The original Barnabas Collins – Jonathan Frid, who played the role from 1967 to 1971, has died at the age of 87. A “curse from Angelique” isn’t what did him in — the reason was “natural causes.”
Frid will be making a cameo in the new film, and was beloved by generations – first from people who watched Dark Shadows every afternoon, and then by a generation who caught the show on DVD or repeats. Even though he began his role as Barnabas in his forties, Frid received thousands of fan letters on a daily basis and became a bit of a “teen idol.” Vampire heroes have permeated movies and TV in the many years since Dark Shadows aired, with characters like Twilight’s Edward Cullen or The Vampire Diaries’ Salvatores – but Barnabas was the original and best. Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and many fans.
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I’ve been a huge fan of Jonathan’s Frid’s Barnabas since I was a child. I even wrote a song looking to capture the deep and complex character of Barnabas. Let me know what you think. You can hear that here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jXQ652Q7LM