Jack Wagner (actor)

Wagner was born in Washington, Missouri, to Peter John Wagner, a car salesman (died 1990), and Irene M. (née Amberg) "Scotty" Wagner (1920–2022), a homemaker.^[2] His only sibling, his elder brother Dennis Wagner (1953–2018), died of leukemia after a nearly two decade battle.^[3]

Raised Catholic, Wagner attended St. Gertrude's parochial school and St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in his hometown, where he played football and basketball. He attended the University of Missouri for one year, then junior college before eventually enrolling at the University of Arizona, where he tried out for the golf team and drama department. The drama department offered him a full scholarship.^[4]

Wagner first appeared on the scene in 1982 in the role of Clint Masterson, in Douglas Marland's short-lived cable soap opera, A New Day In Eden, co-produced by Susan Flannery, who would later co-star with Wagner on The Bold and the Beautiful.

His most famous role has been Frisco Jones on the soap opera General Hospital (1983–1987, 1989–1991, 1994–95, 2013). He was half of a supercouple (with real-life wife Kristina Wagner's character, Felicia) and played the father of Georgie and Maxie Jones. He played Warren Lockridge on Santa Barbara from 1991 until that series' conclusion in 1993.

He appeared in several made for television films, including Lady Killer and Frequent Flyer. He appeared for many years on Aaron Spelling's Fox nighttime soap opera Melrose Place, as the alternately caring/conniving Dr. Peter Burns (1994–99); he directed episodes as well. His character and Heather Locklear's "Amanda" were featured together on a beach in the series finale's closing scene, having faked their own deaths. He appeared in another Aaron Spelling project, the short-lived NBC television series Titans with Yasmine Bleeth in 2000, and in Spelling's daytime soap opera Sunset Beach (in 1997).

From 2003 to 2012, he played Nick Marone on the CBS daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful. He reprised this role on June 16, 2025. On February 28, 2006, he and a contestant Christine Denos won $142,550 (including the standard $100,000 top prize) in the game show Wheel of Fortune; at the time, it set a single-episode largest winning record (and second largest overall) until Michelle Lowenstein surpassed said record on October 14, 2008, as the inaugural $1,000,000 winner.^[5]

In 1985, Wagner was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Best Younger Actor" for his work on General Hospital. He was nominated again in 2005 for "Best Lead Actor" for The Bold and the Beautiful.^[6]

Wagner guest-starred on primetime television in notable programs such as Monk, Hot in Cleveland, and Castle.^[7][8]

In January 2013, it was announced that Wagner had agreed to reprise the role of Frisco Jones on General Hospital for several episodes in early 2013.^[9] Since 2014, he has played Bill Avery on When Calls the Heart.^[10] Wagner also starred on the Hallmark Channel in the Wedding March film series, with The Wedding March 3: Here Comes the Bride having premiered in February 2018^[11] and Falling for Christmas in 2022.

In 2026, Wagner competed in season fourteen of The Masked Singer as "Eggplant". He was eliminated on "Ozzfest Night".^[12]

In 2012, Wagner was a contestant on season 14 of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya.^[13] They were eliminated from the competition on April 3, 2012, placing 11th.

Although Wagner had been playing the guitar since he was 14, his initial audition for the role of Frisco Jones on General Hospital with producer Gloria Monty did not include any singing.^[18] Wagner had five auditions with ABC before ultimately winning the role of "Frisco Jones". His final audition in 1983 included performing the Kenny Loggins song "Wait a Little While".^[19][20]

ABC musical honcho^{[clarification needed]} Kelli Ross hooked^{[clarification needed]} Wagner up with Quincy Jones^[19] who oversaw his initial 5 song EP All I Need. Eventually, they would release a full ten song LP of All I Need once the song "All I Need" began to rise up the charts. Quincy Jones protégés Glen Ballard and Clif Magness produced Wagner's first two albums on Qwest Records/Warner Brothers. Wagner's singing talents led him to appearances on American Bandstand, Solid Gold, Soul Train and The Merv Griffin Show.^[18]

Eventually, his musical theater talent led to the title role(s) in a Broadway run of Jekyll & Hyde, making him the first celebrity casting. Wagner has stated this was "a role of a lifetime" and performing the dual characters on Broadway was his most fulfilling professional experience.^[21] Wagner says "the role I had the most fun playing, TV-wise, would be Dr. Peter Burns (Melrose Place). He was sort of an evil character who could redeem himself. Theatrically, it was when I played Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway."^[22] He also appeared in a national theatre tour in 1987 in the role of Tony in West Side Story, and a national tour of Grease in 1988.

In 2012, Wagner released new music, the single "Will the Rain Fall Down" on iTunes. He also performed the song acoustically on The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2014, Wagner released the full-length release On the Porch.