Oscar-Nominated Star Chooses Medical Aid in Dying: Barbara Barrie Was 95

Barbara Barrie, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her role in the 1979 comedy-drama Breaking Away, has passed away after choosing Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). She was 95 years old.

According to The New York Times, Barrie died in her Manhattan residence on Oct. 28. Her daughter, Jane Harnick, confirmed her passing was medically assisted.

The late actress was previously diagnosed with terminal cancer and had an incurable lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Born in 1931, Barrie’s acting career started in the early 1950s. Her film breakthrough was in 1964, with her appearance in One Potato, Two Potato. She earned the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for the role.

In 1979, Barrie starred as Evelyn Stohler in Breaking Away. She earned an Academy Award Best Supporting Actress nomination for the role and later received an Emmy Award nomination when she reprised it in the TV series based on the film.

Along with her Oscar and Emmy nominations, Barrie earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Sarah in Stephen Sondheim’s Company.

Other film roles included Golden Hawn’s mother, Harriet Benjamin, in the 1980 film Private Benjamin, and the mother of Edie Falco’s character in 1999’s Judy Berlin. Her final film role was in the 2025 movie Things Like This.

On TV, Barrie also played Elizabeth Miller in the ABC detective sitcom Barney Miller. The show ran from 1975 to 1978. She also played Brook Shields’ grandmother, Helen, in NBC’s Suddenly Susan from 1996 to 2000. Her last TV appearance was in a 2011 episode of Enlightened, and her last Broadway appearance was in the 2017 production of Significant Other.

Barrie is survived by her daughter, son Aaron Harnick, and three granddaughters. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jay Harnick. The couple was married from 1965 until Harnick’s death in 2007.