Barbara Barrie dead at 95 after choosing New York aid-in-dying law
The beloved Barney Miller and Suddenly Susan actress spent seven decades commanding the screen before passing away at her home in Manhattan.
Barbara Barrie, the Oscar-, Emmy- and Tony-nominated actress and author acclaimed for her roles in “Breaking Away,” “Barney Miller” and Broadway’s original production of “Company,” died Wednesday, October 28, at her home in Manhattan. She was 95.
Her daughter, Jane Harnick, confirmed the news to The New York Times, as reported by TVLine and Extra. Her passing was medically assisted following a terminal cancer diagnosis.
A representative for Barrie confirmed in a statement to TVLine and E! News that her death “was medically assisted in accordance with the New York State Medical Aid in Dying law, of which she was a proponent and advocate.”
A celebrated seven-decade career
Barrie built a versatile career that moved between stage, film and television over seven decades. In 1964, she gained international acclaim when she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her starring performance in the civil rights drama “One Potato, Two Potato.”
Six years later, she originated the role of Sarah in Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince’s original 1970 Broadway production of “Company.” Her work in the musical earned her a 1971 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
On the big screen, Barrie delivered one of her most enduring performances as Evelyn Stohler, the patient mother in the 1979 coming-of-age cycling film “Breaking Away.” The role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She later reprised the role in the 1981 television adaptation, receiving the first of her three career Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
A familiar face on television
Television audiences knew Barrie well for decades. She starred as Elizabeth Miller, the wife of Hal Linden’s police captain character, on ABC’s acclaimed sitcom “Barney Miller” from 1975 to 1978. Decades later, she became a favorite of 1990s comedy fans playing Helen “Nana” Keane opposite Brooke Shields on NBC’s “Suddenly Susan” from 1996 to 2000.
Her dramatic work on television remained equally respected. Barrie collected two additional Primetime Emmy nominations for guest appearances on “Law & Order” in 1992 and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2003.
Life, memoirs and family
Away from the camera, Barrie was also an author. After surviving a bout with rectal cancer in 1994, she chronicled her health experiences to help others in her memoirs, “Second Act” and “Don’t Die of Embarrassment.” In September 2014, she shared publicly that she had been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
She was married to theater director and producer Jay Harnick from 1964 until his death in 2007. Barrie is survived by her daughter Jane Harnick, her son Aaron Harnick, and three granddaughters. Details regarding memorial arrangements and the timing of her terminal cancer diagnosis have not been released.
