Martin Landau, who won an Oscar for his incredible performance as Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's 1994 hit “Ed Wood,” died at 89. His publicists Rona Menashe and Dick Guttman confirmed his death to The New York Times on Saturday, July 15. According to Rona and Dick, Martin Landau died at UCLA Medical Center, where he succumbed to an unexpected complication during a short hospitalization in Los Angeles.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that “Star Trek” producer Gene Roddenberry offered Martin the character of Mr. Spock, but he turned it down due to some undisclosed reasons.

Martin Landau’s services as an actor

Some of his recent works are “Lovely, Still” (2010) with Ellen Burstyn, “The Red Maple Leaf” (2016) with James Caan and Kris Kristofferson, and “Remember” (2015) with Christopher Plummer. Landau rose to prominence with his incredible performance as Rollin Hand in the “Mission: Impossible” series. According to Hollywood Life, Martin first refused to play a role on the series as he did not like it. Later on, he became a full-time cast member of the show, and the production house decided to engage him for at least four years.

In addition to “Mission: Impossible,” Martin Landau’s television credits include “Entourage” and “Without A Trace, Space: 1999.” He remained active as an actor until his death.

As the news spread, Hollywood stars paid tribute to Martin’s tremendous performance on Twitter and Instagram. Martin beautifully played puppet master Geppetto in “Pinocchio” and appeared in other movies including “Pork Chop Hill,” “City Hall,” “The X-Files: Fight the Future,” “Rounders,” “Edtv,” “The Majestic,” and “Mysteria.”

The reason of his death

A report by Los Angeles Times revealed that Landau died of an “unexpected complication.” He was referred to a Los Angeles hospital by his family doctor.

This all-purpose actor showcased his versatility as Bela Lugosi in “Ed Wood.” In the initial months of “Without a Trace,” Martin was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and two Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Jack Malone. He also appeared in the TV film “Have a Little Faith” in 2011, based on a book of the same name by Mitch Albom.

In this project, Martin Landau played Rabbi Albert Lewis.

In January 1957, Martin Landau began dating actress Barbara Bain. They tied the knot the same year. However, things could not work as expected, so Martin filed for a divorce in 1993. Survivors include his daughters Susan and Juliet, sons-in-law Roy and Deverill, granddaughter Aria, godson Dylan, and sister Elinor. A report by Reuters reveals that a documentary about Martin’s life is scheduled to be released in 2018.
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