Oscar-nominated actor Barbara Barrie died by medical assistance on Wednesday at her New York City home at the age of 95. The decision followed her diagnosis three weeks prior with terminal cancer, according to her daughter, Jane Harnick.
Barrie's final words to her family, who were present at her bedside, were "I love you too," Harnick told Page Six. She added that Barrie had been a vocal advocate for medically assisted death for many years, believing it to be a human right.
Barrie was diagnosed in 2014 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease. Despite the condition, she remained active, even swimming over the summer after undergoing hip replacement surgery the previous year. Harnick noted that her mother felt her cancer had weakened her but that she was ready to pass.
More than a dozen U.S. states have enacted laws permitting medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients with a limited life expectancy. New York's Medical Aid in Dying Law, signed in February, allows individuals with less than six months to live to receive assistance. Barrie's agent confirmed that her death was in accordance with such a law.
Barrie's career, spanning over five decades, earned her an Academy Award nomination, three Emmy nominations, a Tony Award nomination, and an award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. She also starred in the sitcom "Suddenly Susan."
Barrie's family plans to honor her final wish to continue advocating for the right to medical aid in dying.