If you close your eyes and think about 1960s television, you probably see a lot of "perfect" housewives in pearls. Then there was Barbara Feldon. She didn’t fit that mold. As Agent 99 in Get Smart, she was the one actually solving the crimes while Maxwell Smart was busy talking into his shoe.
Honestly, it's wild to think about how close we came to never seeing her in the role at all.
The Near-Firing of Agent 99
Most people don't realize that Barbara Feldon almost lost her job in the second week of filming. It wasn't because of her acting. It was because of a deodorant commercial.
Before she was cast, she’d done a sultry ad for Revlon’s Top Brass hair pomade (the one where she purred on a tiger skin rug) and a brief spot for a Revlon deodorant. The problem? The sponsor of Get Smart was a rival soap company. Their CEO was livid. He wanted her gone immediately.
Luckily, the producers held their ground. Can you imagine anyone else playing 99? It wouldn't have worked. She had this specific mix of elegance and "I'm-smarter-than-everyone-here" energy that the show desperately needed to balance out Don Adams’ chaos.
The Barefoot Secret
There was a weird bit of Hollywood "logic" back then: the leading man always had to be taller than the leading lady. Barbara was 5'9". Don Adams was... not.
To keep the illusion alive, Feldon spent five years essentially walking in ditches. If they were on a sidewalk, she’d walk in the grass. If they were on a beach, the crew would dig a literal hole for her to stand in during their close-ups.
She often filmed entire scenes in her bare feet while Don wore lifts in his shoes. She’s joked in interviews that she became the only actress in Hollywood with calluses on her ankles from all that "slouching" to make Max look like a giant. It’s funny, but it also shows how much work went into maintaining a very specific, slightly ridiculous image of masculinity at the time.
Why 99 Mattered (and Still Does)
She wasn't just a "love interest." She was a pioneer.
Agent 99 was one of the first working mothers on a sitcom. Think about that. She was a secret agent, she got married, she had twins, and she kept working. In 1969, that was practically revolutionary.
Feldon has mentioned many times that she hears from women who became lawyers or doctors because they saw 99 as a role model. She was the "straight man" to Max's bumbling. She was the one who actually understood the gadgets. Max would be fumbling with a Cone of Silence, and 99 would be the one quietly making sure the mission didn't end in a total disaster.
Life After the Shoe Phone
When the show ended in 1970, Feldon didn't just fade away, but she also didn't chase the Hollywood spotlight forever. She moved back to New York City. She got into the art scene.
One of the most interesting things about her is her perspective on living alone. She wrote a book called Living Alone and Loving It in 2003. It’s basically a manifesto for being happy without a partner. In a world that tells women they need to be married to be complete, 99 was out there saying, "Actually, I'm doing just fine on my own."
She also released a memoir in 2022 titled Getting Smarter. It’s a pretty raw look at her life, her marriage to Lucien Feldon (whose name she kept), and what it was really like on that set. She admits that while she and Don Adams had great chemistry on screen, they weren't exactly best friends behind the scenes. They were professional, sure, but the "rocket-like" energy was mostly for the cameras.
What We Get Wrong About the Legacy
People remember the catchphrases. "Missed it by that much." "Would you believe...?"
But the real engine of the show was the relationship between 86 and 99. It wasn't a "will-they-won't-they" that dragged on forever. They got married. They stayed a team.
Barbara Feldon brought a level of sophisticated dry wit that made the slapstick work. Without her, it’s just a guy falling over. With her, it’s a satire of the entire Cold War spy genre.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors:
- Read the Memoir: If you want the real story, grab Getting Smarter. It’s much more philosophical than your average "tell-all."
- Watch the Original: Don’t just stick to the 2008 movie. The chemistry in the original series is where the magic is.
- Check the Credits: Look for her voiceover work. Her distinctive, "purring" voice was a staple of commercials for decades after the show ended.
She’s 92 now, living in Manhattan, and still as sharp as the character that made her famous. Barbara Feldon didn't just play a smart woman on TV; she lived as one, proving that Agent 99 was never just a character—it was a glimpse into the woman herself.
