Barry Foster Newman (November 7, 1930 – May 11, 2023) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television known for his portrayal of Kowalski in Vanishing Point, and for his title role in the 1970s television series Petrocelli. He was nominated for Golden Globe and Emmy awards.
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Early life
Newman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 7, 1930, although he gave his year of birth as 1938, the son of a Belarusian-Jewish-born mother, Sarah (née Ostrovsky), and an Austrian-Jewish father, Carl Newman. Newman graduated from the prestigious Boston Latin School in 1948. He was a childhood friend of actor Leonard Nimoy.
After graduating from Brandeis University with a degree in anthropology in 1952, Newman was drafted into the Army, and having learned saxophone and clarinet in high school, he was assigned to the 3rd Army Band in Atlanta. After being discharged, Newman went to New York to receive his master's degree in anthropology from Columbia University. After sitting in on a class taught by Lee Strasberg, Newman decided to leave Columbia and become an actor.
