Barbara Barrie, oscar-nominated actress, dies at 95

Barbara Barrie, the 95-year-old character actress, died Wednesday at her Manhattan home. The death was medically assisted after a diagnosis of terminal cancer, according to her representative and the New York Times.

Career Highlights

Barrie's career spanned film, television and Broadway. She earned an Oscar nomination for playing the mother of a cyclist in the 1979 film Breaking Away, and was nominated for an Emmy for the 1980 TV series based on it. On stage she was in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's Company, earning a Tony nomination, and appeared in 11 Broadway shows, including Fiddler on the Roof and Neil Simon's California Suite. She also won the Best Actress prize at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival for the interracial drama One Potato, Two Potato.

Barrie was a proponent and advocate of the New York State Medical Aid in Dying law. Her daughter, Jane Harnick, told the New York Times that her mother had terminal cancer and that her death was medically assisted. Barrie also wrote children's books, including Second Act and Don't Die of Embarrassment, which examined her battle with colorectal cancer. She is survived by her daughter Jane, her son Aaron, a Broadway producer, and three granddaughters.

Beyond the stage, Barrie was a familiar face on television. She starred in Barney Miller as the wife of the title character and in Suddenly Susan as Helen, known as Nana. She also appeared in films such as Private Benjamin, The Bell Jar and Disney's Hercules, and made guest appearances on shows including The Twilight Zone and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Showbiz411 reported that she was at the premiere of Gladiator II two years ago, still full of energy.