Jonathan Frid, famous for his role as Barnabas Collins on the soap opera ‘Dark Shadows’ died on April 13.
Jonathan Frid, the actor behind Barnabas Collins, vampire from the hit soap opera “Dark Shadows” died at the age of 87, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Frid died in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario at the Juravinski Hospital on Friday, April 13.
“Dark Shadows” has recently gained popularity with the Tim Burton adaption, coming out this May. The film stars Johnny Depp as Barnabas.
Depp said about Frid, “Jonathan Frid was the reason I used to run home from school to watch ‘Dark Shadows.’ When I had the honor to finally meet him, as he so generously passed the torch of Barnabas to me, he was as elegant and magical as I had always imagined. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. The world has lost a true original.”
Frid made his final cameo in the upcoming film.
Kathryn Leigh Scott, co star on the original ‘Dark Shadows,’ who also has a cameo in the new movie left a tribute to the actor on her website.
“I am so grateful to have worked with Jonathan, and to have known him as the charismatic, entertaining, complex and plain-spoken man that he was,” she said. “What fun we had working together! He was irascible, irreverent, funny, caring, lovable and thoroughly professional.”
Scott continued on to talk about the moment that Depp and Frid met for the first time on the set of ‘Dark Shadows.’
“I won’t ever forget the moment when the two Barnabas Collinses met, one in his late 80s and the other in his mid 40s, each with their wolf’s head canes. Jonathan took his time scrutinizing his successor’s appearance. ‘I see you’ve done the hair,’ Jonathan said to Johnny Depp, ‘but a few more spikes.’ Depp, entirely in character, replied, ‘Yes, we’re doing things a bit differently.’”
“Dark Shadows ran from 1966 to 1971 on ABC. Frid joined the cast in 1967.
In addition to ‘Dark Shadows’ success, Frid had a length stage career.
He died of natural causes.
