Dark Shadows
Photo: Dan Curtis Productions
Just as a big-screen transfer of Dark Shadows revives interest in the original Gothic TV soap, one of the stars of that 1966 to 1971 series has passed away. Jonathan Frid, who played the vampire Barnabas Collins (the role taken by Johnny Depp in the upcoming Tim Burton movie), has died at age 87. Frid wasn’t an original cast member of Dark Shadows, but after the series introduced Barnabas a year into its run, he quickly became the breakout star. As an homage to the show that Depp had a childhood obsession with, Frid will cameo in the May 11 movie.