Barbara Barrie, Barney Miller and Suddenly Susan Star, Dies at 95 by Medically Assisted Suicide

Barbara Barrie, a familiar face to TV and film audiences for more than six decades, has died at 95 by medically assisted suicide after a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her rep confirmed the passing complied with New York State’s Medical Aid in Dying law, which Barrie had publicly advocated for. She died at her home in New York City, survived by her daughter Jane Harnick and son Aaron Harnick.

Her résumé reads like a tour of American entertainment: Best Actress at Cannes for 1964’s One Potato, Two Potato, an Oscar nomination for Breaking Away, the original Sarah in Sondheim’s Company, and beloved turns on Barney Miller and Suddenly Susan. She’d been diagnosed with rectal cancer in the’90s and later announced she had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung disease. In her final years, she became a vocal voice for end-of-life choice, telling interviewers she hoped getting the word out would be her legacy.

Barrie’s death puts a spotlight on New York’s Medical Aid in Dying law and on the conversations many families put off for years. Have you ever talked with your family about end-of-life wishes? Tell us in the comments.