Gene Roddenberry Had To Fight For Jonathan Frakes' Star Trek Casting

On "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) served as the first officer on board the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. Unlike the taciturn and serious Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), Commander Riker was gregarious and approachable. He won over his crew's loyalty by being friendly, open and, in the words of a visiting tactician, jocular. He was also sold as the show's central heartthrob, as he was tall, trim, and handsome. 

When "Next Generation" began in 1987, Frakes was already a supporting TV staple, having appeared on shows like "The Doctors," "Charlie's Angels," "Fantasy Island," "Hill Street Blues," "Highway to Heaven," and a dozen others. His highest-profile TV gig was playing a character named Damon Ross in ten episodes of "Falcon Crest." He was never a leading man, but he knew the business well. 

The original casting sheet for Commander Riker had the character listed as "Number One, a.k.a. William Ryker" and described the character as "A 30- to 35-year-old Caucasian born in Alaska. He is a pleasant-looking man with sex appeal, of medium height, very agile and strong, a natural psychologist." The broad character description attracted many hopeful young actors, and Frakes was among several final possibilities for the role. In the oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J.J. Abrams," it's said that actor Billy Campbell was on the short list, along with Michael O'Gorman and "Trek" legend Jeffrey Combs. Meanwhile, a casting memo from Letters of Note also lists Ben Murphy being in consideration. 

In a 2012 interview with StarTrek.com, Frakes recalls being in a room with some of the above actors, and he recalled that the show's creator, Gene Roddenberry, liked him the best. Indeed, as Frakes tells it, the higher-ups and Paramount were eyeballing Campbell the most closely, and Roddenberry had to stand up for Frakes.

For those curious about what actor Billy Campbell might have looked like on "Star Trek," watch the "Next Generation" episode "The Outrageous Okona," in which Campbell played the title character. He was a charismatic, Han Solo-type rogue, and hugely impressive to the other characters. It's not hard to see Campbell playing the part of Riker. Frakes, however, revealed in the aforementioned interview that he might have been secretly favored over Campbell because, well, Gene Roddenberry kept calling him at home. Frakes knew Riker was ultimately going to go to him or to Campbell, and the calls from Roddenberry only made him more confident that the job was his. Frakes said: 

"Gene called me directly. He, by that point, had spent so much time explaining the character and the 24th century and his vision of Riker. I think he had to fight for me. I'm not sure if he was pro-Billy Campbell or if people at the studio were, but I know that it was not a unanimous decision. I think Roddenberry saw a little bit of himself in Riker, or more than a little, and he told me that indirectly." 

Riker was also, it should be mentioned, something of a ladies' man, and Roddenberry was notoriously horny with his "Star Trek" ideas. There's every reason to believe that Roddenberry was creating a sex-symbol avatar for himself with Riker. Frakes, it seems, matched how Roddenberry saw himself in his head. 

Frakes played Riker well enough, although his real career coup came when he decided he wanted to direct. Frakes appeared in 178 episodes of "Next Generation," but has directed 29 episodes of the franchise, as well as two of its feature films. More than being Riker, he is an elder statesman of the franchise. Campbell, meanwhile, has remained a prolific actor for decades. He most recently appeared in an episode of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."