Oscar-nominated actress Barbara Barrie dies at 95 with medical aid in dying
Barbara Barrie, 95, passed away at her New York City home through medically assisted death under New York's Medical Aid in Dying law, which she had supported.
Oscar-nominated actress Barbara Barrie died at her New York City residence on Wednesday, according to her agent Gary Gersh. Gersh said the death was "medically assisted in accordance with the New York State Medical Aid in Dying law, of which she was a proponent and advocate."
The law, effective since August 5, permits terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to obtain a self-administered prescription to end their lives. Barrie's daughter, Jane Harnick, told the New York Times that her mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and also suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease.
Barrie, best known for her Oscar-nominated supporting role in the 1979 film "Breaking Away," also earned a Tony nomination in 1971 for her performance in the musical "Company." Her career included Emmy-nominated appearances on "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and the television adaptation of "Breaking Away," as well as roles in "Private Benjamin," "Double Trouble," and "Suddenly Susan."
"I have a very full, active life, but what lies ahead is unknown and yet known at the same time," Barrie said in a 2014 Playbill interview about her lung disease diagnosis. "I am living full steam ahead and am now trying to help other people do the same."