'Dark Shadows' vampire Jonathan Frid dead at 87
BY RITA SHERROW World Television Editor
Thursday, April 19, 2012
4/19/12 at 11:51 AM
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, 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.
Below is a clip from the '60s television series "Dark Shadows."
