Barbara Barrie, Barney Miller and Breaking Away star, dies at 95 Barbara Barrie, the actress known for Barney Miller and Breaking Away, died at 95 after a terminal cancer diagnosis, with her daughter confirming a medically assisted death. Barbara Barrie, the actress known for her roles on Barney Miller and in Breaking Away, has died at age 95 after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her daughter Jane Harnick told The New York Times that Barrie's death was medically assisted and that the actor had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Barrie built a long career that spanned the stage, film, and television, making notable contributions to all three. Barrie appeared in 11 Broadway productions, including the original 1970 cast of Stephen Sondheim's Company. She was nominated for a Tony Award for that performance in what became a seminal Broadway musical.Barrie Moved to New York For BoyfriendShe made her Broadway debut in the 1955 play The Wooden Dish after moving to New York upon graduating from college in Texas. She starred opposite Elaine Stritch, Dean Jones, and Beth Howland, among others, in that debut production. Barrie told the Akron Beacon Journal that the only reason she moved to New York was because she had a boyfriend living there. We were supposed to get married but couldn't right away, she said.Since I had gone to all the trouble of moving to New York, I figured I might as well try to act. In a 2024 interview with Westside Rag, she said she had been acting for 55 years. I think it took 45 years to become a good actor, she said. You strip away everything.You strip away all the junk. You strip away all the egos. You strip away all the temperament, and you just deal with the person you're playing. On film, Barrie won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for 1964's One Potato, Two Potato, portraying a divorced woman who marries a Black man and risks losing custody of her child.Barrie Earned Oscar Nomination for Breaking AwayBoth the film and her performance were acclaimed highlights of that year's Cannes Film Festival. She later received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 1979's Breaking Away, in which she played the mother of the main character portrayed by Dennis Christopher, a young small-town man who dreams of becoming a competitive bicycle racer. She lost the Academy Award to Meryl Streep.Barrie was most prolific on television, with credits stretching back to 1950s anthology dramas and popular 1960s series. She was best known to TV audiences for her series regular role as Liz Miller, Barney Miller's wife, on the police series that ran from 1975 to 1982. Her character was largely absent beyond the first season as the ABC sitcom increasingly focused on the police precinct workplace comedy rather than the title character's domestic life.Barrie Starred in Suddenly SusanThe cast of Barney Miller included Max Gail, Gregory Sierra, Jack Soo, Ron Glass, Abe Vigoda, Hal Linden, and Barbara Barrie. She also was a series regular on the 1996-2000 sitcom Suddenly Susan, in which she portrayed Nana Keane, grandmother of Brooke Shields' title character. Barrie appeared in 92 episodes during the show's five-season NBC run. Among her numerous other TV credits, she appeared in a wide range of series across the decades.Barrie was married to Jay Harnick, the founder and artistic director of TheaterWorksUSA, from 1964 until his death in 2007. In addition to her daughter Jane Harnick, she is survived by son Aaron Harnick and three granddaughters.