Catacombs Reference Library
Space 1999 - ATV PRESS RELEASE

THE STARS

MARTIN LANDAU

The teaming of Martin Landau with his wife Barbara Bain in "Space 1999" is an exciting one. It recalls the tremendous success they had as co-stars of the first 80 episodes of the internationally popular "Mission Impossible" series.

But they are not a husband and wife team in the way that BO many players of the Lunt-Fontanne school are. They have their own independent careers, and Martin Landau's own career has been an out- standing one on stage, television and in films alike.

Acting was not a premeditated career for the 6' 3" dark-haired New Yorker (born in Brooklyn; birthday June 20th), although he was always interested and fascinated by the theatre.

It seemed at first that his career would be in art. He studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League in New York and became a staff artist, cartoonist and illustrator on the New York Daily News.

It was a well-paid job. The weekly pay-check came in regularly. But it was the security of it, more than anything else, that brought about his rebellion. He could see himself doing exactly the same work for the remainder of his life if he left it too late to break away from it. Life, he felt, had more to offer than being stuck in the same job all the time.

So he quit. And became an actor. The decision was made on the spur of the moment, but he had been thinking about it for some time.

It wasn't easy, of course. The first thing to discover was whether or not he had it in him to become an actor, and he succeeded in getting summer stock work which enabled him to assess his own potentialities. Analytical self-appraisal satisfied him that the potentialities were there but that an ability to act was not something that just happened. It needed bringing out, professional training. So for the next three years he studied at drama classes, worked with "little theatre" groups and did some off-Broadway plays.

After this, another season of summer stock, a further off--Broadway appearance and a small-part in a "live" show for his TV debut.

He then went to Lee Strasberg's world-famous Actors Studio to continue his training and to become a lifetime member of The Studio.

His career developed steadily. There was no spectacular overnight success. His roles varied enormously. He was a psychopathic killer in a tour of ''Detective Story"; a millionaire playboy in ''Stalag 17".

New York followed. He was in a revival of Franz Werfel's "Goat Song", portraying the role originally played in 1926 by Alfred Lunt. Though still in his twenties, he played the fifty-year-old Dr. Astrov in Chekov's "Uncle Vanya".

He also did some drama teaching. While assisting Curt Conway, an ambitious young (and extremely beautiful) high fashion model named Barbara Bain came along. With more than a modelling career in mind, she was studying both modern dance and drama. Both admit that it was anything but love at first sight. They disliked one another intensely. A little later, it was a very different story, developing from their meeting in the more relaxed atmosphere of a party.

By this time, things were beginning to happen for Martin. He had landed a prominent role with Edward G Robinson in Paddy Chayefsky's play "Middle of the Night". It had a long run on Broadway and then took off on tour. An ideal opportunity, Martin and Barbara decided, to get married and treat the tour as a honeymoon, especially as Barbara succeeded in joining the cast.

"Middle of the Night" finished its run in Los Angeles and the Landaus stayed on for a two-week vacation - and remained. A new chapter had opened in their careers. Films.

Martin made his movie debut as a sinister spy in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest", and was established right away on the screen. One movie followed another: "Pork Chop Hill", "The Gazebo", "Cleopatra", (which took him to Rome, Egypt, Spain and London), "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "The Hallelujah Trail" and "Nevada Smith". And numerous TV roles.

It remained for television to make his name a household word throughout the world. He was asked if he would appear in the first episode of "Mission: Impossible". It was an intriguing prospect. He was to portray 'Rollin' Hand', master of disguise, and it meant appearing in five different characterisations in the one episode. The rest is history. With Barbara as 'Cinnamon Carter' in the same series, they remained for 80 episodes.

Martin hasn't done a series since then until linking up professionally again with his wife for "Space 1999". In the intervening years, he has continued his movie career and has travelled widely, his work taking him to Sicily, Rome, Yugoslavia, Spain and elsewhere for such pictures as "Win" (for Dino de Laurentis), "They Call Me MISTER Tibbs", "A Town Called Bastard", "Black Gunn", "Mission Impossible vs The Mob", and "Welcome Home Johnny Bristol", plus guest shots on numerous TV programmes and movies made for television.

He and Barbara have two daughters, Susan Meredith and Juliet Rose.