10 Star Trek Actors Who Became Directors
1. Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes is perhaps the best-known actor-turned-director in Star Trek. He began his directing career with The Offspring from The Next Generation's third season, and has directed episodes in almost every iteration of the franchise ever since. His work on First Contact and Insurrection had audiences hoping that he would direct some more of the films, though this has yet to come to fruition.
The running joke for the actor-director is that he gets things done, leading to the nickname 'Two Takes Frakes'. In an industry where every second costs money, that's no mean feat. He was the first legacy actor to return to Star Trek, technically, when he directed Discovery. His appearance in Picard's first season, along with Marina Sirtis, marked his return to live-action acting after years away from the camera.
Frakes is a fan favourite when it comes to directing, which has led for cries to give him an EP role in the franchise as well. Whether this happens or not, he certainly seems to be one of, if not the, go to alumni when it comes to directing Star Trek. Now, if we can just get that damn Legacy show confirmed, let's see how many of those episodes we can ask him to direct as well.