Martin Landau
Martin Landau
Martin James Landau was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist, born on June 20, 1928. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" (1959). He achieved breakthrough success with leading roles in the television series "Mission: Impossible" (1966–1969) and "Space: 1999" (1975–1977).
Landau received Academy Award nominations for his performances in "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" (1988) and Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989). He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe Award, for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood" (1994). His notable roles also include appearances in "Cleopatra" (1963), "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), "Rounders" (1998), "Sleepy Hollow" (1999), and "Remember" (2015). Landau headed the Hollywood branch of the Actors Studio until his passing in July 2017.
Martin James Landau was born on June 20, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York, to Selma and Morris Landau. He came from a Jewish family, and his father, who was born in Austria, worked as a machinist and attempted to rescue relatives from the Nazis.
Landau attended James Madison High School and later Pratt Institute. Afterward, he found employment at the New York Daily News, where he spent five years as an editorial cartoonist. During this time, he collaborated with Gus Edson on the comic strip "The Gumps." However, at the age of 22, Landau decided to leave the Daily News to pursue a career in theater, much to the surprise of his colleagues.
In 1955, Landau auditioned for the prestigious Actors Studio, where he was one of only two applicants accepted out of 500. Under the tutelage of renowned acting coaches Lee Strasberg, Elia Kazan, and Harold Clurman, Landau honed his craft. Eventually, he became an executive director at the Studio, alongside Mark Rydell and Sydney Pollack.
Influenced by Charlie Chaplin and inspired by the escapism offered by cinema, Landau embarked on an acting career. During his time at the Actors Studio, he formed a close friendship with James Dean. Landau reminisced about their bond, describing Dean as his best friend and recounting their shared dreams and discussions about their craft and prospects in the entertainment industry.
In 1957, Landau made his Broadway debut in "Middle of the Night." His breakthrough in film came with a significant role in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" (1959), where he portrayed Leonard, the loyal assistant to a criminal played by James Mason. Landau's performance garnered praise from Variety, which lauded his ability to infuse the character with individuality and excitement. That same year, he appeared in the Korean War film "Pork Chop Hill" and the black comedy "The Gazebo." Landau also made a television appearance in an episode of "Wanted: Dead or Alive," starring Steve McQueen.
Throughout the 1960s, Landau continued to secure notable roles in epic films. He portrayed Rufio in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "Cleopatra" (1963) and Caiaphas in George Stevens's "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), a grand historical epic featuring an ensemble cast. Additionally, Landau played a ruthless killer in the Western prequel "Nevada Smith" (1966), starring alongside Steve McQueen.
Landau portrayed the character of master of disguise Rollin Hand in the first three seasons of the US television series "Mission: Impossible" from 1966 to 1969. His performance in the role earned him three consecutive Emmy nominations. Initially, Landau hesitated to commit to the show due to concerns about it conflicting with his film career. As a compromise, he was credited for "special guest appearances" during the first season.
However, Landau eventually became a full-time cast member in the second season, albeit with a contractual agreement that allowed him to renew his commitment on a year-by-year basis rather than the standard five-year contract. The role of Rollin Hand required Landau to showcase his versatility by portraying a wide range of accents and characters, from dictators to thugs. Additionally, many episodes featured Landau in dual roles, requiring him to portray both Hand's impersonation and the person whom Hand is impersonating.
Throughout Landau's tenure on the show, he worked alongside his then-wife Barbara Bain, who also starred in "Mission: Impossible" and won an Emmy for her performances each year during their time on the series. After Landau and Bain departed from the show, Leonard Nimoy replaced Landau, playing a similar role but not exactly the same character, for the subsequent two seasons.
During the early 1970s, Landau shifted his focus to television and took on fewer film roles. He appeared in "They Call Me Mister Tibbs!" (1970), the second installment in a trilogy preceded by "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) and followed by "The Organization" (1971). The film starred Sidney Poitier. Additionally, Landau starred in the Italian comedy "Operation Snafu" (1970) and the Spaghetti Western "A Town Called Bastard" (1971), as well as the neo-noir blaxploitation movie "Black Gunn" (1972).
In 1973, Landau guest-starred in an episode of "Columbo" titled "Double Shock," alongside Peter Falk, portraying twin brothers involved in the murder of their wealthy uncle. The episode also featured Dabney Coleman, Julie Newmar, and Jeanette Nolan.
During the mid-1970s, Landau and Bain returned to television in the British science-fiction series "Space: 1999," produced by Gerry Anderson in collaboration with Sylvia Anderson and later Fred Freiberger. Although "Space: 1999" received lukewarm critical reception during its original run and was canceled after two seasons, Landau praised the cast and crew while expressing criticism toward the scripts and storylines, particularly in the second season. Following the conclusion of "Space: 1999," Landau appeared in supporting roles in various films and TV series, including low-budget genre pictures such as the science fiction films "Without Warning" (1981) and "The Being" (1983), as well as the horror film "Alone in the Dark" (1982). He also appeared in the TV film "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island" (1981), which marked the final on-screen appearance together for Landau and Bain.
References
- "Martin Landau Died from Massive Internal Bleeding". TMZ.
- a b "Martin Landau Died From Massive Internal Bleeding". TMZ. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (July 19, 2017). "Martin Landau Was a Slyly Versatile Actor Who, in Late Middle Age, Attained Greatness". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ Wiegand, Chris (July 17, 2017). "Martin Landau obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ Gates, Anita (July 16, 2017). "Martin Landau, Actor Who Won an Oscar for 'Ed Wood,' Dies at 89". The New York Times.
- ^ Pfefferman, Naomi. The 'Majestic' Martin Landau. JewishJournal.com. December 21, 2001.
- ^ Roberto Dominguez (July 16, 2017). "Martin Landau's first job was a cartoonist at the New York Daily News". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 16, 2017.