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Adrienne Barbeau got her start in musical comedies on Broadway before transitioning to television and film
The actress, 81, went on to star in a number of iconic ’80s horror films, including Creepshow and Swamp Thing
Barbeau tells PEOPLE how happy she is to have worked with some impressive professionals throughout her decades-long career
Adrienne Barbeau feels blessed to have had a storied career.
Barbeau has done it all, from originating Rizzo in Grease on Broadway to introducing America to the divorced single mom in Maude. The 81-year-old actress is also beloved for her work in the horror genre, starring in John Carpenter classics The Fog, Escape from New York and The Thing.
After working with talented people both in front of and behind the camera, Barbeau tells PEOPLE she’s grateful that her experiences have been mostly positive.
“I started in television and film in, let’s say, 1972. In all those years, I can think of maybe five people that I’ve worked with that I wouldn’t want to work with again,” Barbeau reveals. “There are four or five that I don’t think I want to be on the same stage with.”

Bill Macy, Bea Arthur and Adrienne Barbeau
Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
“I mean, I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve worked with just some wonderful people — Kurt Russell, Donald Pleasence, Bea [Arthur], of course,” she continues. “Hal Holbrook, Fritz Weaver… Rodney Dangerfield was just a joy to work with. He was just a trip.”
Speaking of another favorite, she also points to Tom Atkins, whom she has worked with on several projects throughout her career.
“We’ve never had a scene together, but he’s one of my favorite people,” she shares. “Who also comes to mind is Tim DeKay. We did HBO’s Carnivàle together, and I loved working with Tim.”
She concludes, “Whether it’s fortune or something else, I’m not sure, but I only have good things to say about most of the people I’ve worked with.”

Tim DeKay, Adrienne Barbeau and Howard Klein in 2005
Credit: Stephen Shugerman/Getty
Barbeau is also thrilled with her latest coworkers on Tyler Savage’s Oddities.
The film’s logline reads, “When two self-destructive best friends accidentally kill their drug dealer, they have to flee town. Stopping at a roadside antique shop, they quickly discover that the older woman running the place isn’t as sweet as she seems.”
“The film that I have coming out, Oddities, I love the project. I love the director,” she shares. “We had done a short film during the pandemic with the same title. I did the short film and based on the fact that I thought it was a really great script and fell in love with the director and the DP.”
Read the original article on People