Sally Kirkland Dead at 84 After Entering Hospice

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Hollywood is in mourning.

Sally Kirkland, the Academy Award-nominated actress famous for her performance in the 1987 movie Anna, passed away on November 11th. She was 84 years old, as confirmed by her representative, Michael Greene, to TMZ.

According to her representative, the actress had been receiving hospice care in Palm Springs, California, after a year-long struggle with dementia. This information was shared with TMZ on November 9th, shortly before her death.

A GoFundMe campaign explained that Kirkland received treatment for broken bones in her neck, wrist, and hip, and also battled two serious infections that threatened her life.

A message on the page described Sally as more than a friend – she’s been like a mother figure, always offering support, advice, and love, especially when people needed it most. Those who know her well say she’s incredibly generous, kind, and has a remarkably strong spirit.

Despite touching the lives of so many people, she’s always lacked a life partner or children to support her through tough times. She consistently put others first, dedicating herself to her work, church, friends, and community.

Born into a creative family – her mother was a fashion editor at Life magazine – Kirkland trained as an actress at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. Before becoming a full-time actress, she worked as a model and was part of Andy Warhol’s famous Factory scene in the 1960s.

Oh my gosh, back then I was SO serious about acting! I started super young, like ten years old, and by seventeen I was actually on Broadway! But Andy – Andy Warhol, can you believe it? – he used to tell me the most infuriating thing. He’d say, ‘Just stand in front of the camera and… do nothing!’ And I, being a seriously trained actress – I studied with Strasberg, you know? – I’d be like, ‘Excuse me? Do nothing? What does that even mean?’ It was just… frustrating, honestly, because I took it all so seriously!

She began her acting career in Andy Warhol’s 1964 film, The 13 Most Beautiful Women, the first of over 200 roles she would play on screen. She also appeared in well-known movies like The Sting, Bruce Almighty, Tom in America, and JFK. In 1988, she received an Academy Award nomination for her leading performance in Anna.

Kirkland feels lucky to have worked on many films and almost a thousand hours of TV shows, saying many of his goals have been realized.

Although the actress never won an Oscar, she did receive a Golden Globe for her role in Anna. She famously made a playful proposal to the voters during her acceptance speech.

Speaking to the Hollywood Foreign Press, she playfully said she wanted to take all 88 of them home with her, expressing how much their support meant to her – not just today, but throughout her entire life.

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2025-11-11 16:17