Jonathan Frid's passing

Jonathan Frid is gone. I don't know why it bothers me so much. He was just an actor. But what an actor! Other than Dark Shadows fans, I am not sure people really appreciated what a fine actor he was. I was able to see him perform live only once but it was one of those performances that make your head spin, it was so powerful. The way he took on the parts of the Fridiculous program was amazing. The funny bits were hilarious, the scary bits were frightening and the in-between bits were awesome! His voice resonated through the auditorium like a cannon when he performed Richard III. Jonathan had such a powerful presence, it showed up on the big screen, the little screen and in person.

I have been obsessed all day with reading all the tributes written about him by his fellow DS cast members, by Johnny Depp (who portrays Barnabas Collins in the new film by Tim Burton, Dark Shadows) and by the many fans on Facebook, Twitter and blogs. With only one exception (and even that was not really a slam, just the person being honest about what she observed in England during the filming of the new movie), the tributes were all glowing. I think Jonathan really didn't understand the appeal of Barnabas to us, the fans. I remember in Crawfordsville, when he saw the tables loaded with Dark Shadows memorabilia, Jonathan made a disparaging remark about it all. It was just a role to him, just a part he played for five years in the late 60s and early 70s. To us, it wasn't just a part, it was an escape from the reality of school, of mean people who made fun of you, of life in general. Barnabas Collins and the rest of the DS characters were people we invested in, people we loved to love and loved to hate. Jonathan's portrayal of Barnabas Collins, the first reluctant vampire, was so compelling to this 11 year-old girl, gawky and geeky and, to me, ugly. He seemed to be looking at me, understanding how different I felt with big boobs. godawful glasses, too short hair and taller than my fifth grade teacher, even with her heels on, I was taller than her by several inches. Barnabas was different, too. He wanted to fit in but couldn't because he was different. I identified with Barnabas. I was not like all my friends, so petite and slender. And he was not like everyone else either. No one else he knew had to sleep in a coffin during the day because the sun would kill him. No one else had to drink blood to survive. Jonathan Frid helped me feel better about myself -- that I wasn't the only one who was weird and strange and different.

Thank you, Jonathan Frid, for the many memories I have of you. Rest in peace, my dear.