Despite the humble real-life origin of Riker’s beard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” the character’s facial hair has grown into a defining element of the series as a whole, as well as a major piece of pop culture iconography. In the decades since the sci-fi show’s original run, the phrase “Riker’s beard” has become a shorthand term used to refer to a show coming into its own — just as many fans feel “The Next Generation” did after its first season.
For Jonathan Frakes’ part, the actor has indicated on multiple occasions his happiness regarding the way the “Riker’s beard” phrase has transcended the show it was born from — as well as its hallowed place in the Urban Dictionary. “There are few people who understand the importance in the Urban Dictionary of ‘Riker’s beard,'” he once said in an interview with TrekMovie.com. “I have had to explain it to some people and I am so proud of it.”
As the “Star Trek” franchise continues to boldly go where no one has gone before, Frakes is happy to see newer series like “Star Trek: Discovery” undergoing the “Riker’s beard” process of growth. “I think ‘Discovery’ has done it and I think a lot of it has to do [with] the settling in of both sides of the camera: the writing and the actors,” he said. “The show feels to me like it is very much on the tracks now and running with real strength.”
