DARK SHADOWS: Jonathan Frid - Original Barnabas, Passes Away

Jonathan Frid was never a fan of the fang aspect of Barnabas Collins and, in an interview with ye editor, admitted that he felt foolish doing that part of the show. The thing that did appeal to him, however, was the "lie" that served as the foundation of the character in (then) present day Collinwood. "It was Barnabas' lie, that he was pretending to be something that he wasn't, which motivated me more than any other aspect of the role. That pretense was something the actor playing Barnabas had to remember all the time. He got the lust for blood every once in a while, but always what preyed on his mind was the lie. And of course it played right into my lie as an actor. I was lying that I was calm and comfortable in the studio, just as Barnabas was lying that he was the calm, comfortable cousin from England. He wasn't at all. He was a sick, unbelievable creep that the world didn't know about."

According to Digital Spy, Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, who originated the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the daytime soap opera Dark Shadows (a role Johnny Depp plays in the new Tim Burton film) has passed away at the age of 87.
EdGross - 4/19/2012

The show’s setting was Maine — pretty different from the sun-beaten suburb of South Florida – but Depp felt such an affinity for the forlorn Barnabas that he borrowed some of his gestures and phrases when he was young. That connection is intriguing considering the amount of time that Depp would later spend inside the skulls of eccentric lost souls. Frid may have been the bright north star that led Depp into a career of spooky mansions and gothic superstardom, which would explain why Depp was giddy when he met Frid for the first time. Barnabas, Depp pointed out, did not disappoint that day. ”As elegant and magical,” Depp remembered, “as I had always imagined.”




Howitt said his uncle had many different lives — his family, friends, and Dark Shadows — and he managed them effortlessly. “When he came home, he was Uncle Jon. He wasn’t Barnabas Collins.” He remembers Frid bringing home bubble gum collectible cards and a Dark Shadows board game at Christmas.

The original show is a still cult classic, with fans attending Dark Shadows conventions and spending hundreds of dollars on memorabilia — like the seasons’ DVDs in a collectible coffin-shaped case.

Frid’s family has history in the city. His father Herbert owned Frid Construction and Frid Street — where The Spectator is located — was named after the family.