Barbara Feldon (born Barbara Anne Hall; March 12, 1933) is an American actress primarily known for her roles on television. Her most prominent role was that of Agent 99 in the 1965–1970 sitcom ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

''.

Early life

Feldon was born Barbara Anne Hall in

Butler, Pennsylvania Butler is a city and the county seat of Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located north of Pittsburgh and is part of the Greater Pittsburgh region. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 13,502. History Butler was n ...

, part of the

Pittsburgh metropolitan area Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...

. Feldon and her older sister Patricia were the daughters of Raymond D. and Julia Stewart Hall.She graduated from

Bethel Park High School Bethel Park High School, also called BPHS, is a four-year, comprehensive high school located in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, with an enrollment of 1,391 students in grades 9–12 for the 2018–2019 school year. Its curri ...

and trained at

Pittsburgh Playhouse Pittsburgh Playhouse is Point Park University's performing arts center located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It houses three performance spaces and is home to The Rep, Point Park's resident professional theatre company, as well as three student co ...

. In 1955, she graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

) with a Bachelor of Arts in drama. She was initiated into the Delta Xi Chapter of

Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma (), also known simply as Kappa or KKG, is a collegiate sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, United States. It has a membership of more than 260,000 women, with 140 collegiate chapters in the United States ...

. In 1957, she won the grand prize on '' The $64,000 Question'' in the category of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Career

Feldon studied acting at

HB Studio The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency progra ...

. Following working as a model, Feldon's break came in the form of a popular and much-parodied television commercial for "Top Brass", a hair

pomade Pomade (; French ''pommade'') or pomatum is a greasy, waxy, or water-based substance that is used to style hair. Pomade generally gives the user's hair a shiny and slick appearance. It lasts longer than most hair-care products, and often re ...

for men by Revlon. Lounging languidly on an animal-print rug, she purred at the camera, addressing the male viewers as "tigers". This led to small roles in television series. In the 1960s, she made appearances on '' Twelve O'Clock High'' (season one, episode 24: "End of the Line"), '' Flipper'' (season one, episodes 12 and 13: the two-parter "The Lady and the Dolphin") and '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (in "The Never-Never Affair" aired spring 1965). In 1964, she appeared with

Simon Oakland Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between ...

in the episode "Try to Find a Spy" of CBS's short-lived drama '' Mr. Broadway.'' One substantial guest-starring role was opposite George C. Scott in the television drama ''

East Side/West Side ''East Side/West Side'' is an American drama series starring George C. Scott, Elizabeth Wilson, Cicely Tyson, and, later on, Linden Chiles. The series aired for one season (1963–1964), and was shown Monday nights on CBS. Set in New York City ...

'' (season one, episode 19). It was produced by Talent Associates, which was also developing a TV comedy called ''

'' with two prominent writers,

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...

and

Buck Henry Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman; December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's ''The Graduate'' (1967) for which he r ...

. Feldon was cast in this new show as "Agent 99". She starred opposite comedian

Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy '' G ...

, who portrayed Maxwell Smart, Secret Agent 86. She played the role for the duration of the show's production from 1965 until 1970 and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1968 and 1969. The character was unusual for the era, showing a capable woman in a stressful career. Feldon noted, "A lot of women said 99 was a role model for them because she was smart and always got the right answer." Feldon almost lost her role as 99 because the sponsor of ''Get Smart'' was a deodorant soap, and she had done a deodorant commercial for Revlon. Feldon was also notably taller than Adams, her male co-star, another rarity for the time. Don Adams Barbara Feldon Get Smart 1967

Feldon made guest appearances five times on ''

The Dean Martin Show ''The Dean Martin Show'', not to be confused with the ''Dean Martin Variety Show'' (1959–1960), is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Dean Martin. The theme song to the ...

'' from 1968 to 1972, singing and dancing and performing in comedy skits. She also appeared on ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

.'' After her starring TV role, she guest-starred in several 1970s television series, including ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Har ...

'' (season 3, episode 17 (1970)), ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' (season 1, episode 1 (1973)), '' The Name of the Game'', ''

McMillan & Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

'' and

Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; 12 February 1915 – 11 September 1987) was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Ad ...

's ''

Griff Griff may refer to: People * Griff (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Griff (singer), stage name of English singer and songwriter Sarah Faith Griffiths (born 2001) * Nickname of Guy Griffiths (1915–1999), British Second ...

''. Her TV movies include '' Let's Switch!'' (1975) with

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and producer best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom '' I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965-1970). Other notable roles include Roslyn Pierce opp ...

, and the cult-classic thriller ''

A Vacation in Hell ''A Vacation in Hell'' is a 1979 American made-for-television, action-adventure-thriller film starring Priscilla Barnes, Barbara Feldon, Maureen McCormick, Andrea Marcovicci, and Michael Brandon as part of a group of lost vacationers being stalked ...

'' (1979) with

Maureen McCormick Maureen Denise McCormick (born August 5, 1956) is an American actress. She portrayed Marcia Brady on the ABC television sitcom ''The Brady Bunch'', which ran from 1969 to 1974, and reprised the role in several of the numerous ''Brady Bunch'' ...

and Priscilla Barnes. She voiced the character Patti Bear in the 1973 animated television special ''

The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas ''The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas'' is an animated Christmas TV special. It premiered on NBC on December 17, 1973, in the United States. It was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, executive producer Norman Sedawie, and starred the voices ...

''. Feldon's feature films included ''

Fitzwilly ''Fitzwilly'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy film directed by Delbert Mann, based on Poyntz Tyler's 1960 novel ''A Garden of Cucumbers'' (the title refers tIsaiah 1:8 and adapted for the screen by Isobel Lennart. Its title refers to the nic ...

'' (1967), ''

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

'' (1975), and ''

No Deposit, No Return ''No Deposit, No Return'' is a 1976 American crime comedy film directed by Norman Tokar and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film was written by Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson, and stars David Niven, Darren McGavin, Don Knotts, Herschel Be ...

'' (1976). Her last film to date is 2006's '' Last Request'', a comedy with T.R. Knight,

Danny Aiello Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. () (June 20, 1933 – December 12, 2019) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous motion pictures, including '' The Godfather Part II'' (1974), '' The Front'' (1976), ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984), ''Hide ...

, and

Joe Piscopo Joseph Charles John Piscopo ( ; born June 17, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and conservative radio talk show host. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1980 to 1984, where he played a variety of recurring characters. His f ...

. In 1978 she was

Bob Eubanks Robert Leland Eubanks (born January 8, 1938) is an American disc jockey, television personality and game show host, best known for hosting the game show ''The Newlywed Game'' on and off since 1966. He also hosted the successful revamp version o ...

' very first co-host of the annual January 1

Tournament of Roses Parade A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

in Pasadena. Feldon reprised her role as "Agent 99" in the made-for-television film ''

Get Smart, Again! ''Get Smart, Again!'' is a 1989 American made-for-television comedy film based on the 1965–1970 NBC/ CBS sitcom ''Get Smart!'' starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon reprising their characters of Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. It originally aired ...

'' (1989) and in a short-lived revival of ''

'' in 1995. She wrote and provided audio commentaries and introductions for the DVD release of the original ''Get Smart'' series in 2006, but did not take part in the 2008 film adaptation that starred

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...

as Maxwell Smart. Feldon guest-starred as a former TV spy star on a 1993 episode (season one, episode 20) of ''

Mad About You ''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...

'', as Diane "Spy Girl" Caldwell. She played Lauren Hudson, Sam Malone's annual Valentine's Day love interest, in the 1991 ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'' episode "Sam Time Next Year" (S9, EP 19). Feldon's distinctive voice has been heard in numerous TV and radio commercials and film and TV documentaries. She has occasionally acted in off-Broadway plays but said she is "no longer interested in performing". Feldon is an accomplished writer and is still actively writing. In 2015, she had two editorial pieces featured in ''Metropolitan Magazine''. She wrote a book, ''Living Alone and Loving It,'' in 2003.

Personal life

''Feldon'' has been the actress's last name since she married Lucien Verdoux-Feldon in 1958. They divorced in 1967. In 1968, while living in Los Angeles, she began a 12-year relationship with ''Get Smart'' producer Burt Nodella. She does not have any children. Upon ending her relationship, she moved back to New York City, where she lived as of 2020.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * * *
Barbara Feldon
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...