Sally Kirkland, Acclaimed Actress of Stage and Screen, Dies
sally Kirkland, a versatile actress celebrated for her powerful performance in the 1987 film “Anna” and a career spanning theatre, film, and television, has died. She was 83.
Kirkland earned a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for her role in “Anna,” where she portrayed a fading Czech movie star rebuilding her life in the United States and mentoring young actress Paulina Porizkova.She was nominated alongside cher (“Moonstruck”), Glenn Close (“Fatal Attraction”), Holly Hunter (“Broadcast News”), and Meryl Streep (“Ironweed”).
A Los Angeles critic once described Kirkland as “one of those performers whose talent has been an open secret among her fellow actors, but somewhat mysterious to the general public,” adding, “After this dazzling performance, there should be no doubt about her identity.”
born in New York,Kirkland’s early life was steeped in the arts; her mother was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life magazines and encouraged her to model from age five. She trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and studied with Philip Burton, mentor to Richard Burton, and lee Strasberg, a master of the Method. Her early work included appearances in Andy Warhol’s “13 Most Lovely Women” exhibition in 1964 and a role in Terrence McNally’s off-Broadway play “Sweet Eros.”
Kirkland’s stage career began with Shakespearean roles, including Helena in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival and Miranda in an off-Broadway production of “The Tempest.” She believed deeply in the importance of Shakespeare, stating in 1991 to the Los Angeles Times, “I don’t think any actor can really call themselves an actor unless they spend time with Shakespeare…It shows, it always shows at work.”
Her television credits included appearances in “Criminal Minds,” “Roseanne,” “Head Case,” and regular roles on “Valley of the Dolls” and “Charlie’s Angels.”
Kirkland was also known for her involvement in New Age groups, teaching Insight transformation seminars, and her long-time membership in the Spiritual Inner Consciousness Movement. Her career included both triumphs and challenges; she famously appeared in the 1969 film “futz,” which a Guardian critic deemed “the worst movie [he had] ever seen.” She also gained notoriety for performing nude in various contexts, earning her the moniker “the modern Isadora Duncan of the artistic nude” from Time magazine.
Beyond her artistic pursuits, Kirkland was dedicated to humanitarian work, volunteering with organizations aiding people with AIDS, cancer, and heart disease, feeding the homeless through the American Red Cross, participating in hospice telethons, and advocating for prisoners, notably young people.
