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Barbara Bain
Barbara Bain.jpg
Bain in 2006
Born
Mildred Fogel

(1931-09-13) September 13, 1931 (age 93)
Alma mater University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Occupation
  • Actress
  • dancer
  • model
Years active 1957–present
Known for Mission: Impossible
Space: 1999
Spouse(s)
(m. 1957; div. 1993)
Children Susan Landau Finch
Juliet Landau

Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel, September 13, 1931) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cinnamon Carter Crawford on the action television series Mission: Impossible (1966–1969), which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination. She also starred as Dr. Helena Russell on the British-Italian coproduction science-fiction television series Space: 1999 (1975–1977). Bain has also appeared in the films Animals with the Tollkeeper (1998), Panic (2000), Forget Me Not (2009) and On the Rocks (2020).

Early life

Bain was born Mildred Fogel in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in sociology. Developing an interest in dance, she moved to New York City, where she studied alongside Martha Graham. Dissatisfied with her career as a dancer, she went into modelling; jobs with Vogue, Harper's, and other publications followed.

Still uninspired, however, Bain entered the Theater Studio to study acting, first under Curt Conway, then Lonny Chapman. Progressing to the Actors Studio, she was instructed by Lee Strasberg.

Bain's first acting role was in Paddy Chayevsky's play Middle of the Night, which embarked on a national tour in October 1957. Accompanying Bain was fellow actor and new husband Martin Landau; the final leg of the tour brought the couple to Los Angeles, where they settled permanently. After moving, Bain established herself at the Actors Studio West, where she continued to teach classes and perform scene work.

Career

Bain's earliest television appearances included CBS's Tightrope, with Mike Connors, and three ABC series: The Law and Mr. Jones, Adventures in Paradise, and Straightaway. After a recurring role as David Janssen's romantic interest in Richard Diamond, Private Detective in 1959, she guest-starred as Madelyn Terry in a 1960 episode of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Wary Wildcatter".

In 1963, Bain appeared as Rob Petrie's soon-to-be ex-fiancée in The Dick Van Dyke Show, in the episode "Will You Two Be My Wife?", and in 1964 played the role of Elayna Scott in "The Case of the Nautical Knot" episode of Perry Mason. In 1965, she guest-starred alongside series star Jerry Van Dyke in an episode of My Mother The Car. She appeared in the 1966 final episode of the series alongside Van Dyke.

Between 1966 and 1969, Bain appeared—alongside her husband, Martin Landau—in the major role of Cinnamon Carter in Mission: Impossible. She won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Dramatic Actress for her performances in 1967, 1968, and 1969, in addition to a Golden Globe Award nomination in 1968. Bain reprised her character in a 1997 episode of Diagnosis: Murder. She starred opposite Landau again in the science-fiction TV series Space: 1999 (1975–77), as Dr. Helena Russell, and the made-for-TV film The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981).

She guest-starred in the October 29, 1985, episode of Moonlighting, playing Emily Greydon. Bain also appeared in My So-Called Life, playing Angela Chase's grandmother in one episode. Other appearances include "Matryoshka", an episode of the 1990s science-fiction series Millennium.

In 1998, Bain appeared in the Walker, Texas Ranger episode "Saving Grace", as the mother superior. In 2006, she had a minor role in one episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ("Living Legends"). In 2008, co-starring with her daughter Juliet Landau, Bain voiced the character of Verdona Tennyson in "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", an episode of Ben 10: Alien Force.

On April 28, 2016, Bain was honored with the 2,579th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6767 Hollywood Boulevard. Lifelong friends Edward Asner and Dick Van Dyke were on hand to speak and assist in the unveiling of the star.

Personal life

Bain married actor Martin Landau in 1957; they divorced in 1993. They have two daughters, film producer Susan Landau Finch and actress Juliet Landau. Bain suffers from claustrophobia, which the writers of Mission: Impossible incorporated into her character on the show in the episode "The Exchange".

Filmography

Barbara Bain 1966
Bain in a publicity photo for Mission: Impossible, 1966

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Trust Me Mary Casal
1989 Skinheads Martha
1990 The Spirit of '76 Hipster
1997 Platform Six Madame Harwin Short film
1998 Animals The Mother
1998 Gideon Sarah
1998 Dry Martini Madame Richaud Short film
1998 Airtime Short film
2000 Panic Deidre
2000 Bel Air Agnes
2002 American Gun Anne Tillman
2009 In the Mix Ms. Crump Short film
2009 Forget Me Not Sister Dolores
2010 Political Disasters Elizabeth
2010 Nothing Special Catherine
2012 Match Made Meredith Short film
2014 Lost Music Roxanne Short film
2015 Pacific Edge Coral Short film
2016 Grace Grace / Grandma Short film
2016 Silver Skies Eve
2018 Reconnected Gloria Short film
2018 The Matchmaker Sarah Short film
2018 Take My Hand Marie Short film
2020 On the Rocks Gran Keane
2025 The Eagle Obsession Self Documentary

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Harbormaster Mary Owens Episode: "The Captain's Gun"
1959 Mike Hammer Dora Church Episode: "Accentuate the Negative"
1959 Philip Marlowe Donna Raymond Episode: "Ugly Duckling" (pilot)
1959 State Trooper Madge Slausen Episode: "Fiddle Dee Dead"
1959 Richard Diamond, Private Detective Karen Wells 5 episodes
1959 Mr. Lucky Prudence Episode: "The Money Game"
1959 Alcoa Theatre Judy Coyne Episode: "Small Bouquet"
1959 Tightrope Sandra Episode: "Cold Kill"
1960 The Law and Mr. Jones D.J. Episode: "Christmas Is a Legal Holiday"
1960 Perry Mason Madelyn Terry Episode: "The Case of Wary Wildcatter"
1960–1961 Adventures in Paradise Martha Peterson 2 episodes
1962 Straightaway Melody Episode: "The Craziest Race in Town"
1963 The Dick Van Dyke Show Dorothy Episode: "Will You Two Be My Wife?"
1963 Hawaiian Eye Anne Munroe Episode: "Two Million Too Much"
1963 Empire June Bates Episode: "Hidden Asset"
1963 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Veronica Episode: "I Was a Spy for the F.O.B."
1963 The Lieutenant Cissie Van Osten Episode: "A Touching of Hands"
1963 77 Sunset Strip Rachel Dent Episode: "By His Own Verdict"
1963 Wagon Train Lucy Garrison Episode: "The Fenton Canaby Story"
1964 The Greatest Show on Earth Betty Episode: "The Night the Monkey Died"
1964 Ben Casey Tutor Episode: "A Woods Full of Question Marks"
1964 Perry Mason Elayna Scott Episode: "The Case of the Nautical Knot"
1964 Valentine's Day Unknown Episode: "The Old School Tie"
1965 Get Smart Alma Episode: "KAOS in CONTROL"
1965–1966 My Mother The Car Inge / Frankie Episode: "I'm Through Being A Nice Guy" / "Desperate Minutes"
1966–1969 Mission: Impossible Cinnamon Carter Main cast (seasons 1–3)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1967–1969)
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama
1969 The Red Skelton Show Newspaperwoman Episode: "Crime Doesn't Pay But It's Tax Free"
1971 Murder Once Removed Lisa Manning Television film
1973 Savage Gail Abbot Television film
1974 The Waltons Angelique Episode: "The First Day"
1975–1977 Space: 1999 Dr. Helena Russell Main cast
1981 The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island Dr. Olga Schmetner Television film
1984 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Julia Huntley Episode: "A Death in the Family"
1985 Moonlighting Emily Greydon Episode: "My Fair David"
1987 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Christina Golitsyn Episode: "The Khrushchev List"
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Julie Barrington Episode: "Barrington"
1988 Murder, She Wrote Nora Morgan Episode: "Coal Miner's Slaughter”
1991 Murder, She Wrote Ellen Lombard Episode: "Unauthorized Obituary"
1992 Likely Suspects Buffy Hines-Baldi Episode: "Pilot"
1994 My So-Called Life Vivian Wood Episode: "Other People's Mothers"
1997 The Visitor Constance MacArthur Episode: "Reunion"
1997 Diagnosis: Murder Cinnamon Carter Episode: "Discards"
1998 Walker, Texas Ranger Mother Superior Episode: "Saving Grace"
1999 Millennium Lilly Unser Episode: "Matryoshka"
2003 Strong Medicine Mrs. March Episode: "Orders"
2003 Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales Judy Utemeyer Television film
2006 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Mrs. Iris Paul Episode: "Living Legend"
2008 Ben 10: Alien Force Verdona Voice, episode: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"
2016 Code Black Blanche Episode: "Exodus"
2020 Space Command Aunt Simone Episode: "Ripple Effect"

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Barbara Bain para niños

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