Jonathan Frid

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.