Episode 40: With guest Barbara Feldon, Agent 99 on "Get Smart"

This episode’s guest is Barbara Feldon, a model, author and actress best known for portraying “Agent 99” on the classic ‘60s sitcom “Get Smart.”

Feldon was born Barbara Anne Hall in a suburb of Pittsburgh and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University. Soon after, she departed for New York City to pursue a career in acting, where a stint as a showgirl led to her appearance on the game show, “The $64,000 Question,” where she took home the top prize for her knowledge of Shakespeare. The next year, Barbara married Lucien Feldon-Verdeaux, a handsome European she’d been dating, and took “Feldon” as her last name personally and professionally. Working as a fashion model led to a few TV ad spots before landing the one that would make her a household face, lolling about on an animal rug and daring all the male “tigers” out there to try Revlon’s Top Brass hair tonic. That led to securing the plum role of Agent 99 in the spy spoof “Get Smart” opposite comedian Don Adams. The role became Feldon’s biggest break, leading to an Emmy nomination and several film roles to boot. In more recent years, Feldon has written two books: 2003’s “Living Alone and Loving It: A Guide to Relishing the Solo Life” and, in 2022, “Getting Smarter: A Memoir,” which recounts for the first time the true story of her marriage and the many lessons she’s learned since.