Trivia

Friends with James Dean, when Landau first met Steve McQueen and McQueen said he knew him. He asked where they had met. McQueen informed him he had seen Landau riding into the New York City garage where he worked as a mechanic, on the back of Dean's motorcycle.

While at the Actors Studio, he became close to Marilyn Monroe.

Had turned down the role of Carl Grissom in Batman (1989). The role eventually went to Jack Palance, with whom Landau had co-starred in Alone in the Dark (1982).

Of the 2,000 performers who auditioned for Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio (1955), only two were accepted: Steve McQueen and Landau. He later starred with McQueen in Nevada Smith (1966).

Received two of his three Academy Award nominations for portraying real-life people.

Made guest appearances on both The Twilight Zone (1959) and The Twilight Zone (1985).

He never retired from acting until his death.

Best remembered by the public for his role as Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible (1966).

From 1948-1953, he made a living as a newspaper artist and staff cartoonist for the New York Daily News, as an illustrator for Billy Rose's "Pitching Horseshoes" newspaper column and as an assistant cartoonist to Gus Edson for "The Gumps" comic strip.

Father, with Barbara Bain, of daughters Susan Landau Finch and Juliet Landau.

Wedding reception with Barbara Bain was at the Boulevard Tavern on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park, Queens, New York.

Star Trek (1966) fans have argued about whether or not Landau was offered the role of Spock. (It became a widespread idea largely because Leonard Nimoy replaced him on Mission: Impossible (1966).) However, in one book Landau wrote and on PBS's Pioneers of Television (2008), Landau confirmed the offer.

He appeared in one film nominated for Best Picture Academy Award: Cleopatra (1963).

Several sources have his year of birth incorrectly listed as 1931. It's not clear where the year stems from, but it's likely a confusion with Barbara Bain, Leonard Nimoy or (fellow first-named TV/film actor) Martin Milner (all of whom were born in that year). For exact evidence, the March 1930 census of Brooklyn, lists Martin aged 1 3/4, indicating 1928 is the actual year.

His family resided in a rented apartment on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York when he was growing up.

Introduced James Dean to his first girlfriend Barbara Glenn Gordon.

Attended and graduated from James Madison High School in Brooklyn, New York City (1946).

Following his death, he was interred next to his parents in Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, Long Island, New York.

One day while working as a staff cartoonist on the New York Daily News, he just quit then a little later showed up at the stage door of an off-Broadway theatre asking for work, and was taken on.

Spoke with a pronounced lisp as evidenced in his appearance on Gunsmoke.

After he began working at the New York Daily News, he got his first apartment at 75-15 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York.

Landau's parents were Majer Joel ("Morris") Landau (1888-1970) and Selma Buchman (1889-1958) were immigrants from Austria. They also had two daughters, Elinor and Constance. Father was a machinist for a sewing machine company.

Was good friend's with James Dean.

Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival (1992).

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on December 17, 2001.

Father-in-law of Roy Finch.

Was godfather to Gretchen Becker's son, Dylan Becker.

He appeared at the Beverly Hills (CA) International Film Festival (2005).

Martin had been scheduled to appear on the Today Show on January 17th 1994, in order to promote the film Intersection (1994), but his appearance was cancelled due to the show focusing on the aftermath of the devastating Northridge earthquake that had occurred a few hours earlier.

Bore a slight resemblance to Peter Graves, who starred in Mission: Impossible (1966) with him.

A few weeks after he recorded dialogue for "Scorpion" (a.k.a. Mac Gargan) for the animated series Spider-Man (1994), he had won an Oscar (for 'Ed Wood') and became no longer available to do animated TV voice acting. Richard Moll got chosen to replace Landau as the character's voice.