Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel, September 13, 1931 See also: * ) 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 Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

s, as well as a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

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 Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frantic agitation consistent with a fight-or-flight reaction. ...

'' (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 The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

. Developing an interest in dance, she moved to New York City, where she studied alongside

Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over s ...

. Dissatisfied with her career as a dancer, she went into modelling; jobs with '' Vogue'', ''

Harper's ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...

'', 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 The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...

, she was instructed by

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...

. Bain's first acting role was in Paddy Chayevsky's play ''

Middle of the Night Middle of the Night may refer to: * Middle of the Night (novel), ''Middle of the Night'' (novel), a 2024 novel by Riley Sager * ''Middle of the Night'', a 1954 play by Paddy Chayefsky * Middle of the Night (film), ''Middle of the Night'' (film), a ...

'', which embarked on a national tour in October 1957. Accompanying Bain was fellow actor and new husband

Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's '' North by Northwest'' (1959). His career breakthrough c ...

; 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 CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

's ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'', with

Mike Connors Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor. He was best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series ''Mannix'' from 1967 to 1975. This role ...

, and three ABC series: '' The Law and Mr. Jones'', '' Adventures in Paradise'', and '' Straightaway''. After a recurring role as

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer; March 27, 1931 – February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen a ...

's romantic interest in ''

Richard Diamond, Private Detective ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960. Radio Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...

'' in 1959, she guest-starred as Madelyn Terry in a 1960 episode of ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'', "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 ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Productions"Calv ...

'', 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 Jerry McCord Van Dyke (July 27, 1931 – January 5, 2018) was an American actor and comedian. He was the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke had a long and successful career mostly as a character actor in supporting and guest roles on pop ...

in an episode of ''

My Mother The Car ''My Mother the Car'' is an American fantasy comedy that aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965, and April 5, 1966. Thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television. The series is about a man whose deceased mother ...

''. 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'', winning three consecutive

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

s for Best Dramatic Actress for her performances in 1967, 1968, and 1969, in addition to a

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 in 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 ''My So-Called Life'' is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It aired on ABC from August 25, 1994 to January 26, 1995. Set at the fictional Liberty High Sch ...

'', playing Angela Chase's grandmother in one episode. Other appearances include "Matryoshka", an episode of the 1990s science-fiction series ''

Millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

''. In 1998, Bain appeared in the ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...

'' 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 Juliet Rose Landau (born March 30, 1965) is an American actress, director, producer, and ballerina best known for her role as Drusilla on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and its spinoff show ''Angel'', the latter appearance earning her a Sat ...

, 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 The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

, located at 6767 Hollywood Boulevard. Lifelong friends Edward Asner and

Dick Van Dyke Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. Dick Van Dyke on screen and stage, His work spans screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Dick Van Dyke, his awards includ ...

were on hand to speak and assist in the unveiling of the star.

Personal life

Bain married actor

in 1957; they divorced in 1993. They have two daughters, film producer Susan Landau Finch and actress

. Bain suffers from

claustrophobia Claustrophobia is a fear of confined spaces. It is triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with a l ...

, which the writers of ''Mission: Impossible'' incorporated into her character on the show in the episode " The Exchange".

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* *
Interview with Barbara Bain, October, 2014, ''Ames Tribune''

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bain, Barbara 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Chicago Actresses from Los Angeles Female models from Illinois American film actresses American people of Russian-Jewish descent American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Jewish American actresses Jewish female models Living people Models from Chicago 21st-century American Jews University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni 1931 births