According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mission: Impossible (1966-69) TV star Martin Landau died on July 15th, 2017. He was 89 years old.

Besides the spy series of the 1960s, Landau was also the star of such films as Alfred Hitchcock’s classic North by Northwest (1959) with Cary Grant, James Mason, and Eva Marie Saint, Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), Tim Burton’s Ed Wood (1994) with Johnny Depp, Francis Ford Coppola’s Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) with Jeff Bridges, and this writer’s first exposure to the actor in his heartwarming performance as Harry Trimble in The Majestic (2001) with Jim Carrey.

Martin Landau’s Career

Martin Landau was nominated for three Golden Globes and three Academy Awards throughout his lifetime. Landau won one Academy Award, for Best Performance in a Supporting Role portraying classic horror actor Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood. He also won all three of his Golden Globe nominations, which included once again Best Performance in a Supporting Role as Bela Lugosi for Ed Wood, Best Performance in a Supporting Role as Abe for Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and of course Best TV Star – Male as Rollin Hand for the Mission: Impossible television series.

Other recent film credits include: 9 (2009), City of Ember (2008), and Hollywood Homicide (2003). His notable TV series appearances include: The Twilight Zone (1959-64), Space: 1999 (1975-77), Get Smart (1965-70), Gunsmoke (1955-75), and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1964-68).

Other Martin Landau Projects Still In Development

Interestingly, Landau still had several projects in development. Whether or not they will still materialize with or without him seems to be unknown at this point. Several of the films had Landau in the forefront of the plot, so that might make for some conundrums. His last film that we know of was from this year, titled The Last Poker Game (2017). Projects that were, and are, still in development include Without Ward (2017), due for an August 2017 release, and Nate & Al (2018), alongside notable stars Richard Dreyfuss and Josh Peck, due for a 2018 release. It is very possible, especially for Without Ward, that the filming on both of these movies has already been completed, but we don’t know for sure. Landau also had a short film in development entitled, Herstory, but no release date has been set yet for that.

Rest in peace, Martin Landau. What a true acting talent, and what an incredible legacy you left for the industry and the world.