Just in time for the 25th Anniversary release of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-Ray, the LA Times has put up an awesome interview with Jonathan Frakes. While it is impossible to pick a favorite character out of the seven members of the family, if I had to due it while staring down a phaser; I’d probably pick Riker.

The interview is great and looks back at the series, its legacy, and the recent cast reunion at the Calgary convention. In it, Frakes mentions that the stiff Riker in the first season didn’t really appeal to him, but he stuck with it for Gene Roddenberry:

“I looked very, very stiff in those early seasons because I was so intent on living up to the vision that Gene had, and it was not real fun,” said Frakes, who got a reprieve, finally, when he mentioned his love of jazz and his musical hobby to one of the show’s writers. “All of a sudden, Riker was playing the trombone, and they let a little bit of the playfulness in. And it all changed for the better.”

It’s a great interview that all TNG fans will probably enjoy reading. Check it out here.