50 Greatest Soap Actors: #49 Jonathan Frid

[Ubiquitous]

NAME: Jonathan Frid
RANK: 49
SOAP ROLES: Barnabas Collins, DARK SHADOWS (1967-1971);
Dr. Field, AS THE WORLD TURNS (1964-1966)

AWARDS:
1971 Golden Laurel Award nomination for Star of Tomorrow, Male

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Alan Carter: Talk about being known for and stereotyped by a role. It's
not like DARK SHADOWS lasted 40 years or that Frid played the role all
that long, but there was something about him and the show that made us,
literally, run home from school to watch. Do kids run home to watch
soaps these days? No, they have DVRs and Hulu and cell phones and the
internet. But I imagine if Frid was around on DARK SHADOWS, they'd still
be running.

Roger Newcomb: Jonathan Frid became a pop culture icon in a role that
was only supposed to last a few weeks. He didn't debut until the 211th
episode of DARK SHADOWS but his Barnabas helped catapult into the
sensation it would become. Here's hoping that Frid makes a cameo in the
new Johnny Depp Dark Shadows movie that will go into production sometime
this year.
8 comments:

Valerie on March 21, 2010 2:43 AM said...

"50 Greatest Soap Actors" caught my attention, but now I'm quite
perplexed. I admit I watched DS and Frid regularly, but DS lasted only 5
years. How can this panel place Frid (#49)above Tristan Rogers (#50)?
Five years of a vampire vs 28 years (with a few breaks of course) of
Tristan's iconic RS? What gives? Not to diss Frid and his talent (no
denying Frid's talent), but something is certainly amiss here with this
ranking.
soap on March 21, 2010 8:12 AM said...

Okay, you have got my interest already with actors who are #50 and
#49 on your list! You are setting the bar REALLY high to be listing
Tristan and Jonathan this low.

It is because of Jonathan Frid and Dark Shadows that I started
watching soaps (and haven't stopped since) instead of watching Sesame
Street.

And Tristan Rogers was definitely a major reason why I was
scheduling my college classes around General Hospital. Recently, I was
just watching the scenes between Tristan and Elizabeth Taylor when
Helena Cassadine was first introduced...great stuff.
Justine on March 21, 2010 8:31 PM said...

Should Jonathan Frid be above Tristan Rogers? True it was only 4
years that he played Barnabas on Dark Shadows BUT all of DS is out on
VHS and DVD! No other soap can make that claim. In the end it's all
opinion. I can see how both sides can support an argument but in the end
the whole list is up for debate.
Greg Spira on March 21, 2010 8:57 PM said...

I do hope David Selby also lands on this list.
Stephanie on March 22, 2010 5:24 AM said...

I use to love him and love Dark shadows back in the days. I was a
fateful watcher
team on March 22, 2010 11:21 AM said...

Seriously, whatever this panel is smoking. Pass it around.
imfunnytoo on March 23, 2010 2:26 PM said...

And speaking of DS, when the actresses list came out did the
supremely menacing, beautiful Lara Parker make that list? If she didn't,
she should have.

Tristan should be much higher on this list, but Frid did deserve to
make it.
PJ on March 25, 2010 3:30 AM said...

I can't remember any of the DS actresses making the list (I might be
wrong), although I guess you could say the women have tougher
competition. I do wish Grayson Hall, Lara Parker, or Nancy Barrett had
made a place.

Jonathan was very charismatic as Barnabas but his acting wasn't
quite there for me, partially because he obviously struggled with the
teleprompter. My favorite actors on DS were Joel Crothers and Louis
Edmunds.

[Kishin]

Post by Ubiquitous
NAME: Jonathan Frid
RANK: 49
SOAP ROLES: Barnabas Collins, DARK SHADOWS (1967-1971);
Dr. Field, AS THE WORLD TURNS (1964-1966)

I would have put the entire DS cast at the top of that list. But that's just
me.

Thanks for posting. It's nice to see Jonathan getting some love.

--

Kishin

[Joe]

Post by Kishin

Post by Ubiquitous
NAME: Jonathan Frid
RANK: 49
SOAP ROLES: Barnabas Collins, DARK SHADOWS (1967-1971);
Dr. Field, AS THE WORLD TURNS (1964-1966)

I would have put the entire DS cast at the top of that list. But that's just
me.
Thanks for posting. It's nice to see Jonathan getting some love.

I think we can safely say no other cast member of DS will make the
list. There are soaps that lasted 50 years. Those are the ones that
will get the bulk of the actors on the list.

General Hospital will surely land more than a few. So will As the
World Turns, All My Children, etc. they ran much longer than DS and
will have the actors split between them. The short lived soaps like
the Bold and Beautiful and long cancelled ones like Search for
Tomorrow will probably have little or no presence on the list. More
like no presence.

[Wiseguy]

Post by Joe

Post by Kishin

Post by Ubiquitous
NAME: Jonathan Frid
RANK: 49
SOAP ROLES: Barnabas Collins, DARK SHADOWS (1967-1971);
Dr. Field, AS THE WORLD TURNS (1964-1966)

I would have put the entire DS cast at the top of that list. But
that's just me.
Thanks for posting. It's nice to see Jonathan getting some love.

I think we can safely say no other cast member of DS will make the
list. There are soaps that lasted 50 years. Those are the ones that
will get the bulk of the actors on the list.
The short lived soaps like
the Bold and Beautiful...

20 years and still on...hardly short-lived.

[Joe]

Post by Wiseguy

Post by Joe

Post by Kishin

Post by Ubiquitous
NAME: Jonathan Frid
RANK: 49
SOAP ROLES: Barnabas Collins, DARK SHADOWS (1967-1971);
Dr. Field, AS THE WORLD TURNS (1964-1966)

I would have put the entire DS cast at the top of that list. But
that's just me.
Thanks for posting. It's nice to see Jonathan getting some love.

I think we can safely say no other cast member of DS will make the
list. There are soaps that lasted 50 years. Those are the ones that
will get the bulk of the actors on the list.
The short lived soaps like
the Bold and Beautiful...

20 years and still on...hardly short-lived.

Short compared to the 40, 50, or 60 years of the long running soaps.
Yes I would call that short. Not short lived but short time in
comparison

[D***@webtv.net]

The latest issue of ABC Soaps In Depth just started their countdown of
the 50 Top Soap Bad Boys, and they did mention that DS would be one of
the soaps in the countdown.

Since some of the first group (they did ten so far) weren't pure
villains but good guys with a darker side, I'm wondering who from DS
will make the list.

Barnabas is the obvious choice, although more tragic hero than villain,
he would still fit the bill. Quentin would be a pleasant surprise.
Judah Zachary, Nicholas Blair or any of the various Trask incarnations
probably wouldn't be well-known enough outside of DS fandom, nor would
Jason McGuire, who would get my vote for pure entertainment value!

Diva