Jonathan Frid: Difference between revisions
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==Death== |
==Death== |
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Frid died of natural causes on Friday |
Frid died of natural causes on Friday the 13th of April, 2012, at [[Juravinski Hospital]] in [[Hamilton, Ontario]].<ref>{{cite newspaper|url= http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news/remembering-jonathan-frid/|title=Remembering Jonathan Frid| date = April, 19, 2012|first= Mike|last= Pearson|work=Hamilton Community News| location=[[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]], [[Ontario]]}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 19:49, 19 April 2012
Jonathan Frid | |
|---|---|
 Frid in 2001 | |
| Born | John Herbert Frid December 2, 1924 |
| Died | April 14, 2012 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | McMaster University |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Yale School of Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1960-2012 |
| Notable work | Barnabas Collins |
| Television | Dark Shadows |
| Website | http://www.jonathanfrid.com |
John Herbert Frid (December 2, 1924 - April 14, 2012) was a theater, television, and film actor, best known for having played the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows.
Biography
Early Life
Born of Scottish and English ancestry in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Frid was the son of Herbert "H.P." Frid, a construction company executive, and the former Isabella Flora McGregor, a homemaker. He had two brothers, named Douglas and David (Kenneth), Ken followed their father into the construction business, while Douglas ran a ski lodge.
Frid served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. He graduated from McMaster University in 1948, and the following year was accepted at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.[1] He moved to the United States in 1954, and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing from the Yale School of Drama in 1957. He began using the stage name Jonathan Frid in 1962.[2]
Stage career
As a student at Yale, Frid starred in the premiere of William Snyder's play A True And Special Friend.[3] Classically trained, Frid spent thirty years in live theater, starring in the first productions at the Williamstown Theater and stage productions in Canada, England and the United States, though occasionally working in television.[4]
Television career
Frid is best known for the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the original gothic cult television serial Dark Shadows, which ran from 1966 to 1971.[5] He also starred in the movie House of Dark Shadows. Frid had made plans to move to the West Coast to pursue a career as an acting teacher when he won the role that ultimately made him a household name. Frid explained on his website that he had just barely entered his apartment as the phone call from his agent came informing him that he won the role as Barnabas Collins. Frid agreed to accept the role after being told it was a short-term one that would provide him with extra cash while he prepared to move. As the character's popularity soared, Frid scrapped those plans.
Frid starred in "Dial M For Murder" while the television series was still appearing. After Dark Shadows ended, he starred as Thomas Becket in Murder in the Cathedral as well as Wait Until Dark. Frid had previously played the role of a psychiatrist on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns.
In 1973, Frid appeared in the TV movie The Devil's Daughter starring Shelley Winters, and the following year starred in Oliver Stone's directorial debut, Seizure (aka Queen of Evil). He took time off from acting and returned to Canada, reviving his stage career in 1978.
Frid began performing readings at Dark Shadows fan conventions in the 1980s, and while developing ideas for what would be three critically acclaimed one-man shows, Frid took on the role of Jonathan Brewster in the Broadway revival of Arsenic and Old Lace. The play went on a national tour breaking box-office records, which gave Frid the opportunity to appear on radio and talk shows to tell about his theater shows and long stage career.
Later Life
In 1994, having spent 40 years based in New York City, Frid retired and returned again to Canada. He continued to do one-man shows for charities in both Canada and the United States. In 2000, he co-starred in Mass Appeal which enjoyed a successful, limited run in Hamilton and at the Stirling Theater Festival in Canada.
Frid attended Dark Shadows conventions in New York in August 2007, Burbank, California, in July 2008, and Elizabeth, New Jersey, in August 2009. In 2010, he returned to the role of Barnabas for the first time in 39 years in a Dark Shadows audio drama, The Night Whispers.[6] Along with former Dark Shadows castmates Lara Parker, David Selby and Kathryn Leigh Scott, Frid spent three days at Pinewood Studios in June 2011 filming a cameo appearance for the upcoming Tim Burton film.[7]
Death
Frid died of natural causes on Friday the 13th of April, 2012, at Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario.[8]
References
- ^ http://www.darkshadowsonline.com/where-frid.html
- ^ http://www.darkshadowsonline.com/where-frid.html
- ^ Belknap Playbill and Program Collection
- ^ [1]
- ^ Big Finish Dark Shadows
- ^ Jonathan Frid Reprises Role of Barnabas Collins for Dark Shadows Audio Return
- ^ San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Dark Shadows Panel Highlights; Original Cast Cameos Confirmed for Tim Burton's Dark Shadows Film
- ^ Pearson, Mike (April, 19, 2012). "Remembering Jonathan Frid". Hamilton Community News. Hamilton, Ontario.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
- Jonathan Frid official site
- Jonathan Frid at IMDb
- Jonathan Frid at the Internet Broadway Database
- Please use a more specific IOBDB template. See the template documentation for available templates.