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From: YourName@YourISP.com
Sally Kirkland, Oscar Nominee for 'Anna,' Dies at 84
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Sally Kirkland, the effervescent blonde actress who was
Oscar-nominated for the independent film "Anna" in 1987,
has died. She was 84.
Her representative, Michael Greene, confirmed to Variety
that Kirkland died early Tuesday morning in Palm Springs,
Calif. She was put on hospice last week after suffering a
fall in the shower in October that resulted in injuries
to her ribs and foot, according to her GoFundMe page. She
had previously been diagnosed with a bone infection that
had also spread to her bloodstream, as well as dementia.
Beyond her work in film, Kirkland also held recurring
roles on TV series like "Felicity," "Roseanne," "Valley
of the Dolls" and "Days of Our Lives."
Kirkland surprised Oscar-watchers when her grass-roots
campaign led to a best actress nomination in the 1987
modest independent comedy "Anna," in which she portrayed a
Czech actress who mentors a younger actress, played by
Paulina Porizkova. Kirkland also won the Golden Globe and
L.A. Film Critics award for best actress.
Many years before Andrea Riseborough gained attention for
her role in "To Leslie," Kirkland advocated tirelessly for
herself in a time before social media, writing letters to
the L.A. Film Critics members and calling in a favor with
Andy Warhol, who had a talk show at the time. After running
into Rex Reed in a Cannes Film Festival elevator, the
critic gave her the quote "Sally Kirkland devours 'Anna'
like a raw steak and emerges a major star."
"At the Oscars, there were all these movie stars emerging
from their limos, and then there was me. I felt like
Cinderella. 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
rollerskate with in the '70s," she told the Huffington Post
in 2012.
"If you're in independent films, and worked hard for years,
and you don't happen to be part of the mega-billion dollar
system, and you've got the chutzpah to stand up and say this
is who I am, it takes all the humanity out of Hollywood not
to appreciate that," she said in the interview.
Born in New York City, she trained with Lee Strasberg and
started her career in off-Broadway productions and
avant-garde theater, which led to her joining Andy Warhol's
Factory. Her first film appearance came in Warhol's "The 13
Most Beautiful Women" in 1964. She went on to appear in the
Western "Blue" and in "Coming Apart."
In the 1970s, she guested on shows including "Kojak,"
"Baretta" and "Three's Company," and had small roles in major
films such as "The Way We Were," "Cinderella Liberty,"
"The Sting" and "A Star Is Born."
Her first lead role came in the 1984 horror film "Fatal
Games." After "Anna," Kirkland continued to work in dozens of
films including "JFK," "Bruce Almighty," and "Hope for the
Holidays."
In 2024, Kirkland starred as herself in "Sallywood," an indie
film about a writer who gets hired as Kirkland's personal
assistant. Director Xaque Gruber - who also wrote the
Huffington Post interview with her - based the film on his
own story.
Kirkland is survived by her godson Coty Galloway (Bailey);
close friends Paige Dylan, Mel England, Leigh Taylor Young,
Xaque Gruber and Maggie Wagner; manager Valerie McCaffery and
agent Greene; and cousins Brookie, Katherine and Tina Kirkland.
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