Jonathan Frid's career in drama commenced when he surrendered to the allure of the theater as a young boy at a preparatory school in Ontario, Canada. Following his graduation from McMaster University, he pursued higher education at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in the UK, subsequently earning a Master's Degree in Directing from the esteemed Yale School of Drama.
As a leading actor in English and Canadian repertory, Frid went on to work in many of the most renowned regional theaters in the United States, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, and the American Shakespeare Festival under the direction of John Houseman. He had the privilege of sharing the stage with the legendary Katharine Hepburn in a production of "Much Ado About Nothing".
Frid's extensive stage credits also include major roles on-and-off Broadway, such as "Roar Like A Dove", "Murder in the Cathedral", and "Wait Until Dark". However, it was his captivating portrayal of a complex, conflicted vampire on ABC-TV's daytime drama series Dark Shadows (1966) that brought him widespread recognition in the United States. He also made a cameo appearance in the motion picture House of Dark Shadows (1970).
Frid's film credits include co-starring roles in The Devil's Daughter (1973) alongside Shelley Winters and Seizure (1974),which marked Oliver Stone's directorial debut.
In 1986, Frid joined the Broadway production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" alongside Jean Stapleton, earning critical acclaim for his villainous turn as the homicidal nephew. He spent ten months with the play's national tour and subsequently founded his own production company, "Clunes Associates", to create and tour a series of one-man readers' theater shows across North America.
Frid continued to perform his one-man shows, now under the banner of "Charity Associates", to raise money for various charities. His unique blend of vocal talents and zest for entertaining earned him widespread critical acclaim. In June 2000, he returned to the traditional professional stage in the play "Mass Appeal" at the Stirling Festival Theatre in Stirling, Ontario.
