A beloved actress has left us. Barbara Barrie, the acclaimed Academy Award-nominated actress, known for her roles in Breaking Away and Barney Miller, has died at age 95. She had previously received a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Barbara Barrie’s daughter, Jane Harnick. confirmed on Wednesday, OCtober 28, to The New York Times that her mother had passed away. She died at her home in New York following a terminal cancer diagnosis. Jane explained her mother died with the help of medical aid.
Born Barbara Berman on May 31, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, she later moved with her family to Corpus Christi, Texas, where she attended Del Mar College and studied journalism. Soon after, she discovered her love for acting and decided to follow a different path.
She later transferred to the University of Texas, where her acting talent earned her several drama awards. After graduating, Barrie headed to New York to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, and one can argue she did most of it.
Barbara began working in theater, but at that point, she never imagined she would ever work in television or film. Speaking to the Akron Beacon Journal in 1963, she said, “I weighed 138 pounds, had crooked teeth and a long nose. When I thought of acting, I thought of the stage, nothing else.”
But Barbara Barrie soon landed roles on screen, and her career spanned more than six decades. Over the years, she won several Emmy Awards, one Tony Award, and was even nominated for an Academy Award.
One of her most memorable performances came in the 1979 film Breaking Away, in which she played the character Evelyn Stoller.
Acclaimed actress Barbara Barrie dies at 95
The drama earned widespread praise, and Barrie received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She later reprised the role in the television adaptation.
Other credits included films such as Private Benjamin and Disney’s animated Hercules. Television audiences might perhaps know Barbara Barrie best from Barney Miller, where she played Elizabeth.
Beyond her on-screen work, Barbara Barrie also had an incredible career on the theater stage. She enjoyed much success on Broadway, appearing in the original 1970s production of Company, for which she earned a Tony Award nomination.
Sadly, in 1994, Barbara Barrie was diagnosed with rectal cancer. She later became an advocate for cancer awareness and wrote two books about her experiences.
Terminal cancer diagnosis
She hoped to encourage others to speak more openly about the disease. In a 1997 interview with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, per EW, she explained why raising awareness mattered to her.
“I think if I can get the word out on this thing, that will be my legacy,” she said.
In 2014, Barrie also revealed that she was living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease. Barrie married theater producer Jay Harnick in 1964. They had two children, Jane and Aaron, and three granddaughters. Her husband died in 2007.
Rest in peace, Barbara Barrie. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
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