Star Trek The Next Generation: Where Are They Now?

14. Jonathan Frakes

Let’s face facts—Picard may be the best captain the series ever had (or is he?), but Riker was the real hero of The Next Generation. Moving from the clean shaven straight man of early episodes to the slick and loveable laidback charmer who kept his cool in any crisis, Riker and his infamous beard will always have a place in the heart of the fandom.

So, er, whatever became of Frakes himself?

Well unlike some of the cast members listed here, Commander Riker never opted to rest on his laurels. The actor went on to voice David Xanatos in cult animated series Gargoyles as well as doing guest spots on TV shows as diverse as Adventure Time, Family Guy, and Criminal Minds. As of 2020, he has recently been seen in Disney XD’s animated adaptation of the Guardians of the Galaxy series and the latest iteration of Star Trek, Picard.

And that’s saying nothing of his memetic work as the presenter of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction.