On Sept. 22, 1985, 2,700 television executives packed the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for the 37th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The ceremony was hosted by Dynasty star John Forsythe and broadcast on ABC to 15.8 million homes. Among the glitterati of Emmy winners — Robert Guillaume, Tyne Daly, Williams Daniels, Richard Crenna, John Larroquette, Rhea Perlman, Edward James Olmos, David Letterman — sat a man named Barry Bremen.
Barry who?
Bremen’s Day Job
Bremen was not a television star. He was a former insurance salesman who became co-proprietor of a marketing firm representing Famous Amos cookies and other sundries. His job was placing those items in department stores.
What he became famous for was sneaking onto fields and into arenas disguised as insiders. Known in sporting circles as “The Great Imposter,” Bremen had spent years bluffing his way into exclusive spots with the help of friends and clients, including Kansas City Royals all-star George Brett and ABC broadcaster Dick Schaap.
The Sporting Stunts
Bremen’s first major stunt came in 1979, when he wore a warm-up uniform stolen from an NBA game in Detroit to pose as a member of the Kansas City Kings. He joined the pre-game shootaround at the NBA All-Star Game with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius “Dr. J” Irving, a feat he repeated two years later as a Houston Rocket.
He also:
- Bluffed his way into MLB’s 1979 All-Star Game, where he shagged flies for a half-hour until ejected.
- Got a royal chewing-out from Dodgers coach Tommy Lasorda after being exposed at the 1986 MLB All-Star Game.
- Played home plate at Game Five of the 1980 World Series as a baseball umpire.
- Served as a line judge at Super Bowl XV in 1981.
- Briefly danced with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in a blonde wig and short shorts.
- Played practice rounds with pro golfers Fred Couples, Curtis Strange and Bob Eastwood at the 1985 U.S. Open.
How Schaap Saw Him
Dick Schaap’s son Jeremy, a sportswriter and broadcaster, calls these stunts “harmless.” He adds, “They were victimless. They were sort of charming, Walter Mitty moments.”
Schaap grew up with Bremen through his father’s friendship. He wrote and narrated ESPN’s 2022 documentary The Great Imposter and Me, which chronicled Bremen’s exploits. Jeremy explained why people let Bremen slide: “He had all this charm and charisma, so people wanted to embrace him. It was just a different world. This was before the Monica Seles stabbing, it was before 9/11. It was a different world, a world in which these kinds of stunts seemed harmless.”
The Media Circuit
Bremen’s fame spread beyond sports. He appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, the Today Show, Larry King’s radio show, a Michelob Light commercial and even a guest stint on Bowling for Dollars.
Emmy Target
Crashing the Emmys was a natural progression. In 1980, Bremen tried to sneak into the Academy Awards hoping to claim the trophy of an absent star. When ailing, absent Melvyn Douglas won Best Supporting Actor, Bremen froze. “That would have been perfect—except I panicked,” he told a Washington Post reporter. “I really did. I could not get out of my seat.”
He targeted the Emmys twice before this one: once he made it inside but balked at claiming a trophy, the second time he backed out before the ceremony.
The Crystal Encounter
Bremen’s path to the Emmys almost ended when he was recognized by actor, comedian and sports enthusiast Billy Crystal. Crystal did not report him to security.
“That would have been perfect—except I panicked.”
What His Wife Knew
Bremen met his wife Margo when they were teenagers studying at MSU. She remembers him as frustrated — an actor and athlete combined in one. “A frustrated actor, a frustrated athlete – put them together in one and you get Barry,” she says.
She also knew his height worked in his favor. “When he put on a tuxedo, he could go any place and get in anywhere,” she says. “He could make himself be a part of any situation, for the most part. He loved people. So getting in and talking with people and being around people and just mostly being himself, he was able to do things.”
The Final Try
Margo recalled their conversation before the Emmys. “This is your third try. About time you get it right,” she remembers saying.
Whether Bremen succeeded at the Emmys remains unclear. What is clear is that he kept trying.
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