Sally Kirkland’s Most Memorable Roles Through Her 60-Year Career

Golden Globe-winning actress Sally Kirkland has died at 84, leaving behind a remarkable 60-year career in film, television, and theater.

TMZ confirmed her passing, with her representative, Michael Greene, saying she took her last breath in Palm Springs, California. In her final years, Kirkland battled dementia and health complications following a series of serious injuries.

Sally Kirkland’s Early Career and Bold Breakthroughs

Born in New York City to Vogue fashion editor Sally Kirkland Sr. and metals dealer Fredric M. Kirkland, Kirkland trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before beginning her stage career in the early 1960s.

She made her off-Broadway debut in 1963 in Robert Thom’s “Bicycle Ride to Nevada,” followed by her breakout collaboration with Andy Warhol in “The 13 Most Beautiful Women” the next year.

“It was really great being with Andy Warhol in 1964 and being one of ‘The 13 Most Beautiful Women’ for him,” she told Deadline in 2023. “We didn’t really have any budget for publicity, and Andy had a television show called [‘Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes’], and he let me and Paulina Porizkova come on the show and interview each other. So that was fun and exciting.”

In 1968, Kirkland made history as the first actress to appear fully nude on stage in the off-Broadway play “Sweet Eros,” marking her reputation as one of the industry’s boldest performers.

Kirkland’s Golden Globe-Winning Role in ‘Anna’ and Hollywood Legacy

Kirkland’s defining role came in 1987 with the independent drama “Anna,” in which she portrayed a once-famous Czech actress mentoring a young immigrant in New York City. The film earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama).

“David O. Selznick had been my mentor since I was 18,” Kirkland told Deadline. “He told me, ‘You’re not going to make it as an ingénue because you’re too tall, but when you’re middle-aged, they’ll let you be a star.’ Sure enough, I was 44 when I did ‘Anna.’”

Over her six-decade career, Kirkland appeared in more than 200 film and television roles, including “Blue” (1968), “The Way We Were” (1973), “The Sting” (1973), “A Star Is Born” (1976), “Private Benjamin” (1980), and “Love Letters” (1983). On television, she guest-starred in classic series such as “Charlie’s Angels,” “Kojak,” “Three’s Company,” “Starsky & Hutch,” and “Falcon Crest.”

Kirkland continued working well into her later years with roles in “JFK” (1991), “EDtv” (1999), “Bruce Almighty” (2003), “Suburban Gothic” (2014), and “80 for Brady” (2023). She also appeared on shows including “Roseanne,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Felicity,” and “Criminal Minds.”

Beyond acting, Kirkland mentored future Hollywood icons such as Barbra Streisand, Sandra Bullock, and Liza Minnelli.

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