Veteran actress Sally Kirkland, renowned for her powerful performance in Anna (1987) and a career spanning over six decades, has died at the age of 84.
Her passing comes shortly after she entered hospice care amid a year-long battle with dementia and multiple serious health complications.
Born October 31, 1941 in New York City, Kirkland was the daughter of fashion editor Sally Kirkland Sr. and Fredric M. Kirkland.
She began her career as a model before shifting to acting, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Actors Studio.
In the 1960s she became part of the avant-garde art scene in New York, including associations with Andy Warhol’s circle.
She made her mark in theatre and independent film, often embracing daring roles and challenging type-casting. Her versatility soon led to a long film and television career in both mainstream and independent productions.
Kirkland’s signature performance came in Anna, where she played a fading Czech-born actress in New York. The role earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
In recent years, Kirkland faced a significant decline in health. She was diagnosed with dementia roughly a year before entering hospice care in Palm Springs, California.
Her medical condition was compounded by a series of severe injuries: fractures in her neck, wrist and hip, a fall in a shower that caused rib and foot injuries, and two separate life-threatening infections.
Financially, she faced hardship. A GoFundMe campaign launched by her friends in late 2024 sought to raise tens of thousands of dollars to cover critical medical care, citing gaps in insurance coverage and financial setbacks previously.
Her representative, Michael Greene, reported she passed away early on November 11, 2025 at the hospice facility.
Tributes from across the entertainment industry have acknowledged Kirkland as a “fearless performer” whose refusal to be pigeonholed, and whose intensity of craft, made her a singular presence.
Kirkland’s legacy is manifold: she navigated from modeling to Off-Broadway, to experimental film, to mainstream cinema, all while embodying roles that ranged from haunting to glamorous to subversive. She pushed boundaries in her performances and remained committed to her artistry despite the pressures of Hollywood.
Sally Kirkland’s death marks the end of a vibrant, unconventional career in American film and television.
From her breakthrough in Anna to her later work and the challenges she faced, she emerges as a figure emblematic of resilience and artistic risk-taking.
Her passing also brings into focus issues many actors face in later life health decline, financial vulnerability, and the need for care.
