Frid; w/Grayson Hall in "Dark Shadows" |
Jonathan Frid was a theater, television and film actor, best
known for playing the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic soap
opera Dark Shadows, which ran from 1966 to 1971. He reprised his signature role
in the expansion movie "House of Dark Shadows" in 1970 (during production of
the television series). Frid was a World War II veteran, having served in the Royal
Canadian Navy. He graduated from McMaster
University in 1948, and the
following year was accepted at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London , and then moved to the United States in 1954, where he received
a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing from the Yale School of Drama. After
many years in the theater, Frid later began performing readings at Dark
Shadows fan conventions in the 1980s. In 1994, having spent 40 years based
in New York City , Frid retired and returned to his
native Canada .
He spent three days at Pinewood Studios in June 2011 filming a cameo
appearance for the upcoming Tim Burton film version of “Dark Shadows”
starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. Frid passed away on April 14, 2012 at
the age of eighty-seven. The Catacombs extends its condolences to his family,
friends and fans.
2 comments:
I'm truly sorry to hear of Mr. Frid's passing. One of my earliest memories is of watching Dark Shadows faithfully with my grandmother. I even went as Barnabas Collins for Halloween one year. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
I'll remember being frightened by him from my TV set as a small boy the rest of my life. Barnabus, Mr. Spock Captain Kangaroo and Hoss (from Bonanza) may be my earliest recolection of TV favorites.
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