Barbara Feldon
The witty and elegant Agent 99 who brought brains, style, and feminist spark to the spy spoof 'Get Smart,' becoming a 1960s television icon.
Born 1933 (age 93)·American actress·Birthday: March 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
Barbara Feldon’s journey to secret agent fame began on a game show. The former '$64,000 Question' champion and Revlon model brought a unique blend of poise and sharp comic timing to her audition for 'Get Smart.' As Agent 99, she didn't just play the straight woman to Don Adams's bumbling Maxwell Smart; she was the show's true professional, its capable heart, and its secret weapon. With a raised eyebrow and a perfectly delivered line, she subverted the dumb blonde trope, creating a character who was both glamorous and genuinely skilled. The role made her a household name and a symbol of a shifting era where women on TV could be in on the joke. After the show ended, Feldon gracefully stepped back from the Hollywood grind, choosing selective roles and pursuing writing and painting. Her legacy is that of a performer who, in one perfect part, defined intelligent femininity for a generation of viewers.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Barbara was born in 1933, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Barbara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Barbara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Could drive
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 80
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2026Age 93 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the intelligent and stylish Agent 99 opposite Don Adams in the classic television sitcom 'Get Smart' (1965-1970).
- Received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on 'Get Smart.'
- Authored the book 'Living Alone and Loving It,' a guide to enjoying solo life, published in 2003.
- Was a successful model and the spokesperson for Revlon's 'Top Brass' hair coloring in the early 1960s.
Did You Know?
She won $64,000 on the game show 'The $64,000 Question' by demonstrating her knowledge of Shakespeare.
Before acting, she worked as a professional dancer with the June Taylor Dancers.
She is an accomplished painter and has held exhibitions of her artwork.
She turned down an offer to reprise the role of Agent 99 in a 1980s revival of 'Get Smart.'
““Agent 99 was never a sidekick. She was the one who really knew what she was doing.””
