I came across an article I picked up at the Fest of an interview Mr. Frid gave to The Daily Journal in October, 1985 at the time of that year's Festival in Newark, N.J. and I thought I share to those who may not have read the article brief quotes Jonathan gave concerning the Barnabas character.
"It really was not my sole invention to make Barnabas more human. As a child I went to monster movies. Frankenstein was a nice big oaf. Bela Lugosi a gentleman, and of course Quasimodo was a sweet-heart of a guy. My portrayal was the classic concept of those movies. I have played villains all my life. It gets boring and unbelievable if it is always made to seem evil. I must justify the character's behavior. If I played Jerry Falwell, I'd not do him as a villain. That has already been done. I would play him as he sees himself."
"Barnabas is many things. He is a lover and victim; he is passive and active; he is vulnerable and vicious, frightening and lovable. A pure villain could never show that. Rev. Trask for example, the staunch New England preacher and witch hunter in the early episodes, could have never lasted four years. The part was too rigid."
"From my days at Yale, what I have always done is to take two poles of every character. To show both sides of the villain, such as in Shakespeare."
Jonathan performed part of his one man show, "Reflections of Evil" at that Fest.
