Barry Foster Newman (born November 7, 1938) is an American actor of stage, screen and television known for his portrayal of Kowalski in ''

Vanishing Point A vanishing point is a point on the image plane of a perspective drawing where the two-dimensional perspective projections of mutually parallel lines in three-dimensional space appear to converge. When the set of parallel lines is perpendicul ...

'', and for his title role in the 1970s television series ''

Petrocelli ''Petrocelli'' is an American legal drama that ran for two seasons on NBC from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976. Plot Tony Petrocelli is an Italian-American, Harvard-educated lawyer, who grew up in South Boston and gave up the big money and ...

''. He has been nominated for

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

and

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

awards.

Early life

Newman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of a Belarusian-born mother, Sarah (née Ostrovsky), and an Austrian father, Carl Newman. Newman graduated from the prestigious

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...

in 1948. He was a childhood friend of actor

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...

. After graduating from Brandeis University with a degree in anthropology in 1952, Newman was drafted into the army, and having learned saxophone and clarinet in high school, he was assigned to the 3rd Army band in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. After being discharged, Newman went to New York to receive his master's degree in anthropology from Columbia University, when a friend, who was studying acting with

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...

, invited him to sit in on a class. His destiny changed as he fell in love with acting and left Columbia University after only five weeks to study acting with Strasberg.

Career

Newman's first acting job was in

Herman Wouk Herman Wouk ( ; May 27, 1915 – May 17, 2019) was an American author best known for historical fiction such as ''The Caine Mutiny'' (1951) for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. His other major works include ''The Winds of War'' and ' ...

's first comedy ''Nature's Way'', in which he played a jazz musician. New York critic

Richard Watts Richard Watts (1529–1579) was a successful businessman and MP for Rochester, South East England, in the 1570s. He supplied rations for the English Navy as deputy victualler and supervised the construction of Upnor Castle. After Queen Elizabe ...

called him "The creme of the Jesters". This role was followed by a featured part in the play ''Maybe Tuesday'', written by

Mel Tolkin Mel Tolkin ( Shmuel Tolchinsky; August 3, 1913 – November 26, 2007) was a television comedy writer best known as head writer of the live sketch comedy series ''Your Show of Shows'' (NBC, 1950–1954) during the Golden Age of Television. Ther ...

. Newman starred in the New York production of

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

's ''

The Mousetrap ''The Mousetrap'' is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. ''The Mousetrap'' opened in London's West End in 1952 and ran continuously until 16 March 2020, when the stage performances had to be temporarily discontinued during the COVID-1 ...

.'' After numerous parts on Broadway, including the musical '' What makes Sammy Run'',

Sidney Kingsley Sidney Kingsley (22 October 1906 – 20 March 1995) was an American dramatist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play '' Men in White'' in 1934. Life and career Kingsley was born Sidney Kirschner in New York. He studied at ...

's ''Night Live, America Hurrah,'', Newman went on to do TV and movies. While working at nights on Broadway in '' What Makes Sammy Run,'' Newman starred as attorney John Barnes in the daytime drama ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that networ ...

'' for two years. Earlier, Newman co-starred in his first film, the gangster potboiler ''

Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s. He was s ...

'' (1960), and he made his breakthrough with his first starring role in ''

The Lawyer ''The Lawyer'' is a legal business information product for law firm leaders, commercial lawyers, barristers and in-house counsel. It is based in London. History and profile ''The Lawyer'' was launched in 1987 by Centaur Media plc. It publ ...

'' (1970). Newman starred in the 1971 cult movie ''

'', followed by starring roles in

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

's '' Salzburg Connection'' and

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

's '' Fear Is the Key.'' In 1974, ''

'', a TV series created around the character Newman first played in ''The Lawyer'', debuted on NBC and ran two seasons. After ''

'', Newman starred in the film '' City on Fire'' with

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and rai ...

and

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

, then in Disney's ''Amy''. He starred or co-starred in more than 20 TV movies of the week, including ABC's ''King Crab'', which won the ABC Theater Award. He also co-starred in several miniseries, including ''

Fatal Vision The controversy over ''Fatal Vision'', journalist and author Joe McGinniss's best-selling 1983 true crime book, is a decades-long dispute spanning several court cases and discussed in several other published works. ''Fatal Vision'' focuses on ...

''. ''Variety'' called Newman "The Spencer Tracy of the 80s". In 1989, Barry Newman starred with

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

in the television series '' Nightingales''. In the early 1990s, Newman starred in the BBC's production of '' The Mirror Cracked''. During the 1990s, Newman co-starred in ''

Daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunligh ...

'', ''

Bowfinger ''Bowfinger'' is a 1999 American satirical buddy comedy film directed by Frank Oz. The film depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the movie. It was ...

'', and ''

The Limey ''The Limey'' is a 1999 American crime film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs. The film features Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán, Barry Newman, Nicky Katt, and Peter Fonda. The plot concerns an English career cr ...

''.

''Vanishing Point''

Director

Richard C. Sarafian Richard Caspar Sarafian (April 28, 1930 – September 18, 2013) was an Armenian-American film director and actor. He compiled a versatile career that spanned over five decades as a director, actor, and writer. Sarafian is best known as the direct ...

's original choice for the role of Kowalski was

Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...

, but

insisted on using Newman. The film was not initially a success in the United States when it first opened in 1971, but received critical acclaim and was a commercial success in Europe. Since its release it has developed a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

. Newman's success with the TV movie ''Night Games'', based on the 1970 movie ''

'', led to the TV series ''

'', starring Newman as a lawyer who lives and works in the fictional town of San Remo, Arizona (filmed in Tucson, Arizona). He was nominated for an Emmy in 1975 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and in 1976, for a Golden Globe.

Awards and nominations

* 1975, ''

'',

for Best Actor, nominated * 1976, ''Petrocelli'',

for Best Actor in a Drama Series, nominated

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1960) ... Al Riccardo * ''

'' (1970) ... Tony Petrocelli * ''

'' (1971) ... Kowalski * '' Fear Is the Key'' (1972) ... John Talbot * ''

The Salzburg Connection ''The Salzburg Connection'' is a 1972 American thriller film directed by Lee H. Katzin, starring Barry Newman and Anna Karina . It is based on the 1968 novel of the same title by Helen MacInnes. It was filmed in DeLuxe Color and Panavision. The ...

'' (1972) ... Bill Mathison * '' City on Fire'' (1979) ... Dr. Frank Whitman * ''

Amy Amy is a female given name, sometimes short for Amanda, Amelia, Amélie, or Amita. In French, the name is spelled ''"Aimée"''. People A–E * Amy Acker (born 1976), American actress * Amy Vera Ackman, also known as Mother Giovanni (1886– ...

'' (1981) ... Dr. Ben Corcoran * Having It All (1982 film) ... Peter Baylin * ''

Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...

'' (1982) ... Barney Duncan * ''Fantasies'' (1982) ... Detective Flynn * '' Second Sight: A Love Story'' (1984) ... Richard Chapman * '' My Two Loves'' (1986) ... Ben * ''

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side ''The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'', a novel by Agatha Christie, was published in the UK in 1962 and a year later in the US under the title ''The Mirror Crack'd''. The story features amateur detective Miss Marple solving a mystery in St. M ...

'' (1992, TV) ... Jason Rudd * ''

'' (1996) ... Norman Bassett * '' Brown's Requiem'' (1998) ... Jack Skolnick * ''

Goodbye Lover ''Goodbye Lover'' is a 1998 neo-noir comedy film about a murder plot surrounding an alcoholic advertising agency worker and his adulterous wife. The film was directed by Roland Joffé, and stars Patricia Arquette, Dermot Mulroney, Don Johnson, El ...

'' (1998) ... Sen. Lassetter * ''

'' (1999) ... Jim Avery * ''

'' (1999)... Hal Mclean * ''

Fugitive Mind ''Fugitive Mind'' is a 1999 American sci-fi action film directed by Fred Olen Ray and starring Michael Dudikoff and Heather Langenkamp. Plot A man finds out that he was brainwashed to kill an important government official. Cast *Michael Dudikof ...

'' (1999) ... Dr. Chamberlain * ''

G-Men From Hell ''G-Men from Hell'' (released on DVD as ''Michael Allred's G-Men from Hell'') is a 2000 American comedy film directed by Christopher Coppola and written by Robert Cooper, Richard L. Albert, and Nicholas Johnson. It is based on Michael Allred's co ...

'' (2000)... Greydon Lake * ''

Jack the Dog ''Jack the Dog'' is a 2001 American comedy-drama film, written and directed by Bobby Roth and starring Néstor Carbonell, Barbara Williams, Barry Newman, and Anthony LaPaglia. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2001 ...

'' (2001)... Simon * '' True Blue'' (2001) ... Monty * ''

Good Advice ''Good Advice'' is a 2001 comedy film starring Charlie Sheen, Angie Harmon, and Denise Richards. The film also features Jon Lovitz and Rosanna Arquette as a married couple in supporting roles. Plot Ryan Turner is a hotshot broker living an u ...

'' (2001) ... Donald Simpson * ''

40 Days and 40 Nights ''40 Days and 40 Nights'' is a 2002 satirical erotic romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann, written by Rob Perez, and starring Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon and Paulo Costanzo. The film depicts Matt Sullivan, a San Francisco web d ...

'' (2002) ... Walter Sullivan *''

Manhood A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromos ...

'' (2003) ... Frank * ''

What the Bleep Do We Know!? ''What the Bleep Do We Know!?'' (stylized as ''What tнē #$*! D̄ө ωΣ (k)πow!?'' and ''What the #$*! Do We Know!?'') is a 2004 American pseudo-scientific film that posits a spiritual connection between quantum physics and consciousness. The ...

'' (2004) ... Frank * ''

Grilled Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...

'' (2006) ... Boris

Selected television work

* ''

'' (1956) (Cast Member 1964–1965) * '' Way Out'' (1961) ... Officer Police (1 episode, "Hush-Hush") * ''

Armstrong Circle Theatre ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, ...

'' (1963) ... (1 episode, 1963) * '' Naked City'' (1963) "Beyond This Place There Be Dragons" ... Cabbie * ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'' (1965) ... Assistant Guru (1 episode, 1968) * ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

'' ... Himself (3 episodes, 1973–1975) * ''

'' (1974) ... Anthony J. Petrocelli (45 episodes, 1974–1976) * ''

Dinah! ''Dinah!'' is a daytime variety talk show that was hosted by singer and actress Dinah Shore. The series was distributed by 20th Century Fox Television and premiered on October 21, 1974, in syndication. In 1979, the show became known as ''Dinah ...

'' (1975) ... (Cast Member 1975-1977) * '' Quincy M.E.'' (1976) * ''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...

'' (1981) Himself (1 episode: "The Detectives", season #4, episode #6, 1984) * '' Nightingales'' (1989) ... Dr. Garrett Braden (13 episodes, 1989) * ''

Murder She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (1989) ... Detective Jack Ballinger (1 episode, 1989) * ''

The New Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show Television pilot, piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debut ...

'' (1989) .... Special Guest(1 episode, 1989) * ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'' (1994) ... Frank Askoff (2 episodes, 1994) * ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...

'' ... Jimmy Wexler (2 episodes, 1994–1998) * ''

The O.C. ''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seaso ...

'' (2005) ... Professor Max Bloom (3 episodes, 2005) * ''

The Cleaner A cleaner is an industrial or domestic worker who cleans. Cleaner(s) or The Cleaner(s) may also refer to: Cleaning * Cleaning agent, a substance used to remove dirt, stains, etc. * Cleanser, a product used to cleanse, such as a facial cleanser * ...

'' (2009) ... Marcus O'Hara (1 episode "Hello America") * ''

Ghost Whisperer ''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate with ...

'' (2009)... Ray James (1 episode "Till Death Do Us Start") * ''Murder, She Wrote'' (1988)..."Snow White, Blood Red”, alleged NYPD ex-cop Ed McMastersPaley Center.org

References

''Petrocelli: San Remo Justice: An Episode Guide and Much More'', by Sandra Grabman, published by BearManor Media

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Barry 1938 births Living people American people of Austrian-Jewish descent American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Boston Latin School alumni Brandeis University alumni Male actors from Boston People from Winchester, Massachusetts