Barbara Anderson (actress)

Barbara Jeanne Anderson (born November 27, 1945) is a retired American actress who is best known for portraying police officer Eve Whitfield in the television series Ironside, for which she won an Emmy Award. She is also known for her appearance as the secret agent Mimi Davis during the final season of the American TV series Mission: Impossible.

Barbara Anderson
Barbara Anderson in 1969.
Born
Barbara Jeanne Anderson

(1945-11-27) November 27, 1945
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1966–1993
Spouse(s)
Don Burnett (m. 1971)

Early years

Anderson was born in Brooklyn, New York.[1] Her father, George Anderson,[2] was a Navy enlisted man.[3] She spent her early years in New York City, but during her teenage years, she resided in the Memphis, Tennessee, area, where her parents had moved.

Her interest in acting was kindled during her teens. "I did a Tennessee Williams play when I was 16," she said, "I knew I'd be an actress. There was no doubt in my mind."[4]

While she was a student at Memphis State University,[1] Anderson won the title of Miss Memphis in 1963.[5] Anderson was an actress with the Front Street Repertory Theatre and debuted professionally in Memphis with the Southwestern University Players. Later, she acted with the Los Angeles Art Theatre.[1]

Television

Anderson decided to move to Los Angeles. In 1966, one of her first TV appearances came in a first-season episode of Star Trek, "The Conscience of the King".

She premiered her Eve Whitfield character in the March 1967 Ironside TV movie, and continued the role when the series debuted in September. That same week in September, she had a featured role in the first episode of the TV series Mannix.[6]

Anderson was one of the four original cast members of Ironside and was the lead actress in the series for the first 105 episodes. Anderson played the role of one of two police officers chosen to assist Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr), former chief of detectives for San Francisco, after he lost the use of his legs due to a shooting. Anderson continued in her role as Officer Whitfield for four seasons.[7]

Later performances included the wife of a man who inherits a notoriously haunted house in the Night Gallery episode "Fright Night" and as a witness to a mob hit in the Harry O episode "Material Witness". She accepted a recurring role (seven episodes) in the final season of Mission Impossible.

In 1971, Anderson left Ironside, and full-time TV acting, to spend more time with her husband Don Burnett. However she did continue to work, accepting supporting roles in several TV movies, including the 1973 pilot film for The Six Million Dollar Man, the cult horror TV classic Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (where she played Kim Darby's best friend Joan Kahn), and 1977's You Lie So Deep, My Love (where she was reunited with former Ironside co-star Don Galloway).[8] She also accepted guest roles on popular TV shows of the period including The Love Boat, Wonder Woman, and Marcus Welby, M.D.. In 1993, Anderson reunited with her former Ironside co-stars for the TV movie Return of Ironside, reprising her role as Eve Whitfield, now the mother of a daughter. After this role, Anderson retired from acting permanently.

Recognition

In 1968, Anderson won the television Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in Drama Series for her work on Ironside. She was nominated for two more Emmys for her work on that program: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series (1969) and Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Drama (1970).[9]

Personal life

In 1971, Anderson married actor Don Burnett and shortly after left Ironside because she wanted to devote time to her marriage.[10]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1966 The Virginian Sarah Crayton Episode: "The Challenge"
1966 Jericho Corporal Victoria Bannon Episode: "Four O'Clock Bomb to London"
1966 Star Trek: The Original Series Lenore Episode: "The Conscience of the King"
1966–1967 The Road West Barbara / Susan Douglass 2 episodes
1967 Laredo Della Snilly Episode: "The Other Cheek"
1967 Ironside Eve Whitfield Television film
1967 Mannix Angela Dubrio Episode: "The Name Is Mannix"
1967–1971 Insight Kathy 3 episodes
1967–1971 Ironside Officer Eve Whitfield 105 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1968)
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1969–1970)
1970 Paris 7000 Ellen / Lee 2 episodes
1970 The Red Skelton Show Rick's Moll Episode: "Freddie's Desperate Hour"
1970–1974 Marcus Welby, M.D. Julie Haynes / Marcy 2 episodes
1972 Mission: Impossible Mimi Davis 7 episodes
1972 Visions... Susan Schaeffer Television film
1972 Night Gallery Leona Ogilvy Episode: "Fright Night"
1973 The Six Million Dollar Man Jean Manners Television film
1973 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Joan Kahn Television film
1973 Medical Center Betty Episode: "The Casualty"
1973 The Wide World of Mystery Maggie Clark Episode: "Murder and the Computer"
1974 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law Carol Episode: "To Keep and Bear Arms"
1974 Strange Homecoming Elaine Halsey Television film
1974 Harry O Dr. Noelle Kira Episode: "Material Witness"
1975 Amy Prentiss Lenore Episode: "Profile in Evil"
1975 Police Story Rita Wagner Episode: "To Steal a Million"
1975 You Lie So Deep, My Love Susan Collins Television film
1975 The Invisible Man Paula Simon Episode: "Eyes Only"
1977 Gibbsville Episode: "Manhood"
1977 Wonder Woman Maggie Robbins Episode: "Last of the $2 Bills"
1977 SST: Death Flight Carla Stanley Television film
1977 Switch Dana Wallace Episode: "Net Loss"
1978 Doctors' Private Lives Frances Latimer Television film
1978 The Love Boat Karen Williamson Episode: "Ship of Ghouls"
1979 Hawaii Five-O Dorothy Meighan Episode: "The Meighan Conspiracy"
1982 Star of the Family Episode: "Save My Life, Please"
1983 Simon & Simon Celeste Dunn Episode: "Design for Killing"
1988 Bonanza: The Next Generation Annabelle 'Annie' Cartwright Television film
1993 The Return of Ironside Eve Whitfield Television film

Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1968 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Ironside Won
1969 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Ironside Nominated
1970 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Ironside Nominated

Bibliography
  • Halliwell, Leslie (1965). The Filmgoer's Companion / with a Foreword by Alfred Hitchcock. Hill and Wang.

References
  1. "Barbara Anderson: She Bruises Easily". California, Pasadena. Independent Star-News. May 12, 1968. p. 74. Retrieved January 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Hall, Clara (May 31, 1968). "The 'New Ironsides' Look". Ohio, East Liverpool. The Evening Review. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Former Miss Memphis Stars Again". Tennessee, Kingsport. Kingsport Times. September 16, 1970. p. 30. Retrieved January 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Actress Persists in Career". Massachusetts, North Adams. The North Adams Transcript. July 16, 1969. p. 15. Retrieved January 4, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Miss Memphis 1963: Barbara Anderson". MissMemphisPageant.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  6. "The six greatest 'Mannix' episodes, according to a superfan". MeTV. January 27, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  7. "The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky · Page 14". The Courier-Journal. June 12, 1971. Retrieved March 1, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Deadly Triangle". North Carolina, Lumberton. The Robesonian. October 23, 1977. p. 40.
  9. "Barbara Anderson: Awards and Nominations". Television Academy. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  10. Oppenheimer, Peer J. (July 18, 1971). "Why I Quit TV for Home and Hearth". Virginia, Danville. The Danville Register. p. 63. Retrieved January 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
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