Just days before her 95th birthday on Sept. 13, Barbara Bain is looking back on the television role that transformed her career. Long before audiences knew her as the elegant and unshakable Cinnamon Carter on Mission: Impossible, Bain was simply an actress moving from one television job to another during a period of major change in Hollywood.
According to People, she never expected that one acting class would lead to worldwide recognition. Yet that is exactly what happened when producer Bruce Geller saw Bain and her then-husband Martin Landau perform and eventually created roles for both of them on Mission: Impossible. For Bain, Cinnamon became the kind of part actors rarely receive: one character who could become someone completely different every week.
Barbara Bain Found Her Breakthrough With Cinnamon Carter
Bain recalled that television expanded rapidly as movie studios struggled to adapt to a changing entertainment industry. She and Landau kept finding television work until their careers took them away from New York permanently. Their work in acting class eventually caught Geller’s attention, and he wrote Landau’s Mission: Impossible role before creating Cinnamon Carter for Bain.
The part gave Bain extraordinary range. Each mission allowed Cinnamon to adopt new identities and personalities, and Geller reportedly told writers that they could give her almost anything because “she can do anything.” Bain embraced the challenge even though Cinnamon’s cool, controlled personality differed greatly from her own emotional nature. The performance paid off, earning Bain three Emmy Awards and turning her into an internationally recognized television star.
Cinnamon Carter Inspired Women Far Beyond Television
For Bain, Cinnamon mattered because she stood alongside the men rather than simply supporting them. At a time when television often limited women to traditional roles, Cinnamon took part in dangerous missions and proved equally capable. Years later, women told Bain the character inspired them to pursue careers they had never imagined, including at NASA. Bain says she still hears from some of those fans today.
Before Mission: Impossible, Bain often played stereotypical roles. Cinnamon Carter finally allowed her to portray intelligence, strength, and composure. As Barbara Bain approaches 95, Cinnamon’s legacy extends beyond nostalgia, giving generations of women a powerful example of what they could become.