It’s quite interesting how some actors can become so loved and well-known to various people due to one show or another when their career isn’t that extensive and it’s likely that many people have never heard of them. But Robert Rodan is one of the many who was fully enjoyed for his role of Adam on Dark Shadows back in the 60s and it’s therefore saddening for many to realize that he’s passed away at the age of 83 due to heart failure. One thing that anyone should be able to say is that he had a long and hopefully very happy life, as his career didn’t last terribly long compared to many and it would appear that the last time he was seen was in the 90s for a tribute to the original Dark Shadows TV show. Playing the part of Adam, the Frankenstein’s monster that lived in a town where monsters were the norm, was his one big claim to fame apart from the other roles he took on over the course of his career, but it was the one that helped him to attain notoriety among the fans and is the role that followed him throughout the rest of his life. It’s easy to think that a lot of fans might have lost track of him after he ended up leaving show business, but as it’s been seen with many people over the course of cinematic history, the spotlight isn’t the easiest place to be at times, and there are plenty of people that either suffer burnout or decide to make their exit before they go through that part.
There are a lot of reasons that people leave Hollywood since it can be anything from the idea that they just can’t cut it past one role or that they’ve grown tired of it, to the idea that it’s not good for their health or they simply can’t stand the idea of being in front of people all the time. Of course, if the latter is the case then it’s likely that a person shouldn’t be getting into show business in the first place. But Rodan did just fine while he was in it would appear and he was up for the role and did his absolute best whenever he was seen. But it is easy to think that the business was just as demanding back in the day, perhaps more so in some ways. In any case, he ended up leaving the spotlight for good after a while and kind of fell off the map as the saying goes since he didn’t bother to come back for anything other than documentaries detailing his time on Dark Shadows. It does make sense that he would come back for this, or would at least have no problem with anyone showing his image in such a project since it was where he was revered by the fans, and while he might not have wanted to make his way back to the show or to take place in anything else, it was likely still special to see that people remembered him.
That’s one thing that many actors should be thinking about when it comes to their legacy, the idea that people might want to remember them for years to come. Some obviously do, but it would appear that some really don’t care and want what they can get now. The business is one that takes all kinds to run, kind of like the world itself, but Robert appeared to be one of the many that was content to do what he wanted and then head on down the road to take on other things in life. One might wonder how a person can leave the life of acting behind, but one has to understand what goes into it and what some people don’t always get out of it to really know why people make the decisions they do. While some folks might think that all actors get paid buckets and buckets of money for their services, it wasn’t always the case and it still isn’t. Even if this wasn’t the case, some actors make very little compared to the bigger stars that pull in the mass numbers when it comes to an audience. Those that make the money are the ones that either stick around long enough to become a huge sensation or stick around and eventually burn out when it’s established that they have nothing more to give, at least until they hit another gear with their acting. Those like Robert however will stick around just long enough to figure out if this is the life for them or not, and will then make a decision on what to do based on more than a few factors that will go into the final decision-making process. It’s not too hard to think that he made the decision that he believed was right for him. Rest in peace sir, you’ll be missed.
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