{{Short description|American actor (1923–2005)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}} {{For|the baseball player|Barney Martin (baseball)}} {{more citations needed|date=March 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Barney Martin | image = Barney Martin 77.jpg | caption = Martin in ''[[The Tony Randall Show]]'' (1977) | birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|3|3}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2005|3|21|1923|3|3}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1956–2000 }}

'''Barney Martin''' (March 3, 1923 – March 21, 2005) was an American actor, best known for playing [[Morty Seinfeld]], father of [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|Jerry]], on the sitcom ''[[Seinfeld]]'' (1991–1998). He also played supporting roles in [[Mel Brooks]]'s ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]'' (1967), and the [[Dudley Moore]] comedy ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' (1981). He originated the role of Amos Hart (Mr. Cellophane) in the 1976 [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] production of ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]''.

== Early life == Barney Martin was born in [[New York City]] on March 3, 1923.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news| title=Barney Martin, 82, Actor on 'Seinfeld,' Is Dead| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/25/arts/television/barney-martin-82-actor-on-seinfeld-is-dead.html| agency=[[Associated Press]]| date=March 25, 2005| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| access-date=August 13, 2018}}</ref> He served in the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Force]] as a [[navigator]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]] and worked as a [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]] officer for twenty years, working his way up to [[detective]]. He got his start as a comedian while still a [[police officer]], providing [[police commissioner|deputy commissioners]] with humorous presentations.<ref name="Variety">{{cite news |title=Barney Martin |url=https://variety.com/2005/scene/markets-festivals/barney-martin-1117920070/ |access-date=26 July 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=March 24, 2005}}</ref>

Martin once commented that many [[Jewish]] ''[[Seinfeld]]'' fans told him how much his character reminded them of their fathers. Martin himself was from an [[Irish Catholics|Irish Catholic]] family.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2005/03/25/2005-03-25_seinfeld_s_dad_on_tv_dies_at.html| title=Seinfeld's Dad on TV Dies at 82| newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]| date=March 25, 2005| last=Connor| first=Tracy| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815181016/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2005/03/25/2005-03-25_seinfeld_s_dad_on_tv_dies_at.html| archive-date=August 15, 2009}}</ref>

== Career == Entering show business as a stand-in for [[Jackie Gleason]] in ''[[The Honeymooners]]'' in 1955–56 and as a part-time writer for [[Steve Allen]] in the 1950s, he was discovered by [[Mel Brooks]], who cast him in ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]''. The next year, he played the role of Hank in ''[[Charly (1968 film)|Charly]]''. He went on to act in dozens of films, including the role of [[Liza Minnelli]]'s unemployed father in the hit 1981 film ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' and its 1988 sequel, ''[[Arthur 2: On the Rocks]]''. [[File:Tony Randall Show.JPG|thumb|Martin with [[Tony Randall]] and [[Rachel Roberts (actress)|Rachel Roberts]] in the ''[[Tony Randall Show]]'' in 1976]]

On television, he appeared in two episodes of ''[[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|The Odd Couple]]'', once in a very early episode as an irate fellow juror infuriated with Felix Unger's pesty personality and four years later as a fellow subway train passenger. Shortly after, Martin co-starred with Tony Randall for two seasons in ''[[The Tony Randall Show]]'' as court reporter Jack Terwilliger.<ref name=nyt></ref> Throughout the run of this show, he had second billing only to Randall himself. In 1979, he was cast as the title character in Norman Lear's final TV series concept, ''[[McGurk: A Dog's Life]]''. Martin was cast to play a character similar to Lear's earlier creation [[Archie Bunker]], but this time as an anthropomorphic dog. Only the pilot was completed. In 1990, he co-starred with [[Valerie Bertinelli]] and [[Matthew Perry]] in the [[CBS]] sitcom ''[[Sydney (TV series)|Sydney]]''. In 1987, he appeared in the pilot episode of ''[[21 Jump Street]]'' as [[Johnny Depp]]'s partner. In 1993, Martin played the recurring role of "Pete Peters" on the [[Don Rickles]] sitcom ''[[Daddy Dearest (American TV series)|Daddy Dearest]]''.

In 1975, Martin originated the role of Amos Hart in the Broadway musical ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'', in which he introduced the song "Mr. Cellophane". He appeared in many more musicals during his career, most notably ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'', ''[[The Fantasticks]]'', and ''[[How Now, Dow Jones]]''.<ref name=nyt /> Much of Martin's work has been in television, where he had a long career as a [[character actor]]. He played a gangster called the "Cheese Man" in a ''[[Golden Girls]]'' episode. He played a love interest for Thelma Harper in the Hawaii episode of ''[[Mama's Family]]'', and he played the father of Frank Fontana on ''[[Murphy Brown]]''. He appeared in an episode of ''[[Full House]]'' as Ranger Roy, the host of a popular kids' TV show. In 1981, he portrayed Ralph Marolla, father of Liza Minnelli's character in the film ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' and the following year appeared on ''[[Barney Miller]]'' in the episode "Obituary".<ref name=lat>{{cite news| title=Barney Martin, 82; Veteran Actor Played Father on 'Seinfeld'| date=March 24, 2005| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-24-me-martin24-story.html| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

In 1991, Martin was cast as [[Morty Seinfeld]], the father of Jerry Seinfeld's character on the sitcom ''[[Seinfeld]]''. His first appearance was in Season 2's "[[The Pony Remark]]". Martin replaced [[Phil Bruns]], who first portrayed the character in Season 1's "[[The Stake Out (Seinfeld)|The Stake Out]]". Although he was the second actor to portray Jerry's dad on the show, he is the one most associated with the role, as Bruns appeared in only one episode. Martin took on the role upon showrunners Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld deciding they wanted the character of Morty Seinfeld to be harsher: they thought Bruns' version of the character was too laid-back.<ref>{{cite video|title=Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Notes about Nothing – "The Stake Out"|medium=DVD|publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment}}</ref> Martin retained this role through the end of the series in 1998.

== Death == Martin died of [[bladder cancer]] on March 21, 2005, in [[Studio City, Los Angeles]], California, at age 82. He was [[cremated]], and his ashes were returned to his family.<ref>{{cite book| title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons| last=Wilson| first=Scott| date=August 22, 2016| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-DgDAAAQBAJ&q=Barney+Martin&pg=PA481| publisher=McFarland| page=481| volume=1| edition=3rd| isbn=978-0-7864-7992-4}}</ref>

== Filmography == === Film === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1956|| ''[[The Wrong Man]]'' || Juror || Uncredited |- |1959|| ''[[Odds Against Tomorrow]]'' || Car Accident Driver || Uncredited |- |1961|| ''[[The Young Doctors (film)|The Young Doctors]]'' || Bus Driver || Uncredited |- |1963|| ''[[Love with the Proper Stranger]]'' || Sidney || Uncredited |- |1967|| ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]'' || Goring || |- |1968|| ''[[Charly (1968 film)|Charly]]'' || Hank || |- |1970|| ''[[Lola (1969 film)|Lola]]'' || Doorman, Efficient but Fat || |- |1978|| ''[[Movie Movie]]'' || Motorcycle Cop || (segment "Baxter's Beauties of 1933") |- |1979|| ''[[Hot Stuff (1979 film)|Hot Stuff]]'' || Kiley || |- |1981|| ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' ||Ralph Marolla || |- |1988|| ''[[Arthur 2: On the Rocks]]'' || Ralph Marolla || |- |1989|| ''[[Deadly Weapon]]'' || Mayor Bigelow || |- |1992|| ''[[Hero (1992 film)|Hero]]'' || Court Official || Uncredited |- |}

=== Television === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1955 || ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'' || Police Officer || Episode: "The Boxer" |- |1957 || ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'' || Imposter Portraying Jack Bothwell (Freckles from "Our Gang") || Episode: Aired Nov 26, 1957 |- |1958 || ''[[I've Got A Secret]]'' || Himself, a contestant in a laughing competition || Episode: Aired April 2, 1958 |- |1961 || ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'' || Bartender || Episode: "Landscape with Dead Figures" |- |1963 || ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]'' || Rupert Harney || Episode: "Blood Bargain" |- |1963 || ''[[Car 54, Where Are You?]]'' || Friar Charlie Donovan || Episode: "See you at the Bar Mitzvah" |- | 1964 || ''[[The Patty Duke Show]]'' || Mr. McDonald || 2 episodes |- | 1965 || ''[[For the People (1965 TV series)|For the People]]'' || Bartender || Episode: "Any Benevolent Purpose" |- |1970–74 || ''[[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|The Odd Couple]]'' || Man #3 / Mr. Moss || 2 episodes |- |1976–78 || ''[[The Tony Randall Show]]'' || Jack Terwillinger || 38 episodes |- |1978 || ''[[Happy Days]]'' || G.W. Burch || Episode: "Fonzie for the Defense" |- |1979 || ''[[Mrs. Columbo]]'' || Dr. Prinz || Episode: "Word Games" |- | 1980 || ''[[Hart to Hart]]'' || Reverend Tyson || Episode: "Night Horrors" |- | 1980 || ''[[Here's Boomer]]'' || Lew || Episode: "Me and My Shadow" |- | 1982 || ''[[Barney Miller]]'' || Wendell R. Bergendahl || Episode: "Obituary" |- | 1982 || ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' || Sully || Episode: "Pop Used to Work Chinatown" |- | 1982 || ''[[One of the Boys (1982 TV series)|One of the Boys]]'' || Big Julie || 2 episodes |- | 1982 || ''Cassie & Co.'' || J.T. McClane || Episode: "There Went the Bride" |- | 1982 || ''[[CHiPs]]'' || Ed || Episode: "Speedway Fever" |- | 1982 || ''[[Archie Bunker's Place]]'' || Mr. Pulaski || Episode: "Archie Gets a Head" |- |1982 || ''[[Benson (TV series)|Benson]]'' || Frank Cooper || 2 episodes |- |1983–86 || ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' || Fella / Herbert Mitchell || 2 episodes |- | 1983 || ''[[At Ease (TV series)|At Ease]]'' || Col. Whatley || Episode: "The Ballad of Lucinda Ballard" |- | 1983 || ''[[Zorro and Son]]'' || Napa / Sonoma || 5 episodes |- | 1983 || ''[[Small & Frye]]'' || Pops Malloy || Episode: "Schlockty Too" |- |1983 || ''[[Hill Street Blues]]'' || Ben Seltzer || 2 episodes |- |1984 || ''[[Night Court]]'' || Bum || Episode: "The Former Harry Stone" |- |1984 || ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' || Mr. Duffy || 2 episodes |- |1985 || ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' || Marty || Episode: "Dealer's Choice" |- |1985 || ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'' || Bill Perkins || Episode: "Blue Collar Drummond" |- | 1985 || ''[[Scarecrow and Mrs. King]]'' || Marvin Metz || Episode: "Fast Food for Thought" |- | 1986 || ''[[Highway to Heaven]]'' || Barney || Episode: "A Night to Remember" |- | 1986 || ''[[Punky Brewster]]'' || Dr. Evans || 2 episodes |- | 1986 || ''[[You Again?]]'' || Gus || Episode: "The Strike" |- | 1986 || ''[[Hotel (American TV series)|Hotel]]'' || John Patterson || Episode: "Hornet's Nest" |- | 1986 || ''[[Kids Incorporated]]'' || Mr. Angel || Episode: "With a Twinkle in His Eye" |- | 1987 || ''[[One Big Family (TV series)|One Big Family]]'' || Phil || Episode: "Jake the Beachcomber" |- | 1987 || ''[[What a Country!]]'' || Charlie Garver || Episode: "The Apartment" |- |1987 || ''[[21 Jump Street (TV series)|21 Jump Street]]'' || Edison Coulter / Charlie Donegan || 2 episodes |- |1987–89 || ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' || Lieutenant Timothy Hanratty || 2 episodes |- | 1988 || ''[[The Oldest Rookie]]'' || Heindorf || Episode: "Yessir, That's My Baby" |- |1988|| ''[[Mama's Family]]''|| Billy Field || Episodes: "Mama Goes Hawaiian Parts 1 & 2" |- |1989|| ''Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog'' || Rudy Phillips || Television movie |- | 1990 || ''[[Sydney (TV series)|Sydney]]'' || Ray || 13 episodes |- | 1990–1991 || ''[[Murphy Brown]]'' || Frank's Father / Dominic Fontana || 2 episodes |- |1991|| ''[[Full House]]'' || Ranger Roy || Episode: "The Legend of Ranger Joe" |- |1991|| ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' || Karl "Cheeseman" Moran || Episode: "Witness" |- |1991–92 || ''[[Life Goes On (TV series)|Life Goes On]]'' || Stan Baker || 5 episodes |- |1991–98 || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' || Morty Seinfeld || 20 episodes |- | 1992 || ''[[Sisters (American TV series)|Sisters]]'' || Walt Whitsig || Episode: "Teach Your Children Well" |- | 1992 || ''[[Major Dad]]'' || Stanley || Episode: "Close Encounters" |- |1993 || ''[[Daddy Dearest (American TV series)|Daddy Dearest]]'' || Pete Peters || 13 episodes |- |1993 |''[[The Wonder Years]]'' |Old Kevin |Episode: "Poker" |- | 1995 || ''[[Aaahh!!! Real Monsters]]'' || Archie (voice) || Episode: "Mayberry UFO" |- | 1996 || ''[[The Wayans Bros.]]'' || Santa || Episode: "Psycho Santa" |- | 1997 || ''[[George and Leo]]'' || The Martian || Episode: "The Halloween Show" |- | 1998 || ''[[Promised Land (1996 TV series)|Promised Land]]'' || Sam Perryman || Episode: "Undercover Granny" |- |2000–01|| ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]'' || Ambassador Major || Voice; 2 episodes |- | 2000 || ''[[Noah Knows Best]]'' || || Episode: "Lost Night" |- | 2005 || ''[[Center of the Universe (TV series)|Center of the Universe]]'' || Maury || Episode: "The Break In" |}

== Theatre == {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1962 || ''All American'' || Various roles || [[Winter Garden Theatre]], Broadway |- |1967 || ''[[How Now, Dow Jones]]'' || Bradbury || [[Lunt-Fontanne Theater]], Broadway |- |1970 ||rowspan=2| ''[[Promises, Promises (musical)|Promises, Promises]]'' || Jesse Vanderhof|| US national tour<ref>{{cite web |title=Promises, Promises – Broadway Musical – 1970-1971 Tour |url=https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/promises-promises-529841 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=24 May 2025}}</ref> |- |1971 || Dr. Dreyfuss || US national tour<ref>{{cite web |title=Promises, Promises – Broadway Musical – 1971-1972 Tour |url=https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/promises-promises-529865 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=24 May 2025}}</ref> |- |1974 || ''[[All Over Town]]'' || Detective Peterson || [[Booth Theatre]], Broadway |- |1975 || ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' || Amos Hart || [[46th Street Theatre]], Broadway |- |1978 || ''[[The Music Man]]'' || Marcellus Washburn || Starlight Musicals, Indiana<ref>{{cite web |title=The Music Man |url=https://www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/sm/id/3745/ |website=Indianapolis Public Library Digital Collections |access-date=24 May 2025 |page=3 |date=21 July 1978}}</ref> |- |1980 || ''The Roast'' || Sid Ball || Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway |- |1985 || ''First Time Anywhere!'' || [[P.T. Barnum]] || Candlewood Playhouse, Connecticut<ref>{{cite news |last1=Klein |first1=Alvin |title=THEATER; ONE-MAN SHOW ON P. T. BARNUM COMES TO CANDLEWOOD |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/22/nyregion/theater-one-man-show-on-p-t-barnum-comes-to-candlewood.html |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=New York Times |date=22 September 1985}}</ref> |- |1986 || ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' || Horace Vandergelder || [[Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Hello, Dolly - 1986 |url=https://pittsburghclo.org/artistdatabase/artists/show/142 |website=Artist Database |publisher=Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera |access-date=24 May 2025}}</ref> |- |1989 || ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' || Senex || California Music Theatre, Los Angeles<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shirley |first1=Don |title=STAGE REVIEW : An Appealing 'Funny Thing' - Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-20-ca-2446-story.html |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=20 June 1989}}</ref> |- |1990 || ''Clothespins and Dreams'' || Mr. Morganstern || California Music Theatre, Los Angeles<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shirley |first1=Don |title=STAGE REVIEW : 'Clothespins' Has Hang-Ups - Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-13-ca-376-story.html |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=13 August 1990}}</ref> |- |1992 || ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' || Amos Hart || [[Long Beach Civic Light Opera]], Los Angeles<ref>{{cite news |last1=Drake |first1=Sylvie |title=STAGE REVIEW : A Razzle- Dazzle 'Chicago' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-09-ca-1415-story.html |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=9 May 1992}}</ref> |- |1994 || ''Lunch'' || Bum || US national tour<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Markland |title=Lunch |url=https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/lunch-2-1200437950/ |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=Variety |date=18 July 1994}}</ref> |- |}

== References == {{Reflist}} https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0536385/

== External links == {{Portal|Biography}} {{Commons category}} * {{IMDb name|551949}} * {{IBDB name|79787}} * {{IOBDB name|23869}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Barney}} [[Category:1923 births]] [[Category:2005 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American male actors]] [[Category:20th-century American male singers]] [[Category:20th-century American singers]] [[Category:American male film actors]] [[Category:American male musical theatre actors]] [[Category:American male television actors]] [[Category:American people of Irish descent]] [[Category:American police detectives]] [[Category:Catholics from New York (state)]] [[Category:Deaths from bladder cancer in California]] [[Category:Military personnel from New York City]] [[Category:Military personnel from New York (state)]] [[Category:New York City Police Department officers]] [[Category:Male actors from Queens, New York]] [[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]] [[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]