Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe winner Sally Kirkland died early Tuesday morning in Palm Springs. The 84-year-old star of Anna had been battling dementia and was under hospice care. Her manager, Michael Greene, confirmed her death.
Kirkland famously posed as model for artist Andy Warhol prior to making her acting debut in Warhol’s experimental film series, The 13 Most Beautiful Women. She studied at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg, which led to a career spanning more than 200 film and television projects. Her career began in off-Broadway theater and eventually led to teaching Shakespeare for Strasberg’s program.
Her role in the 1987 film Anna earned Kirkland an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe Award, and an Independent Spirit Award. Directed by Yurek Bogayevicz, the drama followed a Czechoslovakian actress struggling in New York while mentoring an aspiring actress.
Over her 60-year career, Kirkland appeared in a range of films and television series, including Private Benjamin, JFK, The Player, Bruce Almighty, Charlie’s Angels, Roseanne, and Valley of the Dolls.
Kirkland’s family and friends had previously set up a GoFundMe for her medical care, where they wrote about how much she valued “being there for others [and giving] everything she has to her craft, her church, her friends, and her community.”
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