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Jonathan Frid

Jonathan Frid

Acting

Biography

Jonathan Frid was a Canadian actor born December 2, 1924, in Hamilton, Ontario, and died April 14, 2012, in the same city. He gained fame for portraying vampire Barnabas Collins in the television series Dark Shadows, which aired from 1967 to 1971, significantly increasing the show’s viewership. Frid’s acting career began in 1946 with stage roles, including Shakespearean performances, and extended to film, notably House of Dark Shadows in 1970. Born John Herbert Frid, he graduated from McMaster University in 1948 and later earned a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University in 1957. His early career included Canadian television and theater, with a breakout role in Dark Shadows. He also appeared in films like The Devil’s Daughter in 1973 and had a cameo in Dark Shadows in 2012. On stage, he performed in Arsenic and Old Lace from 1986 to 1987. Frid retired to Ancaster, Ontario, in 1994, though he continued occasional work, such as directing The Lion in Winter in 1993 and appearing at Dark Shadows fan festivals from 2007 to 2011. He died of pneumonia complications at 87, leaving his estate to the Hamilton Community Foundation. His portrayal of Barnabas Collins influenced modern vampire genres, seen in series like True Blood. Source: Adapted from Wikipedia: Jonathan Frid

Known For

Dark Shadows
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Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was unprecedented in daytime television when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began. The series became hugely popular when vampire Barnabas Collins appeared a year into its run. Dark Shadows also featured werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; indeed, as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. Major writers besides Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.

Dark Shadows

1966Series