Quentin Collins

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Quentin Collins is a fictional character from the Gothic TV series Dark Shadows. He is a member of the Collins family of Collinwood in Collinsport, Maine, and is known for his interest in witchcraft, his battles with fate, and his long, dramatic life across several eras. The character was played by David Selby and first appeared in 1968. Across the show, multiple versions of Quentin appear in different time periods and parallel storylines, including 1840, 1897, and events around 1969–1970.

1840 storyline
The early Quentin Collins is the head of the Collins family and a student of witchcraft. He builds a device called the Stairway Through Time, hoping to glimpse the future. He is married to Samantha Drew and has a son named Tad. He also has an affair with Joanna Mills. When Samantha discovers the affair, she makes it look like Joanna killed herself. Quentin is framed for witchcraft and murder by Gerard Stiles, who is possessed by the ancient warlock Judah Zachary. He is nearly executed but, with help from Valerie Collins (who is secretly the witch Angelique in disguise) and his cousins, he escapes. Quentin later elopes with Daphne Harridge, while his life in the 1840s is filled with magic, danger, and family intrigue.

1897 storyline
In the 1890s timeline, a different Quentin returns to Collinwood. This Quentin is known as the black sheep of the family. He becomes entangled in schemes over the family’s fortune, has complicated relationships, and faces dangers connected to the town’s secrets. The 1897 storyline mixes love, betrayal, and occult plots, with Quentin again dealing with powerful forces around him and the Collins legacy.

Werewolf curse and immortality
Quentin’s life is also shaped by a werewolf curse. A curse placed on him and his male-line descendants causes him to transform into a wolf-like creature during the full moon. The transformations are painful, and Quentin struggles with memory gaps after each bite. A later twist involves a magical hand and a portrait that can keep someone forever young. A powerful warlock named Count Petofi and the artist Charles Delaware Tate become part of this strange tale: Tate paints a portrait that, as long as the painting remains intact, keeps Quentin eternally young while the werewolf loses the image of the body. The price of this arrangement leads to further adventures, body swaps, and battles with other supernatural forces.

1969–1971 and later appearances
By 1969, Quentin appears again in a shape-shifting, amnesia-stricken form known as Grant Douglas. He eventually regains his memories and teams up with Barnabas Collins and Dr. Julia Hoffman to fight threats like Angelique. His lycanthropy affects his family line, with his descendant Chris Jennings being impacted as well. In 1971’s Night of Dark Shadows, the character is revived for a film version, with Quentin as an artist who inherits Collinwood and faces Angelique’s renewed schemes.

Beyond the TV series, Quentin Collins has continued to appear in Dark Shadows material, including audio dramas produced by Big Finish, where his story and conflicts with other characters continue in new adventures.

Quentin Collins remains one of Dark Shadows’ most famous figures—a mix of family drama, occult lore, romance, and a lasting fight for control of Collinwood.