A Hard One - Best Actor(ess) on DS????

[Perankh]

Well, i know this is hard, and it is utterly hilarious and inappropriate for me to start this topic when i haven't seen the whole series yet, but i still want to.    So for me, i suppose for only the first half of the series, the best actor/actress on the series is John Karlen.  Willie came to Collinsport with Jason McGuire, later to be changed drastically when Barnabas bites him and makes him his slave.  The way Karlen brought this transformation to fruition really does something for me.  And now with his return, he continues to show that interesting new side of Willie Loomis as a sort of kind, mellower guy who doesn't want to do naughty things any more-or at least as much.  Karlen always has such intensity onscreen, and never seems to dip into overacting, as some of the other actors do.  I was able to meet him at this year's festival and it was a real treat.  

Runner Up - Lara Parker
Always intense, she seems to play the part just right, as an outwardly irresistably charming and beautiful woman one moment, and a monstrosity the next.  I think she is very good at using her facial expressions to convey feeling and meaning.  She plays the two sides so well, the good and the bad, that although she is such a wretch for all the bad things she has done, i still feel sorry for her.  I especially think her moments with barnabas in 1795 were a highlight of her abilities.

[ROBINV]

I agree with you about Lara Parker, but to me, DS' most skilled actor was Jonathan Frid.  Granted, one he became popular and had less time to memorize his scripts, he floundered, line-wise, but even under those circumstances, he provided a character with depth, eroticism, pathos and cruelty, especially the early Barnabas episodes.  Mr. Frid imbued Barnabas with something that will last in the minds of millions of fans throughout the ages.  He was and is a truly gifted actor--and saved DARK SHADOWS from cancellation, too!

DARK SHADOWS was filled with talented actors--John Karlen, Thayer David, Grayson Hall, Nancy Barrett, David Henesy, Louis Edmonds and many others.  With its unique format of giving actors a chance to change characters and show off new acting ability, DS was undoubtedly an actor's dream job.

Love, Robin  

[MrsJ]

For me, the best actor on the series was Thayer David,
hands down.  Of course he did get to play a wide variety of characters, which allowed him to showcase his range as an actor.  Other cast members weren't so fortunate, lol.
Nancy Barrett would be my second choice.

MrsJ.

[TERRY308]

For me, the best actor is David Selby.  He brings something that no other brings...passion...  with a vengeance.  He loves acting.  Watch him turn from Quentin, the I could care less about you , to, Quentin, I really care about you.  Running second is Johnathan Frid.  Excellent acting.  

Lets face it, DS was a ghetto.  Dan Curtis wouldn't spend anything for the sets.  So they (Selby, Frid, Parker, Karen, everyone else) had to make this work.  And, they did.

[CastleBee]

Lets face it, DS was a ghetto.  Dan Curtis wouldn't spend anything for the sets.

This especially seems to ring true in retrospect - with the lushness we've become accustomed to over the years in the way of sets, costumes, etc..  But, all things considered (not the least of which would be my love of Collinwood itself) I think they did a pretty decent job with what they had to work with.  I do wonder sometimes what might have been had the various designers had a little more $$$ at their disposal.

So they (Selby, Frid, Parker, Karen, everyone else) had to make this work.  And, they did.

For sure!  As far as my pick of the litter here I tend to be a little fickle since I also agree there are several outstanding talents (yes, some not so outstanding too, but won't go there today).  I would say Selby and Parker get my votes for best male and female  leads and Karlen and Barrett for supporting leads.  Thayer David seems to be in a category all his own: Best character actor on the series.  

[Craig_Slocum]

It's Craig Slocum all the way, no one catches my eye, attention, or casts a spell on me like he does! I choose Nancy Barrett as best actress. I like her best as Carolyn Stoddard even though she was a snot to Harry Johnson.

[Raineypark]

John Karlen certainly had a few advantages:

He had formal training as an actor at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He had already been in a number of theatrical productions.

He already had extensive experience working in Television.

Willie Loomis was a role that allowed considerable room for an actor to "stretch" as far as he thought he could get away with.  The character changed so much over the course of his existance.

I think it's fairly evident which of the actors (Frid, Bennett, Edmonds, David, Karlen, Hall) had the advantage of experience and which others did not.  

Some of the young performers were excellent talents and would have gotten better and better with more roles and different challanges.  Unfortunately, most of them never seem to have gotten the chance.  

Being famous for Dark Shadows was obviously the kiss of death for more than one career.

Rainey

[WileyS]

I can't pick just one......have to pick four each category.

Actor:
Thayer David
John Karlen
Jonathan Frid
Humbert Allen Astredo

Actress:
Nancy Barrett
Virginia Vestoff
Clarice Blackburn
Grayson Hall

[VAM]

Runner Up - Lara Parker
Always intense, she seems to play the part just right, as an outwardly irresistably charming and beautiful woman one moment, and a monstrosity the next.  I think she is very good at using her facial expressions to convey feeling and meaning.  She plays the two sides so well, the good and the bad, that although she is such a wretch for all the bad things she has done, i still feel sorry for her.  I especially think her moments with barnabas in 1795 were a highlight of her abilities.

Perankh,

   Like Robin and you, I also agree about Lara Parker as the best actress on the show.  However, I would put Thayer David at the top of the male category (I now have developed more of an apreciation for his talent after several viewings of the Series).

[dom]

Thayer David. In a word - FLAWLESS.

Dom

PS - With a few tieing for first runner up.

[Cassandra]

Perankh,

   Like Robin and you, I also agree about Lara Parker as the best actress on the show.  However, I would put Thayer David at the top of the male category (I now have developed more of an apreciation for his talent after several viewings of the Series).

I totally agree with you VAM.  I think Lara Parker is the best pick for the female lead actress. She could convey so many mixed emotions all at once and make them all so incredibly real & believable.
I too also feel that Thayer David is truly a wonderful talented actor. I don't think I ever once heard him flub a line.   He's also been so good at playing so many diverse rolls, Count Petofi,  Sandor,  The Professor, etc.  and making each one of these characters his own and unique.  

[Misty]

:-/Yes, a hard one considering the fact that every one of those actors had a difficult job------the taping process being what it was in the 60's. I would have to say that Thayer David was the most talented, giving flawless performances during each of his character requirements. Jonathan Frid was the most unforgettable and John Karlen developed his character beautifully. Lara Parker was excellent, I especially liked her in PT as Katherine. I don't believe (at least for me) it is possible to zero in on one actor as the BEST.  ?!?

[MikeS]

In a show blessed with an abundance of talent, for me one stands above all the others: Thayer David.  He shines in all of his roles, but it's his portrayal of Professor Stokes that I feel is his greatest achievement.  Watching the series again this time around has only increased my appreciation of his talent.  

Perhaps Dom said it best: FLAWLESS.

[ProfStokes]

For me, the best actor on the series was Thayer David,
hands down.  Of course he did get to play a wide variety of characters, which allowed him to showcase his range as an actor.  Other cast members weren't so fortunate, lol.
Nancy Barrett would be my second choice.

I agree completely!  John Karlen was also a remarkably talented actor who could attract sympathy for every one of his roles.  I thought that Marie Wallace also turned in some good performances during her time on the show.

ProfStokes

[The Ghost of Sarah Collins]

I find this most difficult, merely choosing one, so my list is...

Best in performance by a                

Male...                                                    
Thayer David                                      
Jonathan Frid
David Selby
John Karlen
David Hennesy

Best in performance by a                
Female...                                      
Kathryn Leigh Scott
Lara Parker
Joan Bennett
Nancy Barrett
Sharon Smyth