Oscar-nominated actress Sally Kirkland, who appeared in movies such as Anna and Bruce Almighty, has passed away aged 84, just days after it was revealed that she had entered hospice care after a battle with dementia.
The Hollywood star’s passing was confirmed by her representative, Michael Greene, on Tuesday, just days after it was announced that she’d entered hospice care amid her battle with dementia.
Sally was best known for her role in the 1987 film Anna, which earned her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award, and also appeared in Bruce Almighty, JFK, The Haunted, and the original Charlie’s Angels TV series.
It had been revealed earlier this week that she had been diagnosed with dementia last year and was receiving hospice care in Palm Springs, California. According to a GoFundMe page set up by friends, Kirkland had struggled with “two separate life-threatening conditions”.
A recent update to the page read: “Thank you for all your love and support. Sally is grateful for your kindness and love. Sally is in a hospice now and is resting comfortably. Please hold and send the light for Sally.”
The daughter of former Vogue magazine fashion editor Sally Kirkland, she appeared nude in the 1960s stage production The 13 Most Beautiful Women before playing Robert Redford’s love interest in the 1973 movie The Sting.
Her portrayal of the titular character in Anna earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, which saw her up against the likes of Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and Cher. Kirkland recalled in 2012: “At the Oscars, there were all these movie stars emerging from their limos, and then there was me. I felt like Cinderella. The greatest part was the feeling to be in the same Oscar category of these women that I was a huge fan of – Meryl, Glenn, Holly (Hunter) and Cher, who I used to roller skate with in the ’70s.”
After her awards recognition with Anna, Sally portrayed an outrageous rock star opposite Kevin Costner in Tony Scott’s 1990 movie Revenge and featured in erotic thrillers such as High Stakes and In the Heat of Passion.
Sally was married twice and divorced, and taught acting to students such as Sandra Bullock. She was also an ordained minister and practiced yoga. She once said: “My attitude is always one of sensuality, aggressive enthusiasm and kind of outrageousness in my expression.
“I suppose if I wanted to be the girl next door, I could have. I think America is a little too confused by someone who appears to be sexual and spiritual at the same time.
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