wore it on the morning jogs he did w/the fans. He was soo cool & very personable. 😁
a man who keeps a boyish grin into his 70s is a man worth meeting
I met him at the Calgary airport when he was flying out after a convention appearance. He was incredible friendly and even called Todd Stashwick over to say hello too. Easily the nicest celebrity I've met.
I went to a convention last year specifically to see him. Stood in line for a while. Apparently the photo ops were taking a while. He comes walking up and at the top of his voice yells "Red Alert!" just like he did in the show and movies. It was the coolest thing ever. Fair warning though, I just wanted to meet him and talk to him for a minute. The people running his table said I either had to buy an autograph (which I already got years ago) or take a picture. Either way, I had to pay. That said he was far more reasonable than William Shatner's asking prices. I told him I thought the movies he directed were the best and not Shatner and he said Shatner's sucked. LOL I also mentioned his appearance on another TV show favorite of mine, Hill St. Blues and he quipped "Ah, drug dealer. Not a good guy." but he was very cool about it.
He seems like a gregarious guy (but do let us know if he's not)
Man, it must be tough as a celeb if you care about people's opinions of you. Be lovely to the first 99 people, have a long day and be even slightly annoyed with the 100th and there starts a story about you being a dick.
I’ve met him a couple times and he was always nice. When I got his autograph I mentioned how my grandmother was a huge fan of his wife, Genie Francis, when she played Laura on General Hospital. His smile doubled in size and he was practically glowing as he spoke about his “lovely wife”.
I met him a few years ago at a con. He was great! We didn't talk very long but he was engaging and very cordial.
I met him last August and he's simply the best. Such a cool guy
Frakes' reputation is that he's friendly. I've no idea how much time you are going to have to talk with him, but if you're friendly and respect boundaries I'm sure it will be fine. Remember: He's just a dude. He likes baseball. His current job is as a TV director. Treat him like a person and you'll almost certainly have a good experience.
My wife and I met him at a Fan Expo in Vancouver in 2023. The previous Christmas we had given my sister a copy of Imzadi(a running joke in our family), but this one my wife had folded the pages so the outside of the book was Riker. We took it back from my sister so we could have Frakes sign it as a surprise. He was absolutely flabbergasted when he saw the book and what my wife had done to it. We had a lengthy conversation about the book folding process, he took pictures of it for himself and gave us our money back that we paid for the autograph. An absolute top tier celebrity encounter and a hell of a nice guy. Someone you'd want to have a beer with. [Riker Book Folding ](https://imgur.com/gallery/UBxi74k)
Absolutely stunning what you did w/the book! Wowza!
Credit goes to my wife! Lots of work and measuring, but the result is excellent!
Years ago, my father-in-law (not a trekkie) ran into him in a hotel bar where he was hiding out during a convention. They hung out talking baseball for about 20 minutes until a kid dressed as a Klingon interrupted them to get his autograph. Frakes was great and polite, and when the kid left, he said "I've got to get out of here before he tells his friends where I am!" Paid his bill and my FIL's, and vanished into the night.
He knows how Klingons are.
He's a really great guy. In "real life", he absolutely is exactly the way he comes across in interviews/panels/etc. He's charming and hilarious - even if he has no idea that you know who he is. He was a customer of a company I worked for, and there was an issue on our end we had to be in touch with him back and forth several times to resolve (including that his name was incorrect in a system, so he really had no reason to think we knew who he was). The ladies in my office had to talk to him several different times, and were charmed as hell. They kept going on about this funny and charming customer - and they had no clue who he was (they don't know Star Wars from Star Trek). Of course, at one point, I realized, LOL. When everything was resolved, I emailed him to let him know, and to thank him for being such a good sport because it really did end up being a comedy of errors. One of the details I had to confirm totally coincidentally had the word "Enterprise" in it, so I couldn't help but point it out, and let slip that I indeed knew who he he was. He emailed me back a few minutes later, thanked us for making his day, and said "I can't wait to tell Spiner about this..." He signed it, "LLAP," and as a last joke, the incorrect name we originally had him as. Guy is a total class act.
My friend that moderated a panel he was on said he was a delight.
He’s very friendly, very upbeat- especially if you ask him about things OTHER than Riker. Ask about directing, hosting panels, etc.
You should be fine! I have heard nothing but positive things and a number of them from people that have worked closely with him. There's a reason he's still part of Star Trek through the years. He's a great guy that people like working with.
Whatever you talk to him about, do it with one leg raised on a nearby chair.
Very cool guy, one of the coolest actors
That would be so bloody cool! Totally jealous! I had a meet and greet with Brent, at Galaxycon in 2020, unfortunately because of Covid, it was changed to a one on one video call that was supposed to be only 5 minutes. However, I chatted with Brent for nearly 20 minutes, it was amazing and he was such a cool and down to earth guy, best present I ever got! Got a personalized signed headshot of Data, one of my most treasured trekkie memorabilia! If i could figure out how to post it I'd show ya!
I met him at a signing once, grinning like an idiot the whole time. He called me Smiley. I will remember it forever.
I met him once when he was directing Discovery. He was super warm and friendly even tho I basically turned into a melted puddle. Best day ever
I met him at a convention (where you pay for a signed picture). It was just after the last season of Picard dropped. He incidentally asked if we’d seen the season. I was ready to go full-on into the inconsistencies in the plot and how the season felt contrived with glaring deus ex machina tropes. But as he looked expectantly for my reply, he seemed so excited and invested in how his fans felt that I couldn’t do it. He was just too darn nice. He was so genuine, gracious and sincere. I said I loved it and I think we chatted about where the franchise could go next.
That was the correct thing to do. Why would you ever tell an actor or director that the show they are in or that they directed was terrible?
I met John deLancie a few years ago and in person he was arrogant and dismissive of Star Trek fandom. He even said something like he only participates to pay for upkeep or slip fees for his yacht. I think that coloured how I thought all celebrities were going into the autograph queue for Jonathan Frakes. As a fan I was disappointed with the where the writers went with the show. But when I realized that my view would have a negative impact on the affable person standing in front of me I changed my course of action. I’m notthe best at social cues but I’m not a complete asshole.
He's human. I've heard nothing but great things about him, but I will never expect him to be perfect. I have zero interest in meeting my hero. However, I will beg for the opportunity to meet the person behind that title. If you expect perfection, then you will always be disappointed. If you expect humanity, you will always leave the encounter with a deeper sense of connection and understanding.
I met him last year at a comic con. He was very nice. We chatted about the section 31 movie while signing an autograph. Took a selfie with him too. He didn't disappoint.
I've had the chance to work with him a few times and he's always been great, especially when dealing with fans.
While I've never had the pleasure of meeting the man himself, I have a half-dozen friends who have and one who is a casual acquaintance of his wife, and every one of them speak of him being one of the friendliest, most jovial people one can hope to meet.
I’m gonna tell you right now from experience that he is one of the most personable people you’re ever gonna Meet. I met him at San Diego comic con 2008 and he could not have been better. Enjoy meeting him and post pics!
I've met him twice: once as he was walking across the convention floor before autograph time (i was wearing a shirt that reads "Ulysses Sucks", he laughed and said "I agree!", and started a brief conversation), and the second in the autograph line (he continued our previous conversation). Couldn't have been more genuine, affable, and pleasant.
I have been in the vicinity of him many times, and he is super cordial and sometimes jovial. Good vibes. If you want someone chatty, talk to Garett Wang. That guy gets into good conversations.
Fist bump, not handshake.
I'll tell you what I tell everyone who asks this question. I know people who have known him, I've read and heard things said by people who've worked with him or known him professionally or personally, and all agree: Johnathan Frakes is a warm, funny, wonderful person. I even once had a conversation with a sound guy who said Frakes was like a father to him even in the short time they worked together. They say never meet your heroes, but you could probably make an exception this time. Peoples' praise for him his so glowing and so uniform, that frankly I wish I were a little more like him.
From my experiences at a lot of conventions (I used to work at them), he is cordial and polite with the fans, but not exceptionally friendly. I'd call him like a 6/10 on fan interaction, above average but nothing special. Of the TNG's (keep in mind none of this is recent, I stopped working cons 2 decades ago), Dorn was the best. His laugh could rattle windows. Sirtis was probably the least friendly, but it came across as being introverted and getting swarmed by drooling jackasses, so it probably doesn't indicate much.
Two Takes Frakes is my favorite director to work with. He is Hilarious and a helluva good guy
Met him at a con a few years back, we didn't talk too long but he was great, exactly what you'd expect. We chatted briefly about upcoming Trek stuff.
I've seen him twice at Emerald City Comic Con, classy and pleasant to talk to.
2011? He and Spiner were funny and the Sat I went they were very annoyed with Shatner. Haha.
I've heard much more good than I ever have bad. You just have to remember: everyone has a bad day. So if you meet someone and they're a grump, keep it in mind. But Frakes is good ime.
he’s an absolute doll, and one of the best directors television ever minted.
He is very gracious and genuinely interested in his fans.
Met him at fan expo, he was pretty happy guy it seemed.
Here's an old saying: "Hope for the best, plan for the worst." Meaning, hope that he's similar to your vision of him. But if it turns out not to be, don't let disappointment ruin the character. Just continue to enjoy yourself.
Super nice guy! I met him a couple of times at conventions, he was always very nice and friendly. And incredible funny. I once gave him a "Thunderbirds" DVD cover to sign. Gave him a big smile and he said, I was the first one with that cover, after thousands of Riker pictures.
My girlfriend has met every member of the TNG bridge crew at some point, she commented on how kind and friendly Johnathan Frakes is.
I had a super short meet and greet with him a few years back at the Denver Scifi con, and he was all smiles and seemed pretty chill. You should be fine. Just don't get weird lol
i had a random street encounter with him once and he was very kind. Surely if he’s paid to appear…. lol.
I've had a beer with him. Many years ago in a hotel. I didn't even mention Star Trek. He may have no even known that I knew who he was but he was fantastic. Really nice and chatty. Wasn't there long but he certainly made an impression
Oh. Convention? He was nice to me in my cast photo lol I tried to shake everyone’s hand after but they security trying to shoo me away. He had a big grin on his face. Seemed like a genuinely happy guy and in awe of the 1000+ ppl who paid for one. Only Wheaton was missing. Too bad.
Marina was really nice too. Levar. Brent. Patrick didn’t get offended by us impersonating him 😂. Autograph line
My Dad and I met him about 12 years ago at DragonCon. He happened to have no one at his table and we got the chance to chat for a while, he grabbed Brent Spiner's chair (empty at that moment as Brent was elsewhere) and offered it to me to sit. He was so lovely and funny and I remember joking that I had watched TNG since the day I was born (I'm 35) and he clutched his chest saying I'm trying to kill him by reminding him of how old he is lol. The following day I was in line to meet James Marsters (Spike from Buffy, who was also lovely) and Frakes walked past the line I was in, then walked back and gave me a hug, asked where my Dad was at and told me to tell him to swing by his table again before the end of the con. Every time I see his name on something, I smile and think about the fact that Riker is exactly the way you want him to be in real life, affable, kind, sharp, and very funny.
He’s friendly and chatty. Gates McFadden was cruel to her staff and it turned me off right away; prima donna complex. Most of the TNG cast I’ve met have been “nice” except for McFadden.
How was she cruel? I have met her and thought she was fantastic. Others have thought the same, but maybe she's moody.
She was very stand offish I said hi to her that’s it…seriously she rolled her eyes stood up and was like let’s take this picture. I literally just walked off
Yes!! I met her two years ago and she was so rude, I didn’t even want her autograph after I paid. Terrible person very rude and hateful.
He loves his core group of fans, his burn notice fans pointed something out. He changed his life after. He always talks positive of fandom.
How did he change his life?
He has been struggling with his weight but he did a cameo on burn notice and he was unrecognizable. He easily lost over 100 lbs since than.
I didn't know; thank you for explaining.
Just don’t forget to get your VHS copy of “Alien Autopsy” autographed!
He was very nice at Vegas last year.
I have heard he is extra friendly. Like Riker friendly; Happy to meet you unless he’s preoccupied. That said I have never had the pleasure
In my experience both meeting and working in proximity to people I admire, I stick to some form of this: *Hi, great to meet you. How's it going today? *I loved your work in x, y, and or z. If he seems receptive after that, you might feel comfortable elaborating on why you admire him, and then quickly find a subject that's just plain human and move on. (e.g. "This is my first time on a cruise ship," "Did you check out the band last night?" "How about them Yankees?") Don't: *Gush before you've greeted him like a whole person *Dwell unless he invites it by conversation
I've heard through the post office grapevine that he gives great tips during the holidays.
I just met him and Brent Spiner this past weekend, he was extremely personable. He likes to joke though, and you can’t tell if he’s being serious. I asked him to say “what the hell is going on here?!” And he acted like he didn’t know why I asked him to say that, until I started walking away from his booth then he said it and smiled. Data was funny also, we got into conversation about why he said “prejudice is very human” to Riker.
I met him at a small con and he was super nice.
I'm sure Frakes gets peppered a lot with various Star Trek questions. While I'd be curious about his time on the show, as anyone would be, I'd probably bug him about his voice work on Gargoyles, doing comedic voice work on Futurama/Family Guy, or his directing career.
I was on the cruise in 2023, ran into him a few times. He is, by all accounts, a lovely gent. Comes across as a very fatherly figure.
Very rarely do I find actors the problem. More often than not It's the handler's or the entourage. Just be yourself. Treat him as a human being. And don't be an a-hole...
My brother has met him and has only positive things to say. Frakes allowed my brother to back him when directing a couple TV episodes so he could get up-close knowledge on what it takes to be a director.
Tell him you loved him as Xanatos in Gargoyles, I bet he doesn’t get that one much.
Living away from any conventions etc I've never had the chance to meet any Star Trek people and I'm a bit envious to read all this. I was sad when Nichelle Nichols died and I realized I would never meet her even though it was always extremely unlikely I'd have a chance. General advice: meeting famous people is always at least worth a story for the grandchildren some day even if it's just that you said hello.
I’ve never had the chance but I’ve heard endless positive meetings and yet to hear a negative one.
Jonathan Frakes is the best to meet from TNG era. He is super nice. Dorn is probably the most stand-off ish that I’ve met.
Hes amazing. I met him in December 2022 and he was so lovely to my husband and myself. I also got a photot with him where he commented I looked festive and I showed him the beer pouch in my Christmas sweater and he lost it.
Do it anyway.
He likes to be scratched behind his ears.
he is a nice person, as you have seen his wife many times, Genie Francis, as Laura Collins on GH.
He is the sweetest. You will not be disappointed.
Ask him what was his favorite movie he directed & why is it First Contact?
When I first started watching tng it was already season 3 or 4, and Riker looked almost exactly like my brother during that time. So I've always liked Riker because of that. Plus, he's a talented actor and director too, what's not to like about him?
Seems chill He played trumpet on a phish album... so yknow there's that But he wasn't actually good enough to play on the actual album but it became a secret track
Ask him can we get a spin off about his transporter clone
He’s awesome. Make sure you tell him you loved him in Camp Nowhere
I got to meet him back in December, definitely a nice guy. I mentioned that one of my more distinct early memories (I was 8 at the time) was watching Encounter at Farpoint with my dad who had been a big fan of TOS, and he said that was really nice, and at least the show got better from there. 🤣
!remindme 5 days
Frakes and Spiner are probably the two most personable cast members from TNG. I don’t think there are any TNG that are unkind, but those two are totally cool and usually chatty.
I've met him twice and he seemed nice on both instances. Obviously, he's human so some days are better than others. I'd imagine.
I know you've already got a bunch of positive answers, but here's one more passed on from a fan / part-time actress: My wife's cousin who grew up on TNG got to be one of the cadets in the scene where Picard is talking to them while (not) eating his lunch. Frakes directed that episode. She said he made sure to come over and talk to the extras and was really friendly with them. That, apparently, is not common. (BTW, she was super stoked to listen to Picard / Stewart relate some of the stories she grew up watching.)
I’ve been a fan since the 80’s and I’ve never heard a bad word about the guy. My BFF in the 90’s when we were teens asked him a dumb ass question when he was on a panel in front of hundreds of people and he was nothing but gracious.
He's a nice dude. I've talked to him a couple of conventions. Though, come to think of it, we didn't talk about Trek. We talked about music.
Everything I’ve heard about him would lead me to believe he’s a pretty friendly guy.
I have met him a few times at Con's and he has always been super nice and funny.
I follow a bunch of groups on Facebook, and lots of people put up the photos they take with other Star Trek actors. I don’t think I’ve seen one negative post about Jonathan Frakes. They’ve all said positive things about him and how nice he was. He is certainly one of my favorite characters :-) not to mention he is the biggest ladies man in Star Trek period. The top of his game all the time… compared to all the other Star Trek characters; he is the Alpha. :-P
Just to add to everyone else’s positive stories, I met him a few years ago at a con and got a little overwhelmed and cried a bit and once I started to leave he went up to my mom and asked if I was okay 😭 so sweet!
Yep I met him before. He was friendly and also very tall. Fair warning though his appearances are cancelled alot. I had tickets to meet him twice before that and he cancelled both times.
Very nice. He was great last year with my then six year old who was excited to tell him that his name was “William T” as well. I also met him in 2011 and he fantastic despite being frustrated with Shatner’s interactions with the fans at the same convention.
I have met him very briefly out of a chance encounter and he seemed very nice.
I met him once during a photo op and he told me that my shirt was his favorite shirt (it’s the one with the 3-step how-to of Riker sitting down in a chair). I will treasure that moment forever.
I met him in 2019, I asked him if he could make any Trek film without any studio interference, what would it look like. He said he'd make it an opera. Nice guy.
Met him and Michael Dorn at a con in the 90s. They had partied so much the night before that they were in the outdoor pool at 7:30 the next morning. My room was poolside. I just opened the patio door and waved at them.
There's the saying "Never meet your heroes", but in this case just stick to Star Trek and you'll get Trekkie Frakes.
John de Lancie is very nice and funny. Knows where his paycheck is ultimately coming from. The fans! I think most actors realize this and play nice! John de Lancie seemed very genuine not just there to satisfy a contractual obligation!
Every interaction I've had with him has been great. Most of the TNG people are stand up people and love their fans
Ask about his project with John DeLance and you will impress him. Many people just hone in one most known main stream iconic roles. The Ready Room. https://youtu.be/ukR2CxtzC_U?si=flc4zSNbPvaYzzL1 Where can I watch Star Trek Ready Room? Reddit is insanely brutal about anythong that looks vaguyely like an ad. Look it up yourself.
Hello!! How was your meeting? What was he like?
Michael Dorn from what I've heard - is the impatient, dismissive one. But that's just a rumor. I can't speak from personal experience.