Martin Landau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Landau
Landau in 1968
Born	Martin James Landau (1928-06-20)June 20, 1928 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Died	July 15, 2017(2017-07-15) (aged 89) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Beth David Cemetery, Elmont, New York
Education	James Madison High School
Alma mater	Pratt Institute
Occupation	Actor acting coach
Years active	1955–2017
Known for	Tucker: The Man and His Dream Crimes and Misdemeanors Mission: Impossible Space: 1999 North by Northwest
Spouse(s)	Barbara Bain ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1993)​
Children	Susan Landau Finch Juliet Landau

Martin Landau (born June 20, 1928 – died July 15, 2017) was a famous American actor. He also worked as an acting coach and even drew cartoons! His acting career started in the 1950s.

He became well-known for his roles in TV shows like Mission: Impossible (1966–1969) and Space: 1999 (1975–1977). Martin Landau won many awards for his acting. He received a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988).

Later, he won an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and another Golden Globe Award for playing Bela Lugosi in the movie Ed Wood (1994). He kept acting in movies and TV shows until he passed away in 2017. He also led the Actors Studio in Hollywood, teaching other actors.

Becoming an Actor: Martin Landau's Early Life

Martin Landau was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 20, 1928. His parents were Selma and Morris Landau. His family was Jewish. His father was a machinist from Austria. He tried to help his relatives escape from the Nazis.

Martin went to James Madison High School and Pratt Institute. After school, he worked at the New York Daily News. For five years, he was a cartoonist there. He even helped create the comic strip The Gumps.

When he was 22, he left the Daily News to become an actor. He said, "I told the picture editor I was going into the theater. I think he thought I was going to be an usher."

In 1955, Martin Landau tried out for the Actors Studio. Out of 500 people, only he and Steve McQueen were accepted! He learned from famous acting teachers like Lee Strasberg. Later, he became a leader at the Studio himself.

Martin Landau's Acting Journey

Martin Landau loved movies and was inspired by actors like Charlie Chaplin. He wanted to be an actor. He became good friends with James Dean at the Actors Studio. He remembered, "James Dean was my best friend. We were two young actors, dreaming out loud." They talked a lot about their future and acting.

Early Roles and North by Northwest

In 1957, Martin Landau first appeared on Broadway in a play called Middle of the Night. His first big movie role was in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959). He played Leonard, a bad guy's assistant, acting alongside Cary Grant and James Mason.

He also had roles in big movies like Cleopatra (1963) and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). In the Western movie Nevada Smith (1965), he played a tough killer with Steve McQueen.

Cary Grant, James Mason, Eva Marie Saint, and Landau in North by Northwest

Becoming Famous with Mission: Impossible

From 1966 to 1969, Martin Landau played Rollin Hand in the TV series Mission: Impossible. His character was a master of disguise. At first, he didn't want to sign a long contract because he wanted to make movies. So, for the first season, he was a "special guest."

He became a full cast member in the second season. The show let him sign a contract for only one year at a time. As Rollin Hand, Martin Landau had to use many different accents and play various characters, from dictators to tough guys. Sometimes, he even played two roles in one episode! His wife at the time, Barbara Bain, also starred in the show. She won an Emmy Award every year for her acting. After three seasons, Martin Landau and Barbara Bain left the show.

Landau as Rollin Hand in Mission: Impossible

TV Appearances in the 1970s

In 1973, Martin Landau was a guest star in the TV show Columbo. He played twin brothers who were involved in their rich uncle's murder. Peter Falk also starred in this episode.

Landau with Peter Falk in Columbo in 1973

In the mid-1970s, Landau and Bain returned to TV in the British science-fiction series Space: 1999. This show was about people living on the Moon. It ran for two seasons. Martin Landau didn't always like the scripts, but he praised the other actors and the crew.

After Space: 1999, he acted in many other films and TV shows. He appeared in some science fiction movies like Without Warning (1981) and The Being (1983). He was also in the horror film Alone in the Dark (1982). He and Barbara Bain appeared together for the last time on screen in the TV movie The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981).

Winning an Oscar for Ed Wood

Martin Landau won an Academy Award for his role in Ed Wood (1994). This movie was about the life of a filmmaker, and Landau played the actor Bela Lugosi. To prepare, Landau watched many of Lugosi's old movies. He also studied Lugosi's Hungarian accent.

Landau said he felt respect and pity for Lugosi. He saw the humor in him. He felt like this role was a "love letter" to Lugosi. He felt he was giving Lugosi the chance to have a comeback, just as Landau was having one in his own career.

Landau at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival

For this role, Landau also won a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Saturn Award. Many critics also praised his performance.

In the 1990s, Landau's movie roles included a Hollywood producer in Mistress (1992) with Robert De Niro. He also played judges in movies like City Hall (1995) with Al Pacino and Rounders (1998) with Matt Damon. He played Geppetto in The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996).

He also provided the voice for Scorpion in the Spider-Man cartoon series. He left the show after two seasons because he won the Academy Award and became very busy.

Later Roles: 2000–2017

In the movie The Majestic (2001), Martin Landau played a supporting role with Jim Carrey. He played an old father who thought his son had returned from World War II.

He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the TV show Without a Trace (2002–2009). He played the father of the main character, who had Alzheimer's disease. In 2006, he was a guest star in Entourage. He played Bob Ryan, an old Hollywood producer trying to remember his glory days. This role earned him another Emmy nomination.

Landau at the "Night of 100 Stars" for the 82nd Academy Awards viewing party

Landau also appeared in The Aryan Couple (2004 film). He played Joseph Krauzenberg, a very rich Hungarian Jewish businessman.

In the TV movie Have a Little Faith (2011), he played Rabbi Albert Lewis. In 2012, he voiced Mr. Rzykruski in the animated Disney movie Frankenweenie, directed by Tim Burton. In 2015, Landau starred with Christopher Plummer in the movie Remember. Both actors received great reviews for their performances.

Martin Landau has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6841 Hollywood Boulevard. This honors his contributions to the movie industry.

Acting Coach

Martin Landau also taught acting. His own teacher, Lee Strasberg, encouraged him to do so. Some of the actors he coached include Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston.

Martin Landau's Family Life

Martin Landau married actress Barbara Bain on January 31, 1957. They had two daughters, Susan and Juliet. Martin Landau and Barbara Bain divorced in 1993.

Martin Landau's Passing

Martin Landau passed away on July 15, 2017, at the age of 89. He was in a hospital in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. He had been briefly hospitalized due to health issues. Martin Landau is buried at the Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Martin Landau para niños