Three Most Favorite Thayer David Characterizations

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Thanks for supporting the first four polls, and here's another batch. 

After voting, please feel free to explain why you voted the way you did, or wait until after the poll expires on 01/18/05 to do so. 

And again, have fun!

[jennifer]

i had a harder time with this as the man was a genius at whatever role he played
have to say love Ben the best though he was so loyal and kind.

jennifer

[The Ghost of Sarah Collins]

i had a harder time with this as the man was a genius at whatever role he played
have to say love Ben the best though he was so loyal and kind.

       I agree with you Jennifer,  Thayer David was brilliant in every role,  I too chose Ben Stokes 1795 as a favorite for his gentle giant Character...  as well as Sandor for his wild but loving Gypsy ways..

[stefan]

I only voted to Ben Stokes 1795. I love that guy. Never once do I ever sense Thayer David was out of character, looses his concentration or is smirking in a scene. He was Ben Stokes all the way. I hope Thayer Daivd was proud of what he accomplished on DS with Ben Stokes.

[ProfStokes]

I enjoyed watching all of Thayer's characters, but the three that I voted for are Prof. Stokes, Ben Stokes, and Count Petofi.  The professor is my favorite character but I think Ben was his best character on the show.  Not only was the coarse servant a complete reversal from Thayer's sophisticated professor and count, but as stefan mentioned, Ben Stokes was very authentic.  Thayer always stayed in character and made me believe in the reality of Ben Stokes; the character seemed like a real person, not just an actor delivering lines.  It was enjoyable to see Ben grow from being bitter and vindictive into someone who was loyal, compassionate, and self-sacrificing.

The professor caught my attention because he was so unlike Ben Stokes.  Whereas Ben was cowed by Angelique, Elliot stood up to her. Prof. Stokes was bold and haughty.  He knew all there was to know about the supernatural and his assistance was invaluable.  I admired Thayer for being able to switch gears so swiftly and effectively.  And, I always got a kick out of the professor's occasional sarcasm and his constant, intelligent dialogue.

Petofi was essentially an evil version of Stokes; he was also intelligent, cultured, and skilled in Occult practices, but he used his powers selfishly, to commit evil acts rather than to help.  This character began to annoy me with his seeming invincibility as 1897 dragged on, but it was fun to watch him plotting.

ProfStokes

[Sandor]

Well, they don't call me Sandor for nothin'....
I picked Prof. Stokes, Sandor, and PT Stokes... and was then reminded how well he played Ben Stokes in 1795. For actors like Thayer David & Nancy Barrett, it's hard to choose just three characterizations each portrayed.
His Sandor was killed off too soon in the 1897 story. He and Magda had such verve and wit in their scenes together. I grew tired of Petofi, for reasons Prof. Stokes just mentioned in a previous post. Maybe PT Stokes wasn't that memorable, but after playing Angelique's victim as Ben, then triumphing over her as the Professor, it was neat to see Thayer as her mad-doctor father.

[tripwire]

Professor Stokes was quite cultured and very intelligent, he helped the good side to no end. He seemed like a calming influence in a whirlwind of supernatural Hocus Pocus, it seemed like if he was on your side, you would come out the winner...He reverted to Ben for an episode when having to dig up Barnabas after a premature burial...lol.....However, being a very astute man, he could not see Barnabas for what he was, even though it seemed, clues were   all around.. I will blame the writers for that.... My vote will go to Ben though, always enjoyed when he was in the episodes.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

However, being a very astute man, he could not see Barnabas for what he was, even though it seemed, clues were all around.. I will blame the writers for that....

I can't believe that Stokes didn't know. The man was a brilliant master of deduction, after all. (Who else could have figured out that Leona Eltridge was in fact Danielle Roget?!) So, my theory -  and one that quite a few other cousins share - has always been that even though Stokes did figure things out, for his own personal reasons (perhaps out of respect for Barn, respect for his ancestor Ben's devotion to Barn (to which Stokes had frequently referred) or whatever) he simply never let on...

[Gothick]

I agree.  In one of my favorite scenes in Leviathan, Stokes tells Julia that it's time for her to be "realistic" about Barnabas, and I always thought he meant to bring up the whole vampire thing because, as we used to say back then, he'd decided it was time to "get down to cases."

Of course she ran out on him, and TD dropped out of the show around that point to go do Little Big Man, so...

[CyrusL]

I can't believe that Stokes didn't know. The man was a brilliant master of deduction, after all. (Who else could have figured out that Leona Eltridge was in fact Danielle Roget?!) So, my theory -  and one that quite a few other cousins share - has always been that even though Stokes did figure things out, for his own personal reasons (perhaps out of respect for Barn, respect for his ancestor Ben's devotion to Barn (to which Stokes had frequently referred) or whatever) he simply never let on...

I think that is a good deduction. I likewise often wondered why Barnabas wouldn't have placed even more trust than he did in Prof Stokes, as he had Ben, realizing of course they were different people. Perhaps had the series gone on...

Likewise, I voted for both Stokes, with my third for Matthew Morgan. I think Jonathan Frid and Thayer David had excellent onscreen chemistry in all their scenes together. I think Thayer is quite fascinating offscreen too in the stories I have heard. I also highly reccomend Thayer's work in Rocky, The Eiger Sanction and Journey to the Center of the Earth. I love the Count Saknussem with his skulking and deceptions.

I think Matthew Morgan is a somewhat underrated character. First, Thayer was one of the few actors on DS to attempt a real "down east" regional accent, what with so many of the cast being southerners, not that that ever bother me as another southerner, but it gave him authenticity. I think Matthew and the Old House ghosts really set the bar for what DS would be able to do from then on. (I often think DS did ghosts better than any other type of supernatural character or event.)

I think Thayer always layered his characters so well. He was the consummate character actor. Plus that hearty laugh.

Your Cousin from Virginia
Michael

Great Thayer lines:  "No! No! Mr. Barnabas, don't ask me to do that."
                            "I usually get asked whether I prefer sherry or port."
                            "More rum, more rum."
                            "Cheese. I ususally like a good cheddar."
                            "I have but one god and his name is Petofi."

[DSFan008]

i have to say Thayer's best roles where:

Mathew Morgan- he was both a evil and tragic figure, in one way he loved Liz and the family as a whole but also [spoiler]he killed for them and kidnapped Vicky[/spoiler]

Ben Stokes-Just a nice guy stuck in a stange and frightening world

Professor Stokes- just kind of liked him, seemed nice smart, and a good third wheel for Barnabas and Julia

[TERRY308]

You gotta love Ben Stokes.  He tried so hard to do what everybody wanted.  Loyal, kind, he'd do what ever you wanted...he would even get a spiders web for you, making 'toddys' for "cousin Jeremiah", bring in the wood for you, and when he had saw that you made a mistake..well heck..he would even protect where you were staying.   



   don't you love this witch.  I do.

[PennyDreadful]

I can't believe that Stokes didn't know. The man was a brilliant master of deduction, after all. So, my theory  has always been that even though Stokes did figure things out, for his own personal reasons he simply never let on...

 I agree completely.  Stokes had to have known about Barnabs but decided not to press the subject.  He was an expert in occult knowledge and was also extremely intelligent.  I think Stokes definitely knew.

  Picking favorite characters is difficult with Thayer David, but I chose Ben, Prof. Stokes and Count Petofi.  Ben was a wonderful sympathetic character caught in a terrible web of supernatural horrors.  He goes from having to help a witch to having to assist a vampire.  Poor guy.  Prof. Stokes was a great character; always engaging and brilliant.  Count Petofi was a FANTASTIC villain!  You could tell Thayer David was having a blast playing Petofi.  He chewed the scenery with a vengeance; always with a jovial and wicked confidence... "my boy! "  LOL!

 PennyDreadful

[Luciaphile]

I think Matthew Morgan is a somewhat underrated character. First, Thayer was one of the few actors on DS to attempt a real "down east" regional accent, what with so many of the cast being southerners, not that that ever bother me as another southerner, but it gave him authenticity. I think Matthew and the Old House ghosts really set the bar for what DS would be able to do from then on. (I often think DS did ghosts better than any other type of supernatural character or event.)

I didn't really care for Thayer David's Matthew. The original actor George Allen did use a downeast accent and to me, he seemed a lot more like a New Englander than TD's. Bear in mind, that I've never actually been to New England.

The thing with TD's Matthew is that he often seemed very over the top to me. So over the top that I can't believe [spoiler]no one realized he was crazy and dangerous[/spoiler]. Whereas, Allen brought a crustiness to the role that seemed natural. Yes, something was a bit off, but he was less theatrical and more real.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

George Allen did use a downeast accent and to me, he seemed a lot more like a New Englander than TD's. Bear in mind, that I've never actually been to New England.

Well, as a life-long New Englander, I can say that Allen's Matthew wasn't like any New Englander that I've ever met. Neither was David's Matthew. But then, none of the characters on DS are like anyone I've ever met. Collinsport was a world completely unto itself. 

Allen brought a crustiness to the role that seemed natural. Yes, something was a bit off, but he was less theatrical and more real.

That's very true - and it's something for which Allen deserves a lot of credit. (Though at the same time I have to confess that I have a soft spot for David's Matthew. The man was incredibly talented. And as was often said of the late, great English actor Sir Alec Guinness, I think David could have played a dead tree stump and somehow he would have made it fascinating to watch.) But you know, something tells me that with the DS directors' penchant for (as Jeb would say) "more! More!! MORE!!!!" had Allen stuck around longer, the directors would have probably demanded more theatricality from his performances.  :-