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NEED TO KNOW
Golden Globe-winning actress Sally Kirkland has died at the age of 84
Kirkland was best known for her leading role in Anna, which earned her a Golden Globe as well as an Oscar nomination
Kirkland had been in hospice care in the days prior to her death
Sally Kirklandhas died at the age of 84.
The actress was best known for her starring role in 1987'sAnna, which earned her a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination. She appeared in over 250 film and TV productions, including 1991'sJFKand 2003'sBruce Almighty.
TMZfirst confirmed Kirkland's death via her manager, Michael Greene. Greene noted that Kirkland had been in hospice care and died on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 4:50 a.m. ET. Kirkland was put into hospice over the weekend with her rep sharing that she'd suffered from dementia for the past year, per TMZ.
PEOPLE has reached out to representatives for Kirkland for comment.
In early October, friends of the actress shared herGoFundMepage, requesting help for"urgent medical care."
"It has been a [challenging] few months for Sally as her health continues to struggle. She had a fall in the shower, when she was left unattended; injuring her ribs, foot, along with cuts and bruises," the GoFundMe shared in an update on Oct. 2. "Sally is now receiving 24/7 care in a specialized facility that is providing wonderful safety and care. We are continuing to try [to] raise money to cover the gaps between income and care costs."
On Nov. 7, the GoFundMe page shared another update, noting, "Thank you for all your love and support. Sally is grateful for your kindness and love. Sally is on hospice now and is resting comfortably. Please hold and send the light for Sally."
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Kirkland was born in New York City in 1941. Her mother, also named Sally Kirkland, was a fashion editor atVogueandLIFEmagazines. Kirkland started as a model before pursuing acting. She studied at the Actors Studio and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1961.
She began working Off Broadway soon after, and her work often included nudity throughout the '60s. PEOPLE wrote of this era in 1988, "In those early days Kirkland was to nakedness what Walt Disney was to animation, establishing contemporary standards for nudity that made her the subject of numerous debates on morality in the arts."
She told PEOPLE, ''What I was really trying to say was, 'The human spirit must come out.' That was my feisty little 22-year-old mind trying to be very serious and not realizing how crazy it must have sounded to Middle America.''
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She was part ofAndy Warhol's Manhattan art studio, The Factory, and appeared naked and tied to a chair in the 1964 drama filmThe 13 Most Beautiful Women. She also performed nude in the 1968 playSweet Erosand rode a pig naked in the 1969 filmFutz. She also starred in the 1969 underground filmComing Apart. Kirkland toldCloserin 2016 that while living in New York she became "obsessed" withBob Dylan. She claimed they dated in the '70s and reconnected a few times over the years.
In the '70s, she went out for more mainstream jobs. She told PEOPLE that studio heads warned her that she was too passionate and too tall and would struggle to find roles, which she said was true. ''I'm not your typical, delicate girl-next-door,'' she said. Director Henry Jaglom told PEOPLE, "I think Sally is unique in her intensity and courage, and Hollywood does not know what to do with unique people."
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Her film roles included parts in 1971'sGoing Home, 1973'sThe Way We Were, 1975'sCrazy Mama, 1976'sA Star Is Bornand 1980'sPrivate Benjamin. She also guest-starred on TV series likeHawaii Five-O,Police Story,Three's Company,Kojak,Starsky & Hutch,Charlie's AngelsandFalcon Crest. She often went to the final rounds of auditions, just for someone else to get the role. "I've had so many close calls that I always thought, well, I must be good because it always seems to be between me and the person who gets it," she said in 1988.
While appearing in the playLargo Desolatoin New York — in which she played a Czech woman — she learned about the role inAnna. She would need a Czech accent this time, and her Actors Studio friendsAl PacinoandRobert De Nirohelped her prepare. Still, she said in 1988, it took three auditions for her to land the part. When she finally auditioned alongsidePaulina Porizkova, who was also cast, director Yurek Bogayevicz said, ''I just saw what I've been waiting to see.''
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Kirkland was widely acclaimed for her performance and won the Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture – drama and the Independent Spirit Award for best female lead in 1987. She also received an Oscar nomination after staging a now-famous campaign.
Since the movie was a small indie release, she attended every event she was invited to, contacted every journalist she knew, wrote personal letters to every Academy voter she knew and hadJoan Riversand Warhol campaign for her as well, perVogue.Still, she lost to Cher inMoonstruck.
Kirkland's next films included 1989'sPaint It Black, 1990'sTwo Evil Eyes, 1991'sJFKand 1994'sGunmen. She also began working regularly in television films, including 1991'sThe Haunted, which earned her another Golden Globe nomination. On TV, she was a regular on the 1994 syndicated TV seriesValley of the Dollsand appeared on shows likeRoseanne,Murder, She Wrote,The Nanny,FelicityandDays of Our Lives.
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In 2003, she had a role inBruce Almighty. Later film credits includedRichard IIIand 2023's80 for Brady.
Kirkland was married twice, in 1975 to musician Michael Jarrett and in 1985 to jazz producer Mark Hebert. Both marriages lasted less than three years, she told PEOPLE in 1988. ''It's hard to find a man who can handle my intensity,'' she noted.
The actress was also a yoga aficionado from the late '60s, and in her later years, she was a spiritual mentor. She told theLos Angeles Timesin 2002 that her life was defined by "the dichotomy of spirituality and glamour, you know."
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In February 2018, she wasrushed to the hospital after a fall. In November 2024, her friends who launched the GoFundMe to raise money for her medical care said that Kirkland had fractured four bones in her neck, right wrist and her left hip and developed two dangerous infections, perEntertainment Weekly. The friends also said she lost the vast majority of her savings in the 2007 economic recession and that a change in her SAG-AFTRA insurance policy left her with high costs she could no longer afford.
Her friends wrote on GoFundMe, "For those of us putting together this campaign, Sally has been more than just a friend — she has been a maternal figure, offering encouragement, wisdom, and love when it was needed most. For those who know Sally personally, she has been a limitless source of generosity, kindness, and unwavering spirit. And while she has meant so much to so many around her, she has never had the luxury of a life partner or children to lean on in difficult times. But she has always prioritized being there for others, given everything she has to her craft, her church, her friends, and her community."
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