Martin Landau has died. He was 89, and his death was confirmed by his publicist “following a short hospitalisation”.
Arguably Landau’s career high point arrived in 1995 when he won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood(1994), the Tim Burton-directed biopic of the infamous director of Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) and other notorious films.
He is also well-remembered for his role in the original Mission: Impossible television series, where he portrayed Rollin Hand, an expert disguise artist.
The role proved a tremendous showcase for Landau’s acting skills, allowing him to play multiple characters – often in the same episode.
After more than 70 episodes, three Emmy nominations and a Golden Globes award, Landau left the series after a contract dispute.
Viewers of a certain age, though, will remember him best for playing Commander John Koenig, the commander of Moonbase Alpha on Gerry Anderson’s cult TV show Space: 1999.
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He is also well-remembered for his role in the original Mission: Impossible television series, where he portrayed Rollin Hand, an expert disguise artist.
