Jonathan Frid

Jonathan Frid (December 2, 1924 – April 14, 2012) was a Canadian actor, best known for his role as vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows. The introduction in 1967 of Frid's reluctant, guilt-ridden vampire caused the floundering daytime drama to soar to 20 million daily viewers. His watershed portrayal has been cited as a key influence on contemporary genre film and television series such as Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. Biography Early life Frid was born of Scottish and English ancestry in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His birth name was John Herbert Frid. He was the youngest son of Isabel Flora (née McGregor) and Herbert Percival "H.P." Frid, a construction executive. As a boy Frid had a natural shyness and struggled academically due to dyslexia, which was not properly understood at that time. His passion for acting began at the age of 16 when he appeared in a production of Sheridan's The Rivals at Hillfield School. The following year he joined the local community theatre, The Players' Guild of Hamilton. The theatre's leading director, American actress Gladys Gillan recognized and encouraged the young man's talent.