Barbara Feldon studied acting at BB Studio before working as a model; Feldon’s break came in the shape of a successful and widely ridiculed television ad for Top Brass, a Revlon Company hair product.
She was dressed on an animal-print rug and purred before the camera, addressing the male audience as tigers. This was an excellent start for her, as it led to minor appearances in television series. In 1960, she appeared on episode 24 of Twelve O’clock High. The End of the Line Griff, Flipper by Lorne Greene, episodes 12 and 13.
In 1965, she co-starred with Simon Oakland in the episode Try to Find a Spy of CBS’s short-lived drama Mr. Broadway. One significant guest –starring was George C. Scott in the television drama East Side/West Side, which was produced by Talent Associates. She also co-created the TV comedy Get Smart with two other prominent writers, Mel Brooks and Buck Henry.
Barbara played Agent 99 in the new show. Don Adams, who played Maxwell Smart, Secret Agent 86, was her co-star. Feldon appeared on the show from 1965 to 1970, when she was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Her voice has been heard in several television and radio advertisements, as well as films and television documentaries. Barbara is a talented writer who continues to write. Feldon’s work was featured in two editorial features in Metropolitan Magazine.
