Barbara Feldon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barbara Feldon
Feldon as Agent 99 in the sitcom Get Smart in 1965
Born	Barbara Anne Hall (1933-03-12) March 12, 1933 (age 92) Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	Carnegie Mellon University (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1957–2006
Known for	Get Smart
Spouse(s)	Lucien Verdoux-Feldon ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1967)​
Partner(s)	Burt Nodella (1968–1979)

Barbara Feldon (born Barbara Anne Hall on March 12, 1933) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Agent 99 in the TV show Get Smart. This popular comedy series aired from 1965 to 1970.

Early Life and Education

Barbara Anne Hall was born in Butler, Pennsylvania. She grew up with her older sister, Patricia. Their parents were Raymond Dorsey and Julia Stewart Hall.

Barbara went to Bethel Park High School. She also studied acting at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. In 1955, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama. This was from the Carnegie Institute of Technology. In 1957, she won a big prize on the TV show The $64,000 Question. Her winning topic was about the famous writer William Shakespeare.

Becoming an Actress

Barbara Feldon studied acting at HB Studio. Before becoming famous, she worked as a model. Her big break came from a TV commercial for a men's hair product called "Top Brass." In the ad, she famously called the male viewers "tigers."

This commercial helped her get small roles in TV shows. In the 1960s, she appeared in series like Twelve O'Clock High and Flipper. She also had a role in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in 1965.

Starring in Get Smart

One important guest role was with George C. Scott in the TV drama East Side/West Side. The same company that made this show was also creating a new comedy. It was called Get Smart. The show was created by famous writers Mel Brooks and Buck Henry.

Barbara Feldon was chosen to play "Agent 99" in Get Smart. She starred alongside comedian Don Adams. He played Maxwell Smart, "Secret Agent 86." Barbara played Agent 99 for the entire show, from 1965 to 1970. She was even nominated for an Emmy Award in 1968 and 1969.

Agent 99 was a special character for her time. She was a smart and capable woman who was good at her job. Barbara Feldon said that many women saw Agent 99 as a role model. This was because the character was intelligent and always found the right answers.

Barbara Feldon and Don Adams in Get Smart, 1967

After Get Smart

After Get Smart, Barbara Feldon appeared on many other TV shows. She was on The Dean Martin Show several times from 1968 to 1972. She would sing, dance, and perform in funny skits. She also appeared on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

In the 1970s, she guest-starred in shows like The Carol Burnett Show and McMillan & Wife. She also acted in TV movies. These included Getting Away from It All (1972) and Let's Switch! (1975). She also voiced Patti Bear in the 1973 animated TV special The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas.

Her feature films include Fitzwilly (1967) and Smile (1975). Her most recent film was Last Request in 2006.

Later Career and Writing

In 1989, Barbara Feldon played Agent 99 again in the TV movie Get Smart, Again!. She also returned for a short-lived Get Smart TV series in 1995. She helped create audio commentaries for the DVD release of the original Get Smart series in 2006.

She also guest-starred in a 1993 episode of Mad About You. She played a former TV spy star named Diane "Spy Girl" Caldwell. In 1991, she appeared in the Cheers episode "Sam Time Next Year."

Barbara Feldon's unique voice has been used in many TV and radio commercials. She has also narrated film and TV documentaries. While she has acted in some plays, she has said she is "no longer interested in performing."

Barbara Feldon is also a talented writer. She has written two books. Her first book, Living Alone and Loving It, was published in 2003. Her second book, "Getting Smarter: A Memoir," came out in 2021. She also wrote articles for Metropolitan Magazine in 2015.

Personal Life

Barbara Feldon's last name, Feldon, came from her marriage to Lucien Verdoux-Feldon in 1958. They divorced in 1967. In 1968, she began a 12-year relationship with Get Smart producer Burt Nodella. After their relationship ended, she moved back to New York City. She was still living there in 2024.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Barbara Feldon para niños