Star Trek legend Jonathan Frakes has named his favorite acting partner. Joining the franchise as a part of the original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Frakes is known for his role as Commander (and later Captain) William T. Riker. It’s a role Frakes would go on to reprise in other Star Trek shows along with a slew of feature films. Just recently, the actor was back in the role once again alongside many of his co-stars from The Next Generation for the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard.
Per Looper, Frakes took part in a recent edition of The Ready Room where he reflected on his character’s bond with Marina Sirtis’ Deanna Troi, a bond that goes back to the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The characters have since married in Star Trek: Nemesis, and their returns in Picard brings an update to how things are going with Riker and Troi. Frakes comments on how “special” it was to work with Sirtis again for these new scenes, referring to her as his “favorite acting partner.” As he said on The Ready Room:
“When I was invited back to revisit Riker and Troi in their new world [on Star Trek: Picard], I didn’t know how special it was gonna be until I was in the scenes with Marina… She’s my favorite. She’s my favorite acting partner. She brings the best outta me. I trust her.”
Frakes also noted how he and Sirtis had learned to play their characters always with their love in mind, even if that was something that sometimes eluded the Star Trek creatives. He believes that was their secret to keeping the Riker and Troi relationship so well-received by viewers all throughout the process, from the start of The Next Generation up to their marriage in Nemesis.
“Marina and I playing Riker and Troi for seven years and four movies always reminded each other that the characters were still in love. And so that behavior was our sort of acting secret that other people had forgotten about and given up on.”
Related: Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Terry Matalas Wanted More Romance in Season 3 (So Did the Fans)
Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis Pushed for More Riker and Troi Romance
Paramount+
Sirtis also said on The Ready Room that there were Star Trek execs who weren’t such big fans of the Troi and Riker relationship. Even with the odd suggestions they’d sometimes get to pull the reins on that romance, Sirtis says that the two “kept it going, much to the consternation of the suits.”
Sirtis added, “But the fans loved it and I’m glad we did it.”
Perhaps fans still haven’t seen the last of these characters. Frakes has previously teased how Picard leaves the door open for a continuation series to pick from where the show left off, and that could very well mean there will be more of Riker and Troi to come.
“As you’ll see by the end of the [Star Trek: Picard series finale], it’s ripe for a continuation of some version of what we’ve established in the show,” he told Den of Geek. “Not more Picard, but certainly, Next Gen is alive and well.”
You can stream Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+.
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