Barbara Barrie

TV work picked up as well, and in 1975 Barrie essayed one of the roles for which she is best remembered, Hal Linden's sensible, quietly sardonic wife on the dry-witted ABC sitcom, "Barney Miller." After the first season the show moved into Barney's workspace, with Barrie only making the occasional appearance. She resumed her feature career with an Oscar-nominated turn as the bicyclist hero's witty, yet supportive, mother in the sleeper "Breaking Away" (1979), and enjoyed further success as Goldie Hawn's mother in "Private Benjamin" (1980). Barrie later reprised both roles in the TV spinoffs, and appeared in several other series during the 80s, though none turned into hits. She kept busy, bringing her smooth professionalism to the feature "After the Rain" (1988) and the TV-movies "The Execution" (1985), "My First Love" (1989) and "The Odd Couple: Together Again" (1993). She returned to series TV as Brooke Shields' wise, knowing grandmother in the sitcom "Suddenly Susan" (NBC, 1996-2000).