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Jonathan Frid, original vampire in 'Dark Shadows' soap, has died
Published: 4/19/2012 11:36 AM
Last Modified: 4/19/2012 1:30 PM

Jonathan Frid, who starred as vampire Barnabas Collins/Bramwell Collins for 594 episodes of ABC's gothic television soap opera "Dark Shadows," has died.

Frid, 87, whose last acting credit will be a cameo appearance he did for Tim Burton's upcoming film "Dark Shadows," reportedly died of natural causes April 14 at Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, according to digitalspy.com.

The film stars Johnny Depp as Barnabas along with Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter, and is set to debut in theaters May 11.

Actor Depp previously told the media that as a child he was "obsessed" with Frid's performance as the 200-year-old vampire in "Dark Shadows," according to the website.

"I loved the show when I was a kid (and) I was obsessed with Barnabas Collins," the Hollywood star reportedly said in 2009. "I have photographs of me holding Barnabas Collins posters when I was 5 or 6."

Frid starred in the popular daytime series from June 1966 to April 1971 and an instant hit as a vampire who didn't want to be a vampire.

He also made numerous appearances on the Broadway stage and starred in the 1973 television movie "The Devil's Daughter" and the 1974 horror film "Seizure," according to the website. And he was also a leading actor in English and Canadian repertory, performed countless one-man shows across North America to raise money for various charities and made appearances at "Dark Shadows" conventions until at least 2009, according to reports.

"The death of Jonathan Frid today at age 87 has left all of us at MPI deeply saddened," said Malik Ali, chief executive officer of MPI Media Group, home of the "Dark Shadows" series on DVD.

"As a gifted actor in the role of Barnabas Collins, Jonathan was the heart and soul of 'Dark Shadows' and, as recently as last week, was graciously taking part in activities surrounding the series. He never tired of meeting fans and was always excited to hear about new 'Dark Shadows' releases. Most recently, Frid filmed a cameo appearance for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's upcoming 'Dark Shadows' movie, along with fellow original cast members Kathryn Leigh Scott, David Selby and Lara Parker.

"MPI remains committed to preserving Jonathan's legacy, and that of everyone who helped make 'Dark Shadows' an enduring and beloved phenomenon."

Below is a clip from the '60s television series "Dark Shadows."





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Rita Sherrow grew up with TV. Yes, it was the ever-present “sister” from another techno mother. At first look, it was instant "Like." From then on, the TV had to be on in every room while she studied, elementary school through college. An Air Force brat, she attended school in three states (Oklahoma, Montana and Georgia) and two foreign countries (Germany and Bermuda) and graduated from Broken Arrow High School and the University of Tulsa with a degree in journalism/advertising. She first interned in the advertising world but, when a J-School professor (who also covered politics for the Tulsa World) offered her an internship at the newspaper, she took him up on it. The rest is history. She has served as bridal editor, senior features writer for the women’s section, food editor and is television editor of the Tulsa World. In addition to writing about TV shows and interviewing the stars for “Scene” stories, she also writes a TV column for Weekend and produces the Sunday TV World listings magazine.

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