Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes Played An Important Role On NCIS: Los Angeles

From 1990 to 1994, Jonathan Frakes picked up the megaphone to helm eight episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and hasn’t stopped since.

Among the veteran performer’s many directing credits are three episodes apiece of “Star Trek: Voyager” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” the “Star Trek” films “First Contact” and “Insurrection,” six episodes of “Star Trek: Picard” and seven episodes of “Star Trek: Discovery,” which he swears is back on track for Season 5. His non-“Star Trek” directing credits are equally impressive and include 13 episodes of “Leverage,” five episodes of “Burn Notice” and 10 of the TNT dramady “The Librarians” and the “Librarians”-universe television film “The Librarian III: Curse of the Sacred Chalice.” As of press time he’s still got a foot in both the acting and directing games, and even produced the CW classic “Roswell” and 11 episodes of “The Librarians.” 

It hasn’t all been roses for Frakes, who told Variety in 2023 that his very first time shepherding the rowdy, closely-knit “Next Generation” cast made him sympathize with previous directors who were frustrated by the experience. “I had a lot of support, including from my acting company. But I realized what these other directors had gone through and what a****** we were. And I had not a leg to stand on in terms of asking them to behave.” But, since then, he’s more than gotten his space legs under him.