Oscar-Winning Actor Martin Landau Dead At 89
Even as a lowly Comanchero during a guest appearance in an early episode of the classic TV western “Bonanza,” actor Martin Landau was easily the best performer on the screen. Landau is one of the most enduring actors of our time who appeared in nearly 200 films and TV shows during his illustrious career and worked until his death. Landau, 89, who gained fame as a member of the daring spy team in “Mission: Impossible,” and won an Academy Award in 1994’s “Ed Wood,” died Saturday. His publicist said Landau died after unexpected complications during a short stay at UCLA Medical Center. Though he is best remembered for supporting roles that anchored a long list of movies, including “Cleopatra,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” the Brooklyn-born Landau actually began his career at the Daily News as a staff cartoonist and illustrator when he was just 17. He quit The News five years later to pursue his acting career. In 1955, Landau was among hundreds who applied to study at the prestigious Actors Studio and one of only two people selected. The other was Steve McQueen.
In 1957, Landau made his debut on Broadway in “Middle of the Night,” and in 1959 he made his first movie appearance in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller “North by Northwest.” His big break came in 1966 when he was cast as Rollin Hand in the “Mission: Impossible” TV series. The role got him repeatedly nominated for Emmys and helped him nab the Best Male TV Star Golden Globe in 1968. Landau and his then wife, Barbara Bain also co-starred in the British-made sci-fi series “Space: 1999. He finally won the big prize for his supporting turn in Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood,” where he portrayed aging horror film star Bela Lugosi. “There was a 10-year period when everything I did was bad. I’d like to go back and turn all those films into guitar picks,” Landau said after accepting his Oscar. More recently, he played an Auschwitz survivor in the 2015 movie “Remember,” which co-starred with Christopher Plummer. His last movie, “The Last Poker Game,” premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.
Martin Landau, Though Not A Super Star Was A Great, Solid and Enduring Actor Of His Era
Susan Z’s Conclusion:
Landau would best be described as a solid character actor in today’s movie world. Powerful supporting acting and ensemble roles are what he played the best. One by one, as age catches up with all of them, the great 60’s actors that introduced television in the home and big screen cinema are passing away. An end of a bygone era.
Knight of Cups:
This is youthful energy and a dreamer. I believe this represents Landau’s love of acting. He just wanted to act and did so right up to (almost) his last breath.
The Star:
This is everything turning out ok in a life situation. I feel this card shows that Landau steadily worked, maybe not always as he mentioned above, in great acting parts but he was still acting and that is what he loved.
King of Pentacles:
This is a successful man focused on money and material possessions. My sense about Landau is he looked at acting as a lucrative way of earning a living and getting to do what he loved.
Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.