Oscar-nominated Breaking Away and Broadway star Barbara Barrie passes away at 95

Veteran actress Barbara Barrie, who earned an Oscar nomination for Breaking Away and originated a role in Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical Company, has died at 95.

Barrie died on Wednesday, October 28, at her home in New York City. Her daughter, Jane Harnick, confirmed the news to The New York Times. The report said her death was ‘medically assisted’ and followed a terminal cancer diagnosis. Years earlier, Barrie had revealed that she had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease that makes breathing increasingly difficult.

A career across film, television and theatre

Barrie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1979 film Breaking Away. She also received a Tony nomination for playing Sarah in the original Broadway production of Company.

Among her earlier film work was One Potato, Two Potato (1964), a drama about prejudice told through an interracial marriage. Her performance won her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.

On television, she was known for the sitcom Barney Miller and appeared in several other series over the years, including guest roles on Nurse Jackie in 2010 and Enlightened in 2011.

She kept working on stage late in life, returning to Broadway in 2017 in Significant Other.

In 2014, Barrie spoke publicly about her idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis, drawing attention to what people living with the condition go through.