Sally Kirkland, a prolific actor best known for her Oscar-nominated role in "Anna" as a fading Czechoslovakian movie star who attempts to revive her career in New York, died Tuesday, according to her agent.
She was 84.
Michael Greene, Kirkland's agent, said she died Tuesday morning at a hospice in Palm Springs, California.
Kirkland's filmography included supporting roles in the Oscar-winning caper "The Sting" (1973), the Barbra Streisand tearjerker "The Way We Were" (1973), the Oliver Stone conspiracy thriller "JFK" (1991) and the Jim Carrey comedy "Bruce Almighty" (2003).
"Anna," released in 1984, brought Kirkland some of the most glowing reviews of her career. She was nominated for the best actress Academy Award and won equivalent honors from the Golden Globe Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards.
"Kirkland is one of those performers whose talent has been an open secret to her fellow actors but something of a mystery to the general public, Los Angeles Times film critic Sheila Benson wrote in her review. "There should be no confusion about her identity after this blazing comet of a performance."
Sally Kirkland was born in New York City on Oct. 31, 1941. She was named after her mother, a fashion editor at Vogue and LIFE magazines, and started modeling as a child. The younger Kirkland studied under famed acting teacher Lee Strasberg.
"Anyone who knew Sally’s work as an actress understands that she was a master of her craft in large part because of her profound and genuine compassion for all people," Kirkland's representatives said in a statement.
Kirkland made her Off-Broadway debut in 1963 and soon became involved in The Factory, Andy Warhol's avant-garde art studio and hangout. Warhol directed Kirkland in the 1964 underground film "13 Most Beautiful Women."
She went on to a mainstream film and television acting career, picking up roles in the 1976 remake of "A Star Is Born," the Goldie Hawn vehicle "Private Benjamin," the Kevin Costner noir "Revenge" and the media satire "EDtv."
She was an equally familiar face on the small screen, appearing on episodes of series as varied as "Hawaii Five-O," "Kojak," "Baretta," "Three's Company," "Starsky & Hutch," "Lou Grant," "Charlie's Angels," "Falcon Crest" and "Roseanne."
Her most recent film project was the 2023 sports comedy "80 for Brady" alongside Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field.
Kirkland's off-screen pursuits were eclectic. She was an exhibited painter, a poet, an acting coach and an ordained minister in the Church of The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), according to her website.
