How Dark Shadows Actor Jonathan Frid Almost Joined Guiding Light

Veteran soap producer Mary O’Leary (General Hospital, The Young and the Restless), who has written and directed Dark Shadows and Beyond – The Jonathan Frid story, shares that TV’s Barnabas Collins almost popped up on Guiding Light in 1986.

From Dark Shadows To Guiding Light

O’Leary had begun working with Frid on his one-man show when she was employed as an assistant producer on Guiding Light. Around this time, the show was casting the short-term part of Baron Leo Von Halkein, India’s (Mary Kay Adams) father and Alexandra Spaulding’s (Beverlee McKinsey) ex-husband.

“It was only ten episodes, so I called Jonathan to see if he wanted to come in and meet with the casting director,” O’Leary shares with Soap Hub. “He came over. They really wanted somebody who looked a bit more ethnic as Leo was from the Balkans, I think.

“Jonathan had a lovely interview. Afterwards, I was glad that he didn’t get it. Because of crazy scheduling with sets, they had the actor [George Guidall], who was cast in the part, do two days of five episodes in a row. It was amazing the number of lines he had to learn. That would have been a challenging for any actor.”

How You Can Get A Signed Copy The Jonathan Frid Documentary

Ian Buchanan (ex-Duke, GH; ex-James, The Bold and the Beautiful) performs Frid’s voice in the documentary as he reads some of Frid’s letters. Los Angeles area fans can meet both Buchanan and O’Leary at a DVD/Blue-ray signing of Dark Shadows and Beyond – The Jonathan Frid Story on Saturday, November 27 at 3:00 pm at Dark Delicacies, 822 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505. The DVD and Blu-Ray are available for purchase on set for $25 and $30, respectively. Attendees will receive autographs and a special Dark Shadows gift.

Soap Hub is offering one lucky recipient a DVD of Dark Shadows and Beyond – The Jonathan Frid Story. To enter a chance to win, fill out the form below.

Dark Shadows and Beyond – the Jonathan Frid Story is available now on DVD and Blu-ray on Amazon. The bonus features disc includes rare performance footage, archival material from Frid’s private collection, and more. The documentary is also available on additional digital platforms including Apple TV, Vudu Fandango, Google Play, and others.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.