Sally Kirkland | |
|---|---|
 Kirkland in 2014 | |
| Born | (1941-10-31)October 31, 1941 New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 11, 2025(2025-11-11) (aged 84) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1962–2025 |
| Spouses | [1] |
| Mother | Sally Kirkland |
| Awards | Awards |
Sally Kirkland Jr. (October 31, 1941 – November 11, 2025) was an American actress and producer.[2][3] A one-time member ofAndy Warhol'sThe Factory, she was a part of 1960s New York avant-garde theater. She appeared in more than 250 film and television productions during a 60-year career. Kirkland was the daughter ofSally Kirkland, fashion editor ofLife andVogue.
Kirkland garnered widespread critical acclaim for hereponymous performance as a former popular actress in the independent comedy-dramaAnna (1987), which earned her theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Actress. She also won theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and theLos Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.[4][5]
Kirkland was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for her performance in the horror filmThe Haunted (1991). She was also known for her roles inBest of the Best (1989),[6]JFK (1991),[7] andBruce Almighty (2003).[8]
Kirkland was born inNew York City on October 31, 1941,[9] toSally (née Phinney), an Oklahoma-born fashion editor forVogue andLife magazines, and Frederic McMichael Kirkland, a scrap metals merchant from Philadelphia.[10]
Standing at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall, Kirkland began her career as amodel.[10] She also worked as ago-go dancer at the Peppermint Lounge inLos Angeles before studying acting at theActors Studio withLee Strasberg andUta Hagen. Notably,Robert De Niro dated one of her roommates.[11][9] Kirkland graduated from theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles in 1961.[12]
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Kirkland began actingOff-Broadway in 1963.[13] She joinedAndy Warhol'sThe Factory and appeared nude while tied to a chair for 45 minutes inThe 13 Most Beautiful Women., a 1964 drama film.[10] By 1964, she was deeply involved inNew York City's avant-garde movement. During that time, she was an active drug user until an attempted suicide frightened her into improving her life viayoga and painting.[9] She returned to film in 1968, appearing in the westernBlue[14] and starred in the underground filmComing Apart (1969).[citation needed]
For the 1970s and most of the 1980s Kirkland had secondary roles in such films asGoing Home (1971),The Young Nurses (1973),The Way We Were (1973),The Sting (1973),Big Bad Mama (1974),Crazy Mama (1975),Breakheart Pass (1975),Griffin and Phoenix: A Love Story (1976; U.S. made-for-television movie which was also released theatrically overseas),A Star Is Born (1976), andPrivate Benjamin (1980).[citation needed] She played a leading role in the 1984 horror filmFatal Games.[citation needed] Her television credits include guest-starring roles onHawaii Five-O,Police Story,The Rookies,Three's Company,Kojak,Starsky & Hutch,Charlie's Angels, andFalcon Crest.[15]
In 1987, Kirkland received widespread critical acclaim for her eponymous performance as a former popular actress in the independent comedy-dramaAnna.[16]The Washington Post deemed her performance "superb"[17] and theLos Angeles Times rated her as one of the best actresses of the decade.[18] She won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, and was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Actress.[4][5][16][19] In 1989, she appeared in the sports dramaBest of the Best.[20]
In 1990s, Kirkland starred in the action-comedyBullseye! (1990) oppositeMichael Caine, and played supporting roles inRevenge (1990),JFK (1991),Gunmen (1994),Excess Baggage (1997), andEDtv (1999).[citation needed] Kirkland also co-starred in the 1989/1990 genre films includingPaint It Black,Cold Feet,High Stakes, andTwo Evil Eyes, as well as starred in the 1992 erotic thrillersIn the Heat of Passion andDouble Threat, which were successful as home video releases.[21] Her career shifted to the small screen during this time, appearing in lead roles in several made-for-television movies, and starring in the syndicated soap operaValley of the Dolls in 1994. In 1990, she also played Truvy Jones in the television adaptation ofSteel Magnolias. For her performance in the television filmThe Haunted (1991), Kirkland received a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.[citation needed] She was a guest star onRoseanne,Murder, She Wrote, andThe Nanny. In 1999, she had recurring roles inFelicity andDays of Our Lives.[citation needed]
In 2000s, she played supporting roles in films includingBruce Almighty (2003),Adam & Steve (2005), andBig Stan (2007).[citation needed] She hosted a weekly program on the syndicated HealthyLife Radio Network.[22] In 2019, she starred in the filmCuck.[23][24] In 2020, she had a leading role inHope For The Holidays onAmazon Prime Video withRobert Lasardo,Doug Hutchison,Alex Cubis, andGeorge Stults.[25]
In 2024, Kirkland starred as herself in the independent comedy film,Sallywood, a parody about a longtime fan of the actress who becomes her assistant and helps her in her quest to return to red-carpet glory.[26]
Kirkland was a health activist whose work included advocacy for women harmed bybreast implants. She founded the Kirkland Institute for Implant Survival Syndrome in August 1998.[27] She was an ordained minister in the church ofMovement of Spiritual Inner Awareness.[28]
She was a painter[29] and a noted acting teacher whose students includedSandra Bullock,Barbra Streisand,Liza Minnelli,Dwight Yoakam, andRoseanne Barr, among others.[30][31]
Kirkland later suffered from dementia. According to afund raiser for her medical care, she had suffered a fall in October 2025 which resulted in injuries to her ribs and foot. She died in hospice care inPalm Springs, California, the following month, on November 11, 2025, aged 84.[32][33][34]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The 13 Most Beautiful Women | Beautiful Woman | [10] | |
| 1968 | Blue | Sara Lambert | [35] | |
| 1969 | Coming Apart | Joann | [36] | |
| Futz | Merry Lee | [35] | ||
| 1970 | Brand X | Patient/President's Wife | [35] | |
| 1971 | Jump | [35] | ||
| Going Home | Ann Graham | [35] | ||
| 1973 | Cinderella Liberty | Fleet Chick | [35] | |
| The Sting | Crystal | [35] | ||
| The Way We Were | Pony Dunbar | [35] | ||
| The Young Nurses | Woman at clinic | [35] | ||
| 1974 | Big Bad Mama | Barney's woman | ||
| Blazing Saddles | Cashier | [35] | ||
| Candy Stripe Nurses | Wife in clinic | [35] | ||
| 1975 | Bite the Bullet | Honey | [35] | |
| Crazy Mama | Ella Mae | [35] | ||
| Breakheart Pass | Jane Marie | [35] | ||
| The Noah | Friday Anne | Voice role | ||
| 1976 | Pipe Dreams | Two Street Betty | [35] | |
| A Star Is Born | Photographer | [35] | ||
| 1977 | Flush | Janet | ||
| 1979 | Hometown U.S.A. | Gwen | [35] | |
| 1980 | Private Benjamin | Helga | [35] | |
| The Georgia Peaches | Vivian Stark | |||
| 1981 | The Incredible Shrinking Woman | Store cashier | [35] | |
| 1982 | Human Highway | Kathryn | ||
| 1984 | Love Letters | Sally | [35] | |
| Fatal Games | Diane Paine | |||
| 1987 | Anna | Anna | [35] | |
| 1989 | White Hot | Harriet | ||
| Paint It Black | Maria Easton | |||
| Cold Feet | Maureen | [35] | ||
| Best of the Best | Kathryn Wade | [35] | ||
| High Stakes | Bambi / Melanie Rose | |||
| 1990 | Two Evil Eyes | Eleonora | Segment: "The Black Cat" | |
| Revenge | The Rock Star | [35] | ||
| Bullseye! | Willie | |||
| 1991 | JFK | Rose Cheramie | [35] | |
| 1992 | In the Heat of Passion | Lee Adams | [35] | |
| The Player | Herself | [35] | ||
| Forever | Angelica | |||
| Hit the Dutchman | Emma Flegenheimer | |||
| Primary Motive | Helen Poulas | |||
| Double Threat | Monica Martel | [35] | ||
| Stringer | Joan | |||
| 1993 | Paper Hearts | Jenny Stevenson | Alternate title:Cheatin' Hearts | [35] |
| Eye of the Stranger | Lori | [35] | ||
| 1994 | Gunmen | Bennett | ||
| 1995 | Guns and Lipstick | Danielle Roberts | ||
| 1997 | Amnesia | Charlene Hunt | ||
| Excess Baggage | Louise Doucette | |||
| Get a Clue | Sydelle Pulaski | |||
| 1998 | Wilbur Falls | Roberta Devereaux | [35] | |
| Paranoia | Dr. Kurtzwell | |||
| The Island | Marilyn Monroe | |||
| 1999 | EDtv | Jeanette | [35] | |
| Starry Night | Det. Brook Murphy | |||
| 2000 | Norma Jean, Jack, and Me | Norma Jean | [35] | |
| 2001 | Thank You, Good Night | Doreen | ||
| Out of the Black | Elizabeth Malby | |||
| A Month of Sundays | Katherine St. Croix | |||
| Wish You Were Dead | Penelope Wilson | |||
| 2002 | The Rose Technique | Helen | [35] | |
| 2003 | Bruce Almighty | Anita Mann | ||
| 2004 | Mango Kiss | Emilia | ||
| Bloodlines | Joyce | |||
| 2005 | Neo Ned | Shelly Nelson | [35] | |
| Adam & Steve | Mary | |||
| What's Up, Scarlet? | Ruth Zabrinski | [35] | ||
| Chandler Hall | Sally | |||
| 2006 | Off the Black | Marianne Reynolds | [35] | |
| A-List | Olga | |||
| Fingerprints | Mary | |||
| Coffee Date | Mrs. Muller | [35] | ||
| 2007 | Big Stan | Jury Madam Foreman | ||
| Resurrection Mary | Lois | |||
| Blind Spot | Penelope Denmore | Short | ||
| 2008 | Richard III | Queen Margaret | ||
| Mollie & Friends | Elizabeth St. James | |||
| Oak Hill | Elizabeth St. James | |||
| Bald | Mrs. Elise Stern | |||
| 2010 | House Under Siege | Pat Mazur | ||
| Lights Out | Rose | |||
| 2011 | The Last Gamble | Sally | ||
| The Wayshower | Jeena | |||
| The Wishmakers | Mary | |||
| Division III: Football's Finest | Crystal Vice | |||
| 2012 | Archaeology of a Woman | Margaret | ||
| Broken Roads | Mrs. Wallace | [35] | ||
| Posey | Posey | Short film | ||
| 2013 | Awakened | Harriet Bendi | ||
| The Visitor from Planet Omicron | Jen | |||
| 2014 | Ron and Laura Take Back America | Sally | ||
| The Bride From Vegas | Suzy 'The Salt Shaker' | |||
| Suburban Gothic | Virginia | |||
| Tom in America | Betty | Short film | ||
| 2015 | Buddy Hutchins | Bertha | ||
| 2016 | The Code of Cain | Elisabeth | ||
| Courting Des Moines | Maxine Jackson | |||
| Trash Fire | Florence | |||
| Buddy Solitaire | Hanna | |||
| 2017 | Making a Killing | Dolores | ||
| The Most Hated Woman in America | Lena Christina | [37] | ||
| Price for Freedom | Francine Wayne | |||
| Gnaw (Apartment 212) | Claudette | |||
| 2018 | Get Married or Die | Margaret | ||
| The Second Coming of Christ | Stella | |||
| Los Angeles Overnight | Mrs. Chantilly | |||
| Sarah Q | Helena | |||
| Wally Got Wasted | Marilyn Tuttlebaum | |||
| 2019 | Cuck | Mother | ||
| Paint It Red | Adele | |||
| 2020 | Hell Hole | Dr. Parker | ||
| Hope for the Holidays | Georgia | [38] | ||
| Invincible | Dr. Quade | |||
| 2021 | The Trouble | Ms. Greyson | ||
| The Legend of Resurrection Mary | Lois | |||
| 2022 | Bobcat Moretti | Helene Moretti | ||
| 2023 | When It Rings | Lesley Judd | [39] | |
| Altered Perceptions | Theresa Morgan | |||
| 80 for Brady | Ida | |||
| 2024 | Skeltons in the Closet | Madam Futura | ||
| Sallywood | Sally Kirkland | [40] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | New York Television Theatre | Barbara Fiers | Episode: "The Drapes Come" |
| 1973 | Hawaii Five-O | Betty Rowan | Episode: "Murder Is a Taxing Affair" |
| 1974 | Toma | Rita | Episode: "The Big Dealers" |
| 1974–78 | Kojak | Gloria/Shirley | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | The Kansas City Massacre | Wilma Floyd | TV film |
| Death Scream | Mary | ||
| Bronk | Policewoman Haley / Billie | 2 episodes | |
| Petrocelli | Joan Arnold | Episode: "Too Many Alibis" | |
| 1976 | Baretta | Rita | Episode: "The Left Hand of the Devil" |
| The Rookies | Carol Brenner | Episode: "From Out of the Darkness" | |
| Griffin and Phoenix | Jody | TV film | |
| Captains and the Kings | Aggie | Episode: "Chapter VIII" | |
| 1977 | Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model? | Della Bianco | TV film |
| Three's Company | Sally | Episode: "Jack Looks for a Job" | |
| 1978 | Starsky & Hutch | Greta Wren / Dora Pruitt | Episode: "Photo Finish" |
| The Incredible Hulk | Margaret Hollinger | Episode: "A Child in Need" | |
| Lou Grant | Dr. Eilene Peterson | Episode: "Slaughter" | |
| 1979 | Visions | Yvette | "Ladies in Waiting" |
| Supertrain | Katherine Sully | "A Very Formal Heist" | |
| 1979–1981 | Charlie's Angels | Lonnie/Laurie Archer | 2 episodes |
| 1980 | Willow B: Women in Prison | Kate Stewart | TV film |
| The Georgia Peaches | Vivian Stark | ||
| 1982 | Lou Grant | Vicky Doppler | Episode: "Law" |
| Insight | Ruth | Episode: "So Little Time" | |
| 1983 | Falcon Crest | Ella | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Trying Times | Agripina Gravanescu-Smith | Episode: "Death and Taxes" |
| 1990 | Heat Wave | Mrs. Canfield | TV film |
| Steel Magnolias | Truvy Jones | ||
| Largo Desolato | Suzana | ||
| 1991 | The Haunted | Janet Smurl | |
| 1992 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | Mary Morris | Episode: "Zero Hour" |
| Raven | Flori | Episode: "Flori and Dori" | |
| Double Jeopardy | Det. Phyllis Camden | TV film | |
| 1992–93 | Roseanne | Barbara Healy | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | The Woman Who Loved Elvis | Sandee Sloop | TV film |
| Jack's Place | Peg | Episode: "Play It Again, Jack" | |
| Double Deception | Anita Cortez | TV film | |
| 1994 | Valley of the Dolls | Helen Lawson | Main role |
| 1995 | Picture Windows | Blossom | Episode: "Song of Songs" |
| Murder, She Wrote | Evelyn Colby | Episode: "The Scent of Murder" | |
| 1996 | High Tide | Matilda | Episode: "The Curse of the High Tide" |
| Goode Behavior | Molly | Episode: "Goode Golly, Miss Molly" | |
| The Nanny | Tattoo Lady | Episode: "Tattoo" | |
| 1997 | Women: Stories of Passion | Annie | Episode: "Hotel Magic" |
| The Hunger | Mrs. Garington | Episode: "Bridal Suite" | |
| Get a Clue | Sydelle Pulaski | TV film | |
| 1998 | Brave New World | Linda | |
| 1999 | Days of Our Lives | Tracey Simpson | Supporting role (22 episodes) |
| Chicken Soup for the Soul | Wanda | Episode: "Simple Wooden Boxes" | |
| Felicity | Prof. Annie Sherman | Guest role (season 2) | |
| 2000 | Another Woman's Husband | Roxie | TV film |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Stella Riggs | Episode: "Donors" |
| Resurrection Blvd. | Mrs. De La Vega | Episode: "El Que Necesita" | |
| 2002 | Night of the Wolf | Rose Handy | TV film |
| Another Pretty Face | Sylvie Tucker | ||
| 2005 | Wanted | Sheila Beckwith | Episode: "The Promise of Darkness" |
| 2007 | The Simple Life: Goes to Camp | Herself | |
| 2010 | The Agency | Max | TV series |
| Criminal Minds | May Walden | Episode: "Reflection of Desire" | |
| 2011 | Paul Cruz: Latin Actor (A Mockuseries) | Sally Kirkland | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Bennington Gothique | Grand Wentworth (voice) | TV series |
| 2014 | Theatre Fantastique | Louisa Mae | Episode: "The Happy Home of the Murderous Mahones" |
| All I Want for Christmas | Gwen | TV film | |
| 2015 | 40's and Failing | Flora | TV series |
| 2017 | Conversations in L.A. | Evelyn James | Episode: "First Step" |
| Good Samaritans | Olivia De Mills | Episode: "What Do You Say We Get You a Puppy?" |
| Award/association | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | 1988 | Best Actress | Anna | Nominated | [41] |
| California Independent Film Festival | 1997 | Best Actress | Blind Spot | Won | [42] |
| DVD Exclusive Awards | 2003 | Best Supporting Actress | Wish You Were Dead | Nominated | |
| Fort Myers Beach Film Festival | 2013 | Best Actress | Posey | Won | [43] |
| Golden Globe Awards | 1988 | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Anna | Won | [44] |
| 1992 | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | The Haunted | Nominated | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards | 1988 | Best Female Lead | Anna | Won | [45] |
| La Femme International Film Festival | 2005 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Honored | [46] | |
| Long Island International Film Expo | 2015 | Best Actress | Tom in America | Won | [47] |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | 1988 | Best Actress(shared withHolly Hunter forBroadcast News) | Anna | Won | [48] |
| Madrid International LGBT Film Festival | 2015 | Special Mention(shared withBurt Young) | Tom in America | Won | |
| Maverick Movie Awards | 2015 | Best Actress: Short | Nominated | ||
| Online Film & Television Association | 1999 | Best Supporting Actress in a Daytime Serial | Days of Our Lives | Won | |
| Queens World Film Festival | 2016 | Best Actress in a Short | Tom in America | Nominated | |
| Studio City Film Festival | 2013 | Best Actress: Short Film | Posey | Won | |
| Wild Rose Independent Film Festival | 2013 | Best Actress – Short Film | Won | ||
