Barbara Barrie, 95, Dies

Barbara Barrie, an actress who appeared in Broadway and film productions, died in Manhattan on Wednesday at the age of 95. Her daughter confirmed the death to the New York Times and stated it was medically assisted after a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Barrie made her Broadway debut in 1955 in 'The Wooden Dish' and continued performing on stage for over 60 years. Her final stage appearance was in 'Significant Other.' She was part of the original Broadway cast of 'Company,' for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical.

On screen, Barrie began her film career in 1956 with 'Giant' and later starred in 'One Potato, Two Potato,' for which she won a best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. She also appeared in 'Breaking Away,' which was nominated for five Oscars, and earned a best supporting actress nomination.

In addition to her film and television work, Barrie appeared on several TV shows, including 'The Defenders,' 'Naked City,' and 'Twilight Zone.' She received Emmy nominations for her role in the TV adaptation of 'Breaking Away,' as well as for her appearances on 'Law & Order' and 'Law & Order: SVU.'

Barrie was born in Chicago in 1931 and grew up in Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas in 1952 with a degree in drama. She was diagnosed with rectal cancer in the early 1990s and wrote two books about her illness to reduce stigma: 'Second Act' in 1997 and 'Don’t Die of Embarrassment' in 1999. In 2014, she announced she had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

She is survived by her son, Aaron Harnick, and three granddaughters. Her husband, Jay Harnick, died in 2007.