Sally Kirkland, the dynamic actress who carved a fearless path through stage and screen for over sixty years, has passed away at 84. Best known for her Oscar-nominated role in Anna and her appearance alongside Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting, Kirkland died at a hospice in Palm Springs after suffering a series of debilitating injuries and subsequent complications.
Her late-life health battle, which included fractured vertebrae, a broken wrist, and a shattered hip, prompted friends to launch a GoFundMe campaign. Despite her condition, Kirkland remained a vivid memory in the hearts of colleagues and fans.
Kirkland’s career defied easy categorization. She shifted with ease between serious drama and offbeat cult classics, from The Way We Were and JFK to Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles and the unforgettable Bruce Almighty. Yet it was Anna, the 1987 film in which she played a fading Czech actress rebuilding her life, that became her signature. The performance earned her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination, placing her alongside titans like Cher, Glenn Close, and Meryl Streep that awards season.
Born into fashion royalty—her mother was a Vogue and Life magazine editor—Kirkland was modeling by age five. Her formal training came at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, followed by intensive study with Lee Strasberg, one of the architects of method acting. Shakespearean roles in New York and early avant-garde film work marked her beginnings, including Andy Warhol’s 13 Most Beautiful Women and the daring off-Broadway play Sweet Eros.
On television, Kirkland made her mark in everything from Roseanne to Criminal Minds, and starred in serialized dramas like Valley of the Dolls. But her artistry extended beyond the screen. A passionate spiritual seeker, she was active in transformational seminars and affiliated with the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness.
She also channeled her energy into advocacy, volunteering for AIDS patients, feeding the homeless, and supporting prison reform, especially for incarcerated youth. Her activism was as bold as her film choices, from noble roles to notorious ones like the 1969 oddity Futz, where she infamously rode a pig in the nude.
Known for her generosity, vulnerability, and unflinching presence, Kirkland leaves behind a legacy of uncompromising artistry and heartfelt service. As SAG-AFTRA aptly noted, she was a mentor, a fighter, and an enduring source of inspiration.