Barbara Baldavin died on Sunday at her Manhattan Beach home due to congestive heart failure. Her passing was confirmed by her son, Marc D’Agosta. Baldavin was 85 years old.
Baldavin was known for playing two characters in Star Trek: The Original Series. In the first season, she appeared in two episodes in 1966 as phaser control officer Angela Martine. She played a significant role in the story with her first episode, which saw Starfleet come under attack during Angela’s wedding to Robert Tomlinson (Stephen Mines) with Captain Kirk (William Shatner) presiding. Baldavin would later appear in the series finale of Star Trek as communications officer Lieutenant Lisa. The episode aired in 1969.
It was also through Star Trek that Baldavin met her husband, Joseph D’Agosta, who was a casting director for the series. Baldavin would later become forever associated with the franchise with dedicated fans, as Star Trek: The Original Series remains beloved. The show had only aired for three seasons before it was controversially canceled, though it would later be resurrected as a massive franchise that’s ongoing to this day.
After Star Trek, Baldavin would spend six years playing Nurse Holmby on the 70s TV series Medical Center. That followed a guest appearance as a different character in the show’s first season. In later years, Baldavin would make guest appearances on many other television shows, which included roles in programs like Adam-12, Columbo, McMillan & Wife, Baretta, Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, Barnaby Jones, Quincy M.E., Vega$, Mannix, and Skeeter.
Baldavin had also worked as a casting director on a variety of television shows, such as Strike Force, Trapper John M.D., Dynasty, Finder of Lost Loves, and Matt Houston. She also worked as a casting director for the movies Satan’s Princess and Fallen Arches.
Baldavin hailed from Quincy, Massachusetts. She attended El Camino College and studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Born on Oct. 18, 1938, Baldavin happened to share a birthdate with Gilligan’s Island star Dawn Wells. The two would later become good friends when Baldavin worked as an instructor for Wells’ Film Actor’s Boot Camp. Wells, who played the role of Mary Ann Summers in Gilligan’s Island, passed away at the age of 82 in 2020.
Baldavin’s survivors include her sons, Marc and Joseph, as well as her grandchildren, Casandra and Justine.
