Barbara Harris (actress)
A mercurial stage and screen presence who could pivot from daffy comedy to piercing drama with a single, unpredictable glance.
1935–2018 (age 83)·American actress·Birthday: July 25·The Silent Generation
Biography
Barbara Harris burst onto the New York stage with an electric, improvisational energy that felt wholly new. A founding member of the famed Second City comedy troupe in Chicago, she brought a loose, spontaneous wit to Broadway, winning a Tony for her very first role in "The Apple Tree." Hollywood never quite knew what to do with her unique talent, but she left an indelible mark in every film she touched. She was the beguiling, otherworldly muse in Robert Altman's 'Nashville,' a scene-stealing psychic in 'Freaky Friday,' and the wistful former actress in 'The Last of Sheila.' Her performances were never broad; they were intricate studies in character, often tinged with a vulnerable, off-kilter humor. Harris had a way of making the eccentric feel intimately real, and though she stepped away from acting in the late 1990s, her work remains a masterclass in nuanced, surprising character acting.
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 1935, 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 1935
#1 Movie
Mutiny on the Bounty
Best Picture
Mutiny on the Bounty
Barbara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1935Born
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1940Started school
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1948Became a teenager
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Could drive
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
1953Could vote
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Turned 21
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1965Turned 30
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 40
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 50
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 60
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 70
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 80
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Died at 83
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her Broadway debut in 'The Apple Tree' (1967).
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 'Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?'
- Was a founding member of the pioneering improvisational comedy theater The Second City in Chicago.
- Delivered a critically acclaimed performance as the enigmatic Albuquerque in Robert Altman's film 'Nashville.'
Did You Know?
She studied under the influential acting teacher Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
She turned down the role of Nurse Ratched in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' which later won Louise Fletcher an Oscar.
In the 1960s, she was briefly married to playwright and Second City director Paul Sills.
“I don't think you can teach acting. You can create an atmosphere where it can happen.”
