by Malia Howard (Author)
Career biography of actor Jonathan Frid. This classically trained actor enjoyed a distinguished career on stage, in television and on film. He became American television's first matinee idol due to his spellbinding portrayal of "Barnabas Collins" on ABC Television's "Dark Shadows" in the late 1960s. He also enjoyed a highly successful run as the evil brother, Jonathan, in the national touring company of "Arsenic & Old Lace" in the late 1980s. In the latter stages of his career, he created a series of Reader's Theatre One-Man-Shows that toured the U.S. from coast to coast. Frid mesmerized audiences with his unique gift for interpreting the nuances of a wide array of characters, all while relying only on his own voice, facial expressions and his remarkable ability to inspire the imagination of his audiences. He viewed this part of his career as the most satisfying, as it allowed him to play numerous characters covering dark comedy, classic horror and the horrors of the mind.