A friend of 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.
At 17, he joined the New York Daily News as a cartoonist and worked there for five years.
Best remembered by the public for his role as "Rollin Hand" in "Mission: Impossible" (1966).
Father of Susan Landau Finch and Juliet Landau.
Father-in-law of Roy Finch.
From 1948-53, he made a living as a newspaper artist and staff cartoonist, for the New York's 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.
He has a Motion Picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.
He made guest appearances on both "Twilight Zone" (1959) and "The Twilight Zone" (1985).
He received two of his three Oscar-nominations for portraying real-life people.
In, 1973 he appeared in the series pilot for NBC for a program entitled "Savage". The pilot was directed by the young Steven Spielberg. It was not picked up.
Is portrayed by Samuel Gould in James Dean (2001) (TV)
Lives in West Hollywood, California.
Made a successful Broadway debut in 1957's "Middle of the Night".
Of the 2,000 performers that auditioned for Lee Strasberg's exclusive theatre school in 1955, only two were accepted: Steve McQueen and Landau.
Turned down the role of Carl Grissom in Batman (1989). The role eventually went to Jack Palance, whom Landau had co-starred with in Alone in the Dark (1982).
Was Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Mr. Spock on the TV series "Star Trek" (1966). When Landau later left "Mission: Impossible" (1966), his replacement was Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock).
Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival in 1992.