These days, a lot of young people might think Johnny Depp will become synonymous with the character Barnabas Collins, but true “Dark Shadows” fans–young and old–know that the real Barnabas Collins is Jonathan Frid, the man who first portrayed the character during the original run of the late 1960s-early 1970s dark soap opera. Sadly, Frid has died at the age of 87.

According to a statement released by Frid’s family, Frid died April 13 in Hamilton, Ontario from natural causes. Frid’s “Dark Shadows” co-star, Kathryn Leigh Scott, wrote a remembrance for Frid on her site.

“May Jonathan Frid, ‘our reluctant vampire,’ live on in our hearts,” she wrote. “How blessed I am to have known this dear man and to have such wonderful memories of him, both on screen and off…I am so grateful to have worked with Jonathan, and to have known him as the charismatic, entertaining, complex and plain spoken man that he was.”

You can read more about Frid at Scott’s website.

One has to wonder what Johnny Depp and Tim Burton have taken the news; they were two of the many fans Frid had due to the success of the show.

Were you a fan of “Dark Shadows”? Reflect on Frid’s character and life in the comments below.