Dark Shadows - Diana Millay Interview 01.mp4

[@livviepayne8849]

R.i.p. to Diana millay* dark shadows "pheonix" aka laura collins, mother of David and nora collins @ age 85, condolences to fans, friends and family.😪🙏🏾

[@shaqbailey3869]

And Jamison mother he and Nora were whole siblings David was their half brother and Jamison grandson!

[@kjamesthomson3045]

Diana Millay was excellent in Dark Shadows and a wonderful part of my very favorite show. The first year is no less fabulous than any of the Dark Shadows sets and then of course the wonderful return of Laura in 1897 segment. In the interview I find the manner in which Diana Millay so identifies with the character of Laura Collins curious, claiming that she didn't even have to act because she "was" Laura Collins. Laura Collins was a frightening, wicked, woman who deceitfully and very frightenly connived to take her earthly children to hell. The character was certainly not designed to uplift the audience into some lofty belief in reincarnation as Millay claims, it was to be an evil archetype in the storyline. I love Dark Shadows for the way that most of the characters were inflicted with human conflict through their various curses; but the Laura Collins character, though a character with very interesting depth was yet one of the more purely comic book evil forces, such as mostly were the Humbert Allen Astredo characters and also the Count Petofi figure. Millay's excellent portrayal of the caring mother was a frightening juxtaposition to the true evil intent of the character.

[@jeanettesmith765]

I love her voice.

[@Tfontaine209]

I love when Laura met Angelique

[@1zangelique]

"How does it feel to be a failure as a woman but a success as …… whatever it is you are?"

[@nassauguy48]

@@1zangelique Angelique was definitely a witch with romantic vulnerabilities. She seemed to have it in for women who managed to marry and have families because she had been denied that role. She should have moved on after Barnabas rejected her.

[@hollyb6885]

I think the Phoenix story line gets missed since it was pre Barnabas. It really mesmerized me. Especially her final scene where she tried to get David to burn up with her. Loved it!

[@yadayada9581]

Agreed, that’s one of my favorite arcs of the entire series.

[@johanneslundie]

@@yadayada9581 :::: Mine too !!!

[@googleuser7454]

The arc was creepy, unsettling and paved the way for the supernatural villains that came after on DS. I loved that storyline

[@kcsweatman6593]

Selling the box set without the first 200 episodes was a disservice to Dark Shadow fans, especially new ones. The beginning of DS was special, every bit as much so as the rest of the show.

[@hollyb6885]

@@kcsweatman6593 I didn’t know they sold a coffin set without the first 200 episodes. My coffin set had all of the episodes.

[@yadayada9581]

One of the most interesting interviews among the Dark Shadows cast. Millay really seems to have a deeper, almost spiritual, understanding and appreciation for her character. Her time on the show were some of my favorite of the entire series both in 1897 and ESPECIALLY, her initial black and white storyline. That and Barnabas's introduction is, in my opinion, the strongest and most atmospheric era of the show.

[@robertshanks3674]

she was great on the show...she gave great depth to the character

[@FilPol-yu1es]

Millay had Charisma, acting chops and Beauty. Her Storylines were fascinating and her characters were among my Favorites. I love when she dragged Angelique.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

Wonderful interview! Very memorable story arc and she took control of it from the moment she entered the coffee shop and pumped Maggie for information until her exit in a blaze of flames. Diana Millay died earlier this year ('21) 😢

[@ericmcdonald9441]

Love Diana Millay so much, just as lovely and pretty as all the other collinwood ladies. A mystical creature known as the pheonix sparked alot of magical flames for the show.

[@steveb987881]

Laura Collins is my favorite character on Dark Shadows! And Diana Millay was my favorite actress on DS

[@kennethmorgan7957]

Just saw her on the Rifleman and had to find out more about her,she was drop dead beautiful.

[@wsnone9934]

THAT'S FUNNY, I JUST SAW HER ON RAWHIDE AND CAME HERE TO FIND OUT MORE.

[@mary-annk1759]

this is a fascinating lady. Never heard of her before. Rifleman brought me here. She is now 80.

[@person-xd3wb]

Just watched her on The Virginian on INSP Television. Beautiful woman.

[@jeffzloczower2886]

Diana was such a great actress. The Phoenix Story was amazing. To have a storyline and get you addicted to Dark Shadows is like not to many other shows. Remember running home after school not to miss the next episode. Great writers with a great cast. Dark Shadows lives on.

[@petermaz701]

Wonderful woman she lived a few blocks away from where I worked on Madison Avenue used to come and see me almost every other day I even drove her to the dark shadows reunion when they had it in New Jersey but as time went by dementia/Alzheimer’s set in. Her family finally stepped in. Sad, very nice lady and was always kind and nice to the girls that worked in the store.

[@chapter7thomas]

I met Diana at my first DS Festival convention in 1991 at the L.A. Marriott Hotel. I was very impressed with her and everyone else. I loved her role in DS. After all I was 12 years old when she appeared on the show. And her scenes in the fishing shack scared me to death. R.I.P Diana.

[@jaymorris3468]

Great interview and really deep

[@imzhadi423]

Her Phoenix is one of the best parts of Dark Shadows. RIP and see you again!❤

[@nassauguy48]

One story line that was not consistent, aside from Laura often coming back BEFORE the 100 years were up, was her relationship to Barnabas. It was later revealed that Laura had been the first wife of Jeremiah Collins (Josette being the second, thanks to the workings of Angelique, hence, that is how Laura recognized Josette when she first saw her portrait in 1966). Laura's name was stricken from the Collins family history by order of Joshua Collins (who always seemed to be writing the scandals out of the family history) due to her suicide by self-immolation (burning). Thus, Josette became the only "known" wife of Jeremiah. Laura later recalled Barnabas AS A BOY who had a crush on her and kept following her around during her marriage to Jeremiah. However, Jeremiah reportedly married Josette not long after the "death" of Laura, but by then, Barnabas (from whom Angelique forced him to steal Josette) was already a very grown man! (Even though they were uncle and nephew, Jeremiah and Barnabas were close in age).

[@Jswines123]

A memorable role by a remarkable woman, her eyes say everything. ♥️

[@HyperspacePictures]

Wow!! Ms. Millay is the real deal! No wonder her performance on Dark Shadows was so great and It will never be repeated as far as I am concerned. The Phoenix will live forever. What a brilliant actress and one which excels in her craft-especially with those wonderful lines from the great writers on Dark Shadows.

[@atlantic-yq2wr]

Diana Millay, I believe, had the longest hiatus between separate appearances in Dark Shadows. She appeared in the black and white first season, and then did not reprise her role as Laura Collins until three years later in the back to 1897 sequence.

[@mike584]

You're absolutely right, but it definitely made Laura's backstory that much more CREEPY, eh?

[@thomasromano8938]

Yep. Laura Murdoch, the human phoenix. She almost nailed David Collins and would have burned up with him, (the first time she appeared) but just in time, the ghost of Josette Collins appeared to Victoria Winters and told him where David was.

[@evangriner411]

If I remember correctly, Laura was supposed to have a role in the next storyline after 1841 Parallel Time before the show got cancelled.

[@mike584]

Evan Griner Oh? Well now...this is just one phoenix that clearly gets around, eh?

[@yadayada9581]

atlantic 11561 Dennis Patrick must be up there also. First he was Jason McQuire who showed up just before Barnabas arrived, I think 15 or 20 episodes prior and gets killed by Barnabas shortly after Maggie Evans escapes from the old house. Then he was Paul Stoddard during the Leviathans storyline.

[@guygrip2120]

Boy she be scary to work with so cocky but great cast

[@crystalgrose]

Laura Collins still scares me.

[@Kjt853]

As much as I still enjoy DS - I was one of those teenagers who watched it after school in the ‘60s - I prefer the b&w episodes (the Bill Malloy and Phoenix story arcs) to the later Barnabas/Julia Hoffman episodes. To me they have an atmosphere that gets lost in color. And Diana Millay was one of the best in the cast!

[@huntergatherer4223]

This woman was one of the sexiest actresses that ever lived.

[@stuartdennis6442]

lovely girl just watched stage coach , had to now about you , thank you . Stuart

[@wsnone9934]

WHICH STAGECOACH?

[@andrewbrendan1579]

I'd like to read or hear the Phoenix soliloquy that Ms. Millary mentioned here in the interview. I wonder if it was ever spoke on the show.

[@KeeDee-66]

I watched Diane Millay on "The Virginian" last week and an obviously much older Ms.Millay also she was cast under the name "Diana Millary" on this particular episode She was a very pretty woman in her younger days. I wonder what year(s) did she star in Dark Shadows. I'm gonna look it up.

[@marshamarshamarsha4567]

A devoted occultist for sure.

[@nassauguy48]

The origin of Laura was never brought out in the show, and I wish it had been. Was she born to normal parents, and then somehow acquired the power of a phoenix? Or was she created by some evil entity? I also could not understand how she would come back when 100 years had not yet elapsed. And in the 1966 sequence, why did she burn herself up in Arizona, then show up days later in Collinsport only to burn herself up again? I realize she wanted to take her son David with her, but why not just leave Arizona without burning herself up?

[@wileysaichek9508]

She did this in 1897 too --- she had "died" off screen in 1896 with Quentin. He was freaked out when she returned in 1897. My take is she was always a phoenix. I also think this explains why David and Jamison were so easily possessed --- their mother was a metaphysical creature.

[@mabel8179]

She has amazing skin!

[@Historian212]

One odd thing about the phoenix in DS is that phoenixes in ancient mythology weren’t humans; they were mythical animals. Like casting someone to play a griffin in human form. That’s why this character always seemed a bit off, to me. DS had ghosts, vampires, witches, etc. - all human-ish figures of legend and myth. Can’t think of another that was originally an animal.

[@shaqbailey3869]

So would Laura and roger relationship be considered incest since she is his biological grandmother !?

[@scronx]

Just a little touch pretentious ;-)

[@20alphabet]

Boy oh boy, she sure turned like sour milk !

[@Marcel_Audubon]

fine wine is the simile you're searching for

[@20alphabet]

@@Marcel_Audubon Lol, you're thinking of vinegar maybe. 😆

[@Marcel_Audubon]

@@20alphabet I'm thinking of a fine Pomerol, aged to complex perfection ... and laughing at the big pitcher of grape Kool-aid throwing insults who will never age into anything beyond a big pitcher of grape Kool-aid!

[@20alphabet]

@@Marcel_Audubon Wow, using grape Kool-Aid twice in one sentence... and STILL thinking your smart has gotta be some sort of record !

[@Marcel_Audubon]

@@20alphabet wow, reading about grape Kool-aid aid twice in one sentence and STILL not realizing it was referring to you has gotta be some kind of record !