"I'm interested in villainy"
About this Quote
Villainy, in Jonathan Frid's mouth, isn’t a confession so much as a career thesis. Frid is best known for turning Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows from a spooky premise into a weekly obsession: a vampire who could be monstrous and magnetic in the same breath. So “I’m interested in villainy” reads like an actor admitting he’s drawn to the parts where desire and damage share the same face.
The intent is pragmatic and playful. Actors talk about “good parts,” and villains are often the best-written because they get momentum: they want something, they break rules to get it, and they force everyone else to reveal their character in response. Frid’s line quietly rejects the moral hygiene that flattens antagonists into plot obstacles. He’s signaling curiosity about what makes people cross the line and, crucially, what makes audiences follow them anyway.
The subtext is also about control. Villains get agency. They drive the scene, they complicate the room, they make the story answer to them. For an actor working in the churn of soap-opera production, that’s not trivial; it’s the difference between being a prop and being a pulse. Frid’s “interest” suggests craft over kink: exploring villainy as a set of choices, gestures, and contradictions that can’t be played as pure evil if you want it to land.
Contextually, the line fits a moment when pop culture started rewarding the “bad” character with depth and fandom. Frid helped mainstream that pivot, making villainy not just watchable, but strangely intimate.
The intent is pragmatic and playful. Actors talk about “good parts,” and villains are often the best-written because they get momentum: they want something, they break rules to get it, and they force everyone else to reveal their character in response. Frid’s line quietly rejects the moral hygiene that flattens antagonists into plot obstacles. He’s signaling curiosity about what makes people cross the line and, crucially, what makes audiences follow them anyway.
The subtext is also about control. Villains get agency. They drive the scene, they complicate the room, they make the story answer to them. For an actor working in the churn of soap-opera production, that’s not trivial; it’s the difference between being a prop and being a pulse. Frid’s “interest” suggests craft over kink: exploring villainy as a set of choices, gestures, and contradictions that can’t be played as pure evil if you want it to land.
Contextually, the line fits a moment when pop culture started rewarding the “bad” character with depth and fandom. Frid helped mainstream that pivot, making villainy not just watchable, but strangely intimate.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
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