Martin Landau, 89, a character actor who starred in the 1960s television show "Mission: Impossible" and won an Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi in the movie "Ed Wood," died Saturday, his publicist Dick Guttman said Sunday night.
Landau died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles following "unexpected complications during a short hospitalization," Guttman said in a statement.
Landau was born June 28, 1928, in Brooklyn and worked as a cartoonist for the New York Daily News before becoming an actor. Landau's career spanned the decades. In 1957 he had a part in the play "Middle of the Night," with Edward G. Robinson and ended up on the West Coast.
To the general public, Landau was best known to the public for playing master of disguise Rollin Hand for a top-secret spy team in the 1960s series "Mission: Impossible," in which his then-wife Barbara Bain also starred.
He was nominated for Emmys for each of his three seasons on the show and won the Golden Globe for best male TV star in 1968.
Landau and Bain left the series in 1969 in a salary dispute. His career suffered for about a decade and he was forced to take roles in now-forgotten movies such as "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island.
He was nominated for three Academy Awards for best supporting actor, for playing Abe Karatz in Francis Coppola's "Tucker" in 1988; the adulterous husband Judah Rosenthal in Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors" in 1989; and the aging horror movie star Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" in 1994. He won the Oscar for the "Ed Wood" role.
Landau's first big movie role was in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest." He also had supporting roles in "Cleopatra" and other movies and appeared in numerous television shows, including "The Twilight Zone."
Near the end of his career, he played Bob Ryan, an aging movie producer in the HBO series "Entourage." The character's catchphrase, with an exaggerated idea followed by "would that be something you'd be interested in?" became something of a pop culture joke.
[…] Martin Landau, 89, a character actor who starred in the 1960s television show “Mission: Impossible” and won an Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi in the movie “Ed Wood,” died Saturday, his publicist Dick Guttman said Sunday night. Landau died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles following “unexpected complications during a short hospitalization,” Guttman said in a statement. Landau was born June 28, 1928, in Brooklyn and worked as a cartoonist for the New York Daily News before becoming an actor. Landau’s career spanned the decades. In 1957 he had a part in the play “Middle of the Night,” with Edward G. Robinson and ended up on the West Coast. To the general public, Landau was best known to the public for playing master of disguise Rollin Hand for a top-secret spy team in the 1960s series “Mission: Impossible,” in which his then-wife Barbara Bain also starred. He was nominated for Emmys for each of his three seasons on the show and won the Golden Globe for best male TV star in 1968. Landau and Bain left the series in 1969 in a salary dispute. His career suffered for about a decade and he was forced to take roles in now-forgotten movies such as “The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island. He was nominated for three Academy Awards for best supporting actor, for playing Abe Karatz in Francis Coppola’s “Tucker” in 1988; the adulterous husband Judah Rosenthal in Woody Allen’s “Crimes and Misdemeanors” in 1989; and the aging horror movie star Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood” in 1994. He won the Oscar for the “Ed Wood” role. Landau’s first big movie role was in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.” He also had supporting roles in “Cleopatra” and other movies and appeared in numerous television shows, including “The Twilight Zone.” Near the end of his career, he played Bob Ryan, an aging movie producer in the HBO series “Entourage.” The character’s catchphrase, with an exaggerated idea followed by “would that be something you’d be interested in?” became something of a pop culture joke. The post Martin Landau Has Died appeared first on CRAZY DAYS AND NIGHTS. Source: Martin Landau Has Died […]
ReplyDeleteLest we forget he also played Commander John Koenig in the British SciFi series Space:1999 which was a childhood favorite of mine.
ReplyDeleteRIP I have a friend who has done work with him and just raves about him.
ReplyDeleteSnap! that show alongside, the hulk, muppets, wonder woman, dukes of hazzard...the late 70's had great kids t.v.
ReplyDeleteSometimes you'll see a movie, and there will be one performance that is such a standout that you just know it is going to be an Oscar winner. Anthony Hopkins in SOTL, Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire, for example. I remember seeing a preview screening of Ed Wood, and disliking the movie intensely at the time, but writing on the audience feedback card that "Martin Landau is going to get the Oscar for this."
ReplyDeleteHe also seemed to approach every role with the same gusto, no matter how cheesy. Check him out in "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island." Atrocious project, but he's hilarious in it as the villain.
Saw Ed Wood, didn't care for the movie either, but Landau rocked it. Also remember that Gilligan's Island eppy too.
ReplyDeleteI was just watching Family Guy just last night - the one w/ Martin Landau guest starring.
Blessed we had him sharing his talent for as long as he did.
Not his most serious work at all - but when I was a teen I enjoyed watching him throw some shapes on the dance floor to 'Giddy Up Let's Ride', which is a Miami bass song, in the movie B*A*P*S with Halle Berry - proper grandpa-having-a-fit moves, always made me laugh :-) may have to dig out the DVD if I still have it somewhere.
ReplyDeleteLoved him in MI. RIP.
ReplyDeletehe was a great, great actor. 'crimes and misdemeanors' is one of my favorite movies of his. but he could do it all. RIP.
ReplyDeleteHe never stopped being good. I love him for that
ReplyDelete