The Oscar-nominated Hollywood star Sally Kirkland died on Tuesday morning. She was 84 years-old.
Kirkland Passes Away
Kirkland’s representative Michael Greene told TMZ that the actress died in hospice care in Palm Springs, California. Her exact time of death was 4:50am. Kirkland had only just been put into hospice care over the weekend after suffering from dementia for the past year.
In early October, Kirkland’s friends shared her GoFundMe page, requesting help for “urgent medical care” for the actress.
“It has been a [challenging] few months for Sally as her health continues to struggle. She had a fall in the shower, when she was left unattended; injuring her ribs, foot, along with cuts and bruises,” read an update to Kirkland’s GoFundMe that was shared on October 2. “Sally is now receiving 24/7 care in a specialized facility that is providing wonderful safety and care. We are continuing to try [to] raise money to cover the gaps between income and care costs.”
Another update was shared to the GoFundMe page on Friday, November 7.
“Thank you for all your love and support,” it read. “Sally is grateful for your kindness and love. Sally is on hospice now and is resting comfortably. Please hold and send the light for Sally.”
Kirkland’s Life
Kirkland was born on Halloween in New York City back in 1941. Her mother, whose name was also Sally Kirkland, was a fashion editor at Vogue and LIFE magazines. Kirkland got her start as a model before she fell in love with acting. She studied at the Actors Studio and eventually graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1961.
From there, Kirkland began her career in various off-Broadway productions. Many of them involved nudity, something that didn’t bother Kirkland.
In a 1988 profile of Kirkland, People Magazine wrote of this time: “In those early days Kirkland was to nakedness what Walt Disney was to animation, establishing contemporary standards for nudity that made her the subject of numerous debates on morality in the arts.”
Kirkland herself told the publication, ”What I was really trying to say was, ‘The human spirit must come out.’ That was my feisty little 22-year-old mind trying to be very serious and not realizing how crazy it must have sounded to Middle America.”
Kirkland’s Early Career
In the 1960s, Kirkland appeared nude onstage for Terrence McNally and in an Andy Warhol film. By the 1970s, Kirkland was getting more mainstream work. Her big break came in 1973 when she portrayed a pasties-wearing stripper and love interest of Robert Redford‘s character in George Roy Hill’s The Sting. The movie was a huge hit, even winning the Oscar for Best Picture.
Despite the success of the film, studio executives warned Kirkland that she would struggle to find more roles. According to them, she was both too tall and too passionate.
“I’m not your typical, delicate girl-next-door,” she later said. Director Henry Jaglom chimed in to explain, “I think Sally is unique in her intensity and courage, and Hollywood does not know what to do with unique people.”
Nevertheless, Kirkland persisted and managed to become a working actress. She appeared in movies like 1971’s Going Home, 1973’s The Way We Were, 1975’s Crazy Mama, 1976’s A Star Is Born and 1980’s Private Benjamin. Much to her frustration, Kirkland often made it to the final round of auditions, only to see someone else get the role.
“I’ve had so many close calls that I always thought, well, I must be good because it always seems to be between me and the person who gets it,” she said in a 1988 interview.
Kirkland’s Oscar Nomination
Finally, Kirkland landed the role of a lifetime in the 1988 drama Anna. She played the title role, which was that of an aging Czechoslovakian actress forced to take a stand-in job in a horrible off-Broadway play. Kirkland needed a Czech accent for the role, and it took her three auditions to actually get it.
In fact, it was only when Kirkland auditioned alongside the supermodel Paulina Porizkova, who was also cast, that she was given the role. Director Yurek Bogayevicz later simply said, ”I just saw what I’ve been waiting to see.”
The drama was a small independent movie that was made for less than $1 million. However, Kirkland’s performance earned such praise from critics that it became a hit. Kirkland won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her work in the movie.
Kirkland was then nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress alongside Meryl Streep of Ironweed, Glenn Close of Fatal Attraction, Holly Hunter of Broadcast News and Cher of Moonstruck. Heading into Oscar night, it seemed like it was between Cher and Kirkland for who would win the Oscar. Kirkland looked visibly disappointed as Cher was named the winner.
Nevertheless, just being nominated was a career highlight for Kirkland.
“At the Oscars, there were all these movie stars emerging from their limos, and then there was me. I felt like Cinderella,” Kirkland said in 2012. “The greatest part was the feeling to be in the same Oscar category of these women that I was a huge fan of — Meryl, Glenn, Holly Hunter and Cher, who I used to roller skate with in the ’70s.”
Kirkland’s Later Career
Kirkland’s acting career continued to thrive from there. Indeed, her next movies included 1989’s Paint It Black, 1990’s Two Evil Eyes, 1991’s JFK and 1994’s Gunmen. She earned another Golden Globe nomination for her work in the 1991 television movie The Haunted.
Despite early warnings that she would have trouble scoring Hollywood roles, Kirkland never stopped working in film and television. Indeed, she died with 275 film and television credits to her name, with five completed projects still set to be released posthumously, according to IMDB.
Off-screen, Kirkland taught acting for many years, with Sandra Bullock being one of her students, among others. She was also an ordained minister and a devoted practicer of yoga.
“My attitude is always one of sensuality, aggressive enthusiasm and kind of outrageousness in my expression,” she once said. “I suppose if I wanted to be the girl next door, I could have. I think America is a little too confused by someone who appears to be sexual and spiritual at the same time.”
Kirkland’s Legacy
Kirkland was married and divorced twice. Though she never had children, Kirkland leaves behind many friends who will miss her dearly.
“For those of us putting together this campaign, Sally has been more than just a friend — she has been a maternal figure, offering encouragement, wisdom, and love when it was needed most,” her GoFundMe page reads. “For those who know Sally personally, she has been a limitless source of generosity, kindness, and unwavering spirit.”
“And while she has meant so much to so many around her, she has never had the luxury of a life partner or children to lean on in difficult times,” it continues. “But she has always prioritized being there for others, given everything she has to her craft, her church, her friends, and her community.”
Rest in peace, Sally Kirkland.