Editor’s Note: With Into Darkness’ release now merely a week away, there is a strong chance the United Federation of Planets is about to get a lot of love here on the site.
By all accounts, Jonathan Frakes has lead a charmed life. He is responsible for the voice and characterization of one of the greatest supervill
ians of the 20th century, Gargoyles David Xanatos (namesake of the Xanatos Gambit and general badass). He’s had a remarkably successful second career as television and film director. But, whatever other greatness Frakes brings us, he will always be remembered as Commander Will Riker.
Actors sometimes practice as technique whereby they give their character a secret only they are privy to that informs their performance. Based on the supercut that went viral this week, Frakes secret for Number One was that he had the meanest sitting game in Starfleet. As if that wasn’t enough, he made Riker’s swag next-level by making his standing-up manuever somehow even more bonkers (see 0:17). See the video after the jump…
A.C Slater, take a lesson from the king (and yes, Saved by the Bell is a cultural reference-point I am likely to go back to repeatedly. I make no apologies for this.)
Low Culture, High Concept 