Dark Shadows' Jonathan Frid Dies At 87

The man who literally sent my sister screaming into the night has died. A typical Twitter reaction: "He died now rather than see Johnny Depp ruin his character forever."

Actor Jonathan Frid, who played imposing and elegant vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows," has died at 87. Frid passed away on April 14 from natural causes in his native Ontario. "Dark Shadows" ran from 1966 to 1971, drawing 20 million viewers at its peak. Frid joined the show in 1967 and his character, an elegant vampire recently freed from his chained coffin and returning to his family's estate, Collinwood, quickly became the unquestioned star.

Many speculate that Jonathan Frid was gay and rumors were rife at the time of the show (I remember hearing them in grade school), but at this writing there's no evidence that he ever came out.