Barbara Barrie, an actress known for playing turbulent moms in “Breaking Away” and “Private Benjamin,” has died. She was 95 years old.
Barrie’s daughter, Jane Harnick, told The New York Times that her mother had terminal cancer and said her death was “medically assisted.”
Barrie was an inveterate scene-stealer who was a frequent presence on stage and screen. On Broadway, she appeared in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” a groundbreaking musical that examined relationships and commitment. Barrie earned a Tony Award nomination for his role in the 1970 production. Other Broadway credits include Neil Simon’s hit “California Suite.”
For her film work, Barrie won the Best Actress award at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival for “One Potato, Two Potato,” an interracial romance in which her character confronts prejudice while falling in love with a black man. But it was “Breaking Away” and her work as a working-class mother of an avid cyclist that put Barrie on the map. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the 1979 coming-of-age classic, then reprized the role in a 1980 TV series based on “Breaking Away,” earning an Emmy nomination.
Barrie was also known to audiences for her portrayal of the 1970s crime sitcom “Barney Miller,” in which she played the title character’s wife. Other credits include the Disney films “Judy Berlin,” “The Bell Jar” and “Hercules,” as well as appearances in “Law & Order” and “Suddenly Susan.”
Barrie was a published author. She has written children’s books, as well as “Second Act” and “Don’t Die of Embarrassment,” which deal with her battle with colorectal cancer.
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