Barbara Harris began acting while still a teenager in Chicago, playing small parts in the Playwrights Theatre Club (whose other players included such youngsters as Edward Asner, Mike Nichols and Elaine May). She was also in "The Compass Players", the first ongoing improvisational theater troupe in America, directed by her then-husband Paul Sills (...
[on appearing in Family Plot (1976)] Alfred Hitchcock was a wonderful man. He always wanted emotionless people in his movies. There was a scene in our film, where 'Karen Black' was acting, acting, acting -- all that Lee Strasberg human-struggle stuff. And it took her so long to get those tears going, and Mr. Hitchcock turned to the cameraman and said, "We will just photograph the actors' feet in this scene." He wanted a beautiful woman who wasn't showing her life's history in a scene.
2
I used to try to get through one film a year, but I always chose movies that I thought would fail, so that I wouldn't have to deal with the fame thing. I turned down Alfred Hitchcock when he first asked me to be in one of his movies.
3
I don't usually mention that I have been in movies, because I'm afraid people will say, 'Well, I don't watch black-and-white films.' Most people don't know who I am.
4
[on living in Scottsdale, AZ, in 2002] I'm teaching acting classes. I had been based in New York, and maybe I should have stayed. I mean, I like it here, but it's very conservative, isn't it? I was talking to this man the other night, and he was ranting about people who come here from the East and wreck the state by voting Democrat. Hey, how would you vote on Prop 202 [an Indian gaming referendum] The commercials are hysterical! All that carrying on about how Indians are being greedy, but the commercials never once tell you anything about the proposition itself. So you end up having to read the '[Arizona] Republic' or some other piece of nonsense. But since I'm one of those nasty Easterners, I'll probably vote straight Democrat. It's just how it goes. I didn't want to vote for 'Bill Clinton', but I had to -- even though I figured he was white trash.
5
I'm much more interested in what's behind acting, which is the inquiry into the human condition. Everyone gets acting mixed up with the desire to be famous, but some of us really just stumbled into the fame part, while we were really just interested in the process of acting.
6
[2002 interview, regarding her abandonment of Broadway stardom] "Who wants to be up on the stage all the time? It isn't easy. You have to be awfully invested in the fame aspect, and I really never was. What I cared about was the discipline of acting, whether I did well or not. I think the only thing that drew me to acting in the first place was the group of people I was working with: Edward Asner, Paul Sills, Mike Nichols, Elaine May. And all I really wanted to do back then was rehearsal. I was in it for the process, and I really resented having to go out and do a performance for an audience, because the process stopped; it had to freeze and be the same every night. It wasn't as interesting."
7
Performers should be judged only by their work on-stage -- too much is made of their personal lives.
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Fact
1
Starring in new Radio Repertory Company of America audio drama, Anne Manx on Amazonia, set to air on XM Satellite Radio Fall of 2005. [August 2005]
2
(present) Teaching, directing
3
Harris turned down the Mabel Normand role in the play "Mack and Mabel" because she only sang four songs and felt there wasn't enough for her to do.
4
Is naturally a brunette.
5
Was seriously considered for the role of Neely O'Hara in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls (1967). The character of Neely, based on Judy Garland, was later won by Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke .
6
Won Broadway's 1967 Tony Award as Best Actress (Musical) for "The Apple Tree." This followed two previous Tony nominations: in 1962, as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical) for "From the Second City," and, in 1966, as Best Actress (Musical) for "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever."
7
Her mother, Natalie Densmoor, was an accomplished pianist, and her father, Oscar Harris, was a tree-surgeon who later became a businessman.
8
Along with Elaine May, she is generally acknowledged to be one of the pioneering women in the field of improvisational theatre. Scenes she created with Alan Arkin, Severn Darden, Paul Sand and other celebrated members of the Second City and Compass companies are studied as masterpieces of the form. Most famous scenes: "Museum Piece" (with Arkin) and "First Affair" (with Darden).
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Grosse Pointe Blank
1997
Mary Blank
Middle Ages
1992
TV Series
Jean
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988
Fanny Eubanks
Nice Girls Don't Explode
1987
Mom
Peggy Sue Got Married
1986
Evelyn Kelcher
Second-Hand Hearts
1981
Dinette Dusty
The Seduction of Joe Tynan
1979
Ellie
The North Avenue Irregulars
1979
Vickie
Movie Movie
1978
Trixie Lane
A Doonesbury Special
1977
Short
Joanie Caucus (voice)
Freaky Friday
1976
Mrs. Andrews
Family Plot
1976
Blanche Tyler
Nashville
1975
Albuquerque
The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery
1975
Miss Helen Fredericks
Mixed Company
1974
Kathy
The War Between Men and Women
1972
Theresa Alice Kozlenko
Stand Up and Cheer
1971
TV Series
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
1971
Allison Densmore
Plaza Suite
1971
Muriel Tate
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad
1967
Rosalie
A Thousand Clowns
1965
Dr. Sandra Markowitz
The Doctors and the Nurses
1964
TV Series
Elaine Radnitz / Anna Faye
The Defenders
1964
TV Series
Margit Wolsung
Channing
1963
TV Series
Sophie Kannakos
Chronicle
1963
TV Series
What's Going on Here?
1963
TV Movie
Naked City
1962
TV Series
Helga Royd
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1961
TV Series
Beth
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Todd's Pop Song Reviews
2013
TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode
Freaky Friday
1976
performer: "I'd like to be you for a day"
Nashville
1975
performer: "It Don't Worry Me"
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
1971
performer: "Painting the Clouds with Sunshine", "Ricky Ticky Song" - uncredited
The 21st Annual Tony Awards
1967
TV Special performer: "Movie Star/Gorgeous"
A Thousand Clowns
1965
performer: "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby" 1925 - uncredited
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The 36th Annual Golden Globes Awards
1979
TV Special
Herself - Audience Member
The 44th Annual Academy Awards
1972
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
The 21st Annual Tony Awards
1967
TV Special
Herself - Performer & Winner: Best Actress in a Musical
The Bell Telephone Hour
1966
TV Series
Herself - Singer
The Garry Moore Show
1964
TV Series
Herself
The Jack Paar Program
1964
TV Series
Herself
As Caesar Sees It
1962
TV Movie
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Second City: First Family of Comedy
2006
TV Mini-Series documentary
The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue
1985
Video short
Mrs. Vickie Sims / Kiddie Car, Irregular
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1982
TV Series
Ellen Andrews
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1977
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Freaky Friday (1976)
1977
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Family Plot (1976)
1976
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
Nashville (1975)
1972
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971)
$11 Million
