Star Trek: Why The Actor Originally Cast As Riker Was Replaced By Jonathan Frakes
Of the many standout characters on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is among the most popular. The dutiful righthand man of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) is a vital member of the USS Enterprise crew and a major component of the overall success of "The Next Generation." Thus, Riker has gone on to appear in a variety of other "Star Trek" projects, with the most recent being "Star Trek: Picard" and "Star Trek: Lower Decks." Frakes has brought him to life to perfection time and time again, though his incredible franchise run nearly didn't come to fruition.
When "The Next Generation" was coming together, the minds behind it cast Billy Campbell in the role. However, per producer Rick Berman's recollection in the "Star Trek" oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams" by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Paramount executive John Pike wasn't sold on him. "Pike didn't like him. He didn't feel he had a sense of command. He wouldn't follow this guy into battle. I think it was really more that he didn't audition that well for the part," Berman said. Thus, Campbell was quickly swapped out for Frakes, and the rest is history.
Still, that's not to say that Campbell was barred from the "Star Trek" franchise entirely.
Billy Campbell made it into Star Trek, just not as Commander Riker
Even though he missed out on the role of Commander Riker and, therefore, a spot at the forefront of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Billy Campbell was still able to leave his mark on the "Star Trek" franchise in the end. Campbell took on the character Thadiun Okona — the arrogant yet charming captain of the cargo carrier known as the Erstwhile — for the "Next Generation" Season 2 episode titled "The Outrageous Okona." That installment marks his only appearance on the program, but it's not his only one in the wider "Star Trek" canon.
Decades after his "The Next Generation" debut, Campbell's Okona returned to "Star Trek" on "Star Trek: Prodigy." He pops up in two episodes, Season 1's "Crossroads" and "Masquerade," helping out the USS Protostar crew. On the animated program, he's a bit older than he was on "The Next Generation," and he's sporting an eyepatch for unspecified reasons, but his penchant for winding up in sticky situations remains unchanged. Campbell turns in some great voice work to boot, making Okona's surprise return even more noteworthy.
All in all, it's too bad for Campbell that he didn't get to keep the role of Commander Riker. At least he landed Thadiun Okona — a character he has only played in a couple of projects yet has become and remained synonymous with.