News
Dark Shadows Icon Jonathan Frid Has Died! Fans and Colleagues remember the original Barnabas Collins!
Vampire and soap icon, Jonathan Frid who created the role of Barnabas Collins on TV’s long running series, Dark Shadows has died at age 87. Reports are now in that Frid passed away on April 13 from natural causes at Juravinski Hospital in Ontario, Canada.
Jonathan Frid created a national sensation when he first appeared in the gothic horror soap spawning a rabid fan base that thrust the daytime soap into national prominence as both girls and boys, and adults, followed the daily adventures of the tormented bloodsucker and the Collins family.
Frid’s Barnabas set the stage for all the television vampire portrayals to follow- reinventing the character as a reluctant vampire, one who sought to rid himself of his curse. Just look no further than the CW hit, Vampire Diaries for starters.
Dark Shadows co-star Kathryn Leigh Scott paid tribute to Frid on her official website, writing, “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. What fun we had working together! He was irascible, irreverent, funny, caring, lovable and thoroughly professional, and in the end became the whole reason why kids ran home from school to watch Dark Shadows.”
Of course, the timing of Frid’s passing is very ironic, as fans will soon see Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s motion picture version of Dark Shadows, when it has its premiere in London on May 9. The film version premise and look and feel already has Dark Shadows and Frid and Barnabas purists up in arms!
We will never forget the incredible world Jonathan Frid took us into each time he brought his Barnabas Collins to the screen.
His powerful performances completely drew us in and took us all there to that fictional world of Dark Shadows.
Thank you Jonathan. See you on the other side.
While I like Johnny Depp, I am not thrilled at the perspective it seems they took with this Dark Shadows film.
R.I.P., Mr. Frid.
I would like to think that if Mr. Frid and other members of the original cast were willing to film cameo appearances for the film, then that must mean they felt the film overall was good.
i saw the trailer for the johnny depp film & from what i could see it is nothing like the original tv show – i will not pay to see such a mockery………..jmo
Instead of naming it dark shadows they should have called it ANOTHER STUPID VAMPIRE MOVIE,Looks dumb to me to and I wont pay to see it either.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Frid.
I remember this Dark Shadows in bits and pieces – I was very ,very young when it was on.
But I do remember watching the ‘ 90’s version with Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins…that was a good show – until the Gulf War coverage killed it.
I’m looking forward to Johnny Depp’s turn at it though.
A great actor who made Barnabas Collins and DS a must see. I will always remember Grayson, Thayer, Joan & Louis. I still don’t know what to make of the Johnny Depp/ Tim Burton film remake. It doesn’t make me want to run out and pay $11.50 to see it.
I am glad the new Dark Shadows movie is so drastically different than the original. Remakes inevitably end up disappointing when compared to the original so why even bother?. I think they were very smart to take this approach instead. I look at this one with Johnny Depp as an entirely new story, which which, if it follows along the lines of the trailer I have seen, will be thoroughly enjoyable and funny!
How many years was Dark Shadows on and can’t we get the series on Amazon or not?
I messed that up! 1966 – 1971 and the dvds can be found on netflix.
Thanks Lew and regarding the movie Tim Burton has a tendency to really sway from the original stuff and attempt to make something campy I will wait and see what you guys say about it before I indulge!
I agree with you about Tim burton,I think dark shadows should have been left alone ,I will watch it , when I dont have to pay for it.
Tim Burton made dark Shadows a comedy with Johnny Depp as barnabas collins. It was never a comedy.. I don’t like that they should stay true to the t.v, show…I watched Dark shadows.. I was 15 yrs. old at the time….Loved this show…It was different………..Remember Kate Jackson, Joan Bennett , ETC.. Angalique(not sure about the spelling). Who put the curse on Barnabas & made him a vampire…I was down the jersey shore w/ my cousins but, I had to run back to the house to watch D S. Liked Quentin ….So many memories…Barnabas was my favorite.. RIP…………
Jonathan Frid and Grayson Hall one of the great soap “couples” of all time.
Julia was in love with Barnabas but he loved Josette…..
Susan m,I agree with everything you said april 20th at 5:18 pm,your right dark shadows wasnt a comedy ,I remember everybody ,it was a good soap and I loved it ,wish these hollywood people would leave the classics alone they cant be changed and they cant be remade .Only reason people will see this movie is johnny depp.It does look stupid.
Johnny Depp took part in a project that I really think mocked the hell out of Dark Shadows. The only real thing FRID had been known for…I’d have been pissed.
ALL the ICONS are leaving us, and there are NO real anything to replace any of them, that to me is sooo tragic.
My Uncles Grandfather from his mothers side was a garbage man on the same street as FRID lived….he’s say hello everytime to him.
I agree Chaz, actually I can’t stand what was done to Dark Shadows and earlier remake was a sham too!
I found it more ironic that he died on Friday, the 13th! I wonder if his grave will be marked as our beloved vampire, Barnabas?
I don’t think of him standing at the pearly gates in street clothes as much as I think of him, in his cape, with his cane and turning back to look at us one last time, before turning away, and wandering into the fog and slipping from our sight.
I will continue to miss him.
Back in 1967 when I was a newly-married 19-year-old wife, discovering the soap world literally saved my life. I had lived all my life in Iowa and then moved to the Florida panhandle where my Air Force husband was stationed. Within weeks, I was drawn to Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and Dark Shadows. All were half hour soaps then. One Life to Live debuted the next year, I believe, and I watched it, too.
Frid was a Shakespearean actor who brought that elegance to the small screen as vampire Barnabas Collins. He could be menacing, but for the most part was kind of like Dr. Pepper: just misunderstood!
I just got thru signing and reading thru the guest book for him on legacy.com Lots of us “kids” signing that we ran home from school to watch Dark Shadows. One person even said the whole block would vacate the street (out playing) to go watch Dark Shadows. I gotta get the DVDs… anyone have them?
Loved Dark Shadows! Jonathan Frid’s portrayal of Barnabas Collins cannot be topped by anyone. Such sad news today to hear of his passing. Condolences to his family, friends and all the millions of his fans worldwide. Rest in peace, Mr. Frid.
I agree >>>>>>>>>
It use to come on at 4:00PM on abc………
Dark Shadows was my first soap. I was 5 & my older sisters would make me watch it with them because they were too scared to watch it alone. I loved DS & many other soaps along the way.
I remember meeting my friends at the local cinema to see a Dark Shadows movie in the early 70’s & being so scared riding my bike home alone in the dark. Thanks for the memories Mr. Frid.
i never missed dark shadows – we ran home every day from school to see it – i really loved barnabas collins!
mr frid passed away on friday the 13th………………….hmm something to think about!
Sorry to hear about Mr. Frid. Not too long ago I thought of Dark Shadows and looked it up on Youtube. Saw parts of episodes with Mr. Frid a.k.a. Barnabas Collins. His facial expressions and movements were iconically classic (can you say that?). Brought back memories of when I was a kid and couldn’t wait to watch the campy episodes. They were eerie but funny at the same time – a parody of gothic horror fiction whether they were supposed to be or not. Nevertheless, they were entertaining. RIP – Mr. Frid – may you rise again like Barnabas.
I was a big fan of Jonathan Frid and “Dark Shadows”. I would NEVER miss an episode. It was a GREAT love story (between Barbabus and Josette) and Angelique (the witch) added lots of fun. So did the entire cast. We saw Jonathan Frid is person at the height of his fame at a local department store in New Jersey, and fans went “crazy” over him. I remember him pretending to bite a woman on the neck while the crowd cheered. Not many people may know, but Jonathan Frid was once a Shakesperean actor. I have a portrait of him hanging in my office. It’s been there for YEARS! May he rest in peace
My dear friend Paula and I were 6 years old when DS came on the air. Our mothers both worked. We would rush to be in front of the tv at 4pm everyday. In those days, Paula was the only kid who wore a wrist watch. If we were out playing, we stopped everything to run into the house and get the tv “warmed up”. RIP Mr. Frid. Yet another piece of my childhood passed into history.
what can I say . I miss Jonathan Frid ! I luved the whole cast but he was my favorite ! Rest in Peace Jonathan . You will be missed ! I used to hurry home from school just to catch Dark Shadows . Thank you joanne .
All My Children
Mark Consuelos Celebrates One-Year Anniversary as Co-Host of ‘Live’ Alongside Kelly Ripa
Today, April 17th marks a full-year since Mark Consuelos (ex-Mateo, All My Children) took over the co-hosting duties of ‘Live” alongside his wife, and longtime co-host, Kelly Ripa (ex-Hayley, All My Children).
Consuelos replaced Ryan Seacrest who are six seasons decided to be back on the west coast full-time. For Consuelos, now having the opportunity to work off of Ripa as co-hosts has been something of adjustment for him, but viewers have been eating it up.
Live with Kelly and Mark has remained the No. 1 entertainment talk show on television over the past year, growing 3% in average total viewers to 2.23M per episode. It is also the most-watched daytime talk show in the last year in key demos of women 18-49 and women 25-54. All of this, since the real-life marrieds teamed-up.
Speaking with Deadline, Kelly Ripa shared why the two are gelling on-screen, “I do think that there is something very possibly relatable about our relationship. We have disagreements like a normal couple, and we’re not afraid to let them unfold on the air and in front of America, and I think people find a lot of themselves in that.”
Mark weighed in how he has progressed as a host, and what he could improve at, sharing, “I’d like to get better at my interviewing skills. I’d like to get better at reading a teleprompter…I think I’m getting better at throwing to commercial. The other day in the middle of the show as we go to commercial, my sign off was ‘See you guys around.’ I mean, the show wasn’t over. The most obvious thing to say would be, ‘We’ll be back right after this.’ But I just said, ‘See you around.’ So we went to commercial and one of the producers (goes) ‘What was that?’ I don’t know… So for the next few sign offs, as a joke, I’d say ‘See you around.’ We got a kick out of it.”
Meanwhile, Kelly has given huge props to Mark, “I find Mark utterly compelling, really interesting, super funny, and he’s bold in a way like nobody else. He says what’s on his mind. If he’s thinking it, he says it. I’ve done this a long time and oftentimes people will adjust their natural personalities to pander to what they think the audience wants to hear, and Mark will tell people what he thinks, and he doesn’t care if it’s not a popular opinion. It gives him an edginess that I think is really missing in the landscape today. Everybody’s so afraid to say anything, and Mark is unafraid to say exactly what he’s thinking.”
In a statement, Debra O’Connell, President News Group and Networks, Disney Entertainment shared, We could not be more thrilled with how Mark has seamlessly joined the show family as permanent co-host. His undeniable charisma and his and Kelly’s natural chemistry are evident as they deliver the laughs and smiles to our viewers each morning. We are incredibly proud of how Live has continued to evolve and that the audience is responding so enthusiastically.”
So, do you think Mark Consuelos is the best co-host his wife Kelly Ripa has ever had on ‘Live’? How would you say he is doing as co-host after one full year on the job? Comment below.
Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Alum Tanner Stine to Appear in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ Starring Nicholas Chavez
Another face familiar to daytime fans has already boarded Ryan Murphy’s limited series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story which stars General Hospital favorite, Nicholas Chavez (Spencer Cassadine) in the role of Lyle.
Tanner Stine who played Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) and Steve’s (Stephen Nichols) son, Joey Johnson on Days of our Lives will also appear in the series.
In ‘Monsters’, look for Stine to portray the role of Perry Berman, who was Lyle and Erik’s friend and former tennis coach. In the story, Perry found himself at the epicenter of the murder mystery when he had accepted a phone call from Lyle shortly before the brutal murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez.
Other previously announced castings included: Cooper Koch (who plays Erik), Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson, and Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth.
In the series, the two wealthy brothers stand trial for shooting their parents in Beverly Hills, amid claims of self-defense after years of abuse, while prosecutors alleged that greed was the motives for the killing. Lyle and Erik Menendez have been behind bars in California for more than three decades for the 1989 killing of their parents.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will debut later in 2024 on Netflix.
What do you think about Tanner Stine being part of the all-star cast for ‘Monsters’? Miss Joey on Days of our Lives? Comment below.
News
Soap Vet Christopher Cousins to The Young and the Restless
Looks like Ashley (Eileen Davidson) may get some much needed help, or assistance in shedding light on what caused her to have a massive personality split as her DID condition continues to spiral.
Casting news from The Young and the Restless has veteran actor, Christopher Cousins set to make his debut in the role of Alan Laurent, a psychiatrist and friend of Ashley’s from her time in Paris.
Look for Cousins to appear over multiple episodes beginning with the Tuesday, April 30th episode of the top-rated daytime drama series.
Christopher should look very familiar to soap fans having appeared on Another World, As the World Turns, One Life to Live in his most memorable role as Cain Rogan from 1991-2008, and most recently back in 2020 as Dr. Warren Kirk on General Hospital.
The actor has a long and extensive list of TV and motion pictures outside of the soaps as well, including: The Resident, UnREAL, Bosch, Vampire Diaries, to name but a few.
What do think about the casting of Christopher Cousins to be a part of Ashley’s DID storyline? Comment below.
-
General HospitalApril 12, 2024
George Russo to Appear on General Hospital as Carmine Cerullo
-
Days Of Our LivesApril 13, 2024
Ron Carlivati Talks on Decision to Make Days of our Lives 15000th Episode About Doug’s Funeral, and Previews Chances for WGA Award
-
General HospitalApril 15, 2024
General Hospital’s Steve Burton Reveals the Emotional Scene He Almost Could Not Get Through
-
RecapsApril 14, 2024
Y&R’s Eileen Davidson Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’
-
Days Of Our LivesApril 14, 2024
Days of our Lives wins WGA Award for Daytime Drama Series
-
NewsApril 12, 2024
Y&R’s Hayley Erin Previews Her Role in Horror-Thriller ‘New Life’