In 1959, Landau made his first major film appearance in
Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest at the age of 28. A few years later, after turning down the role of
Spock in
Star Trek, Landau took the role of master of disguise Rollin Hand in
Mission: Impossible, becoming one of the shows best-known stars. According to
The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier by Patrick J. White (Avon Books, 1991), Landau initially declined to be contracted to the show as he didn't want it to interfere with his film career; instead, for the first season he was credited as a "special guest star", later becoming a "full-time" cast member with the second season, although the studio agreed to only contract him on a year-by-year basis rather than the then-standard five years. The role of Rollin Hand required Landau to perform a wide range of accents and characters from dictators to thugs, and several episodes saw Landau playing dual roles -- not only Hand's impersonation, but also the "original" person (such as in the first episode of the series).
He co-starred in the series with his then-wife,
Barbara Bain, and the two left the series after the third season. Salary is the most-often cited reason for their departure, however the exact reasons are disputed.
In the mid-1970s, Landau and Barbara Bain, teamed with
Barry Morse, returned to television in the
British science fiction series,
Space: 1999. Although it remains a cult classic due to its high production design values, the series was critically derided during its run and was cancelled after two seasons; Landau himself became very critical of the show's scripts and storylines, especially during its second season, but praised the cast and crew. He wrote forewords for
Barry Morse's 2006 theatrical memoir
Remember With Advantages and for
Jim Smith's critical biography of
Tim Burton.
After
Space: 1999, Landau appeared in supporting roles in a number of films and TV shows of varying quality, including
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (which again co-starred Bain; the last time the two acted together on screen).
In the late-1980s, Landau staged a major career comeback by winning an
Academy Award nomination for his role in
Tucker: The Man and His Dream. He later received a second nomination for
Crimes and Misdemeanors and won the 1994
Best Supporting Actor award for his uncanny portrayal of
Bela Lugosi in
Ed Wood. Upon accepting the award he was visibly frustrated by the orchestra's attempt to cut short his speech. When the music level rose, he pounded his fist on the podium and yelled "No!" (He later stated that he had intended to thank Lugosi and dedicate the award to him and his frustration was that he didn't get to mention the man whom he had been honoured for playing.) Landau also received a
Screen Actors Guild Award, a
Golden Globe, and a
Saturn Award for the role, as well as awards from several critics groups. Upon winning the Academy Award, a reporter for the L.A. Times stated that "the award goes to Martin Landau; its shadow goes to Bela Lugosi," which Landau admits (on the
Ed Wood DVD) to being very impressed by.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Landau has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6841 Hollywood Blvd.
In 2006, Landau made a guest appearance on the TV series
Entourage, playing a washed-up, but determined and sympathetic Hollywood producer attempting to relive his glory days. Landau received a 2007
Emmy nomination for his performance in this role.
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