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Barbara Barrie, 'Barney Miller' Star, Dies at 95
Confirmed
In Short: Barbara Barrie, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her roles in 'Barney Miller' and 'Breaking Away,' has died at 95.
Barbara Barrie, the Oscar-nominated actress known for her roles in 'Barney Miller' and 'Breaking Away,' died at 95 on October 28 at her home in Manhattan, according to her daughter Jane Harnick.
Barrie's death was medically assisted, as reported by her daughter to The New York Times and multiple other outlets.
Born Barbara Ann Berman on May 23, 1931, in Chicago, Barrie moved to New York City after college to launch her show business career.
She made her Broadway debut in 'The Wooden Dish' in 1955 and appeared in 11 Broadway productions, including original stagings of Stephen Sondheim’s 'Company' and Neil Simon’s 'The Prisoner of Second Avenue.'
Barrie's career spanned television, film, and stage. She was a series regular on 'Suddenly Susan' from 1996 to 2000, playing 'Nana' Keane, the grandmother of Brooke Shields' character.
In 'Barney Miller,' Barrie portrayed the wife of Hal Linden’s police captain, appearing in 92 episodes during the show’s five-season NBC run.
Barrie received an Oscar nomination for her role in 'Breaking Away,' a 1979 coming-of-age comedy-drama film.
She also appeared in the 1964 Cannes Film Festival award-winning film 'One Potato, Two Potato,' marking a significant milestone in her career.
Barrie's television credits included appearances on 'Route 66,' 'The Twilight Zone,' 'The Fugitive,' 'Ben Casey,' and 'Ironside,' among others.
Reflecting on her career, Barrie emphasized the importance of human connection in her work, stating, 'I just think it’s connection between human beings,' during an appearance on the PBS series 'How Art Changed Me.'
What this adds
Barrie's death was medically assisted following a terminal cancer diagnosis, as reported by her daughter and multiple outlets.
Barrie's career began in the 1950s with appearances in Broadway productions and continued through the 1990s with roles in television series.
Background
Barney Miller is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in the East Village. The series was broadcast on ABC from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982.
Breaking Away is a 1979 American coming of age comedy-drama film produced and directed by Peter Yates and written by Steve Tesich. It follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school.
What's confirmed
- Barbara had died at 95 years old following a terminal cancer diagnosis, according to a report.
- The 95-year-old made her Broadway debut in “The Wooden Dish” in 1955 after she moved to New York when she graduated from college in Texas, telling the Akron Beacon Journal in 1963 that she only went there because of a man.
- The “Barney Miller” actress’s death at her home in New York City was medically assisted, her daughter told The New York Times.
- “To tell you the truth, the only reason I went was because I had a boyfriend who was living there. We were supposed to get married, but couldn’t right away,” she said.
- Her death was reported to The New York Times by her daughter Jane Harnick, who said Barrie’s death was medically assisted and that the actor had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
- In addition to her portrayal of Barney Miller ‘s Liz Miller, Barrie probably is best known to TV audiences for her series regular role on the 1996-2000 sitcom Suddenly Susan, in which she portrayed “Nana” Keane, grandmother of Brooke Shields’ title character.
- Following her breakthrough Cannes Film Festival award-winning performance in 1964’s One Potato, Two Potato, Barrie built a career that encompassed the stage, film and television, making marked contributions to all.
- A representative for Barrie tells TVLine that the actress' death "was medically assisted in accordance with the New York State Medical Aid in Dying law, of which she was a proponent and advocate."
- Barbara Barrie, the Oscar-Nominated actress who starred in Breaking Away and Suddenly Susan, died with medical assistance at age 95, her rep told E!
What's still developing
- In 1974 she flirted with Gavin MacLeod’s Murray Slaughter on a memorable episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and began her five-season recurring role on Barney Miller the following year.
- In addition to 1979’s Breaking Away, her film credits included an uncredited role in the classic 1956 drama Giant and as the mother of Goldie Hawn’s character in 1980’s Private Benjamin.
- Along with many appearances on dramatic TV that mirrored stage plays, she guested on “Route 66” (1962), “The Untouchables” (1962), “Dr. Kildare” (1963), and “The Twilight Zone” (1963).
- She wrote children’s books, as well as “Second Act” and “Don’t Die of Embarrassment,” which examined her battle with colorectal cancer.
- “After all, they’re both creative,” she told the Akron Beacon Journal in 1963.
- Max Gail, best known as the lovable Detective Stan “Wojo” Wojciehowicz, was a staple of Barney Miller from start to finish.
- Barrie spent a season as a resident actress in Corning, New York, starring in ‘The Moon Is Blue’ in 1953, and worked at the Rochester Arena Theatre before making her Broadway debut opposite Louis Calhern in ‘The Wooden Dish’ in 1955.