Memories of Jonathan Frid

Nancy Kersey, a long-time collaborator with Jonathan Frid, has a terrific piece on her blog about how she came to work for the former Dark Shadows actor in the 1980s. The story also deals a little with how Frid inherited the role of Jonathan Brewster from Abe Vigoda in the Broadway production of Arsenic and Old Lace:

He asked me (and paid for) to go watch Abe Vigoda twice in the role. Jonathan himself never saw him play the part and didn't want to. I don't remember why he wanted me to do that. It may have been to make a comparison to see how different Jonathan would be in the role. Jonathan had to be told by the director a few times not to worry about the comedy. Jonathan didn't see where his character was that funny compared to the hilarious antics surrounding him. He had to learn to trust the material. Jonathan asked me to come watch the show a few nights a week (as his guest) and take notes on what I thought of what he was doing. 

  You can read the entire piece for yourself at Hailstones and Halibut Bones.