Barry Newman was an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor best known for his roles in the film “Vanishing Point” and the TV series “Petrocelli.”
- Died: May 11, 2023 (Who else died on May 11?)
- Details of death: Died in New York at the age of 92.
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Barry Newman’s legacy
The son of Belarusian and Austrian parents, Newman was born in Boston and became a childhood friend of actor Leonard Nimoy (1931–2015). He initially pursued anthropology, studying for his master’s at Columbia University, but an acting class changed the trajectory of his life. He left Columbia after only five weeks to pursue his new passion.
Newman found his first roles on the stage in New York, performing both on and off Broadway. This led him to small TV and film roles, with his breakout coming in 1970 when he starred in “The Lawyer,” a film loosely based on the Sam Sheppard (1923–1970) murder case. His performance earned him the lead role in 1971’s “Vanishing Point,” a cult classic that was an early “road movie” and is arguably his best-known work.
Newman would continue to win fans in 1974, when the television series “Petrocelli” was created and based on the character he played in “The Lawyer.” The series ran for two seasons and earned Newman Best Actor nominations for both the Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. He would continue to act well into the 2000s, appearing on shows like “NYPD Blue,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “L.A. Law,” as well as starring in 1979’s “City on Fire,” which also featured Henry Fonda (1905–1982), Ava Gardner (1922–1990), Leslie Nielsen (1926–2010), and Shelley Winters (1920–2006).
Tributes to Barry Newman
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
