Hollywood Icon Dies After Entering Hospice for Dementia
Sally Kirkland was nominated for an Oscar in 1989. She entered a hospice over the weekend.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Golden Globe-winning actress Sally Kirkland has died, just days after entering hospice care in Palm Springs, according to TMZ.
Her representative, Michael Greene, told the outlet the 82-year-old passed away at 1:50 a.m. PST (4:50 a.m. Eastern Time) on Tuesday, and “will be deeply missed.” The news comes after she was hospitalized and placed in hospice over the weekend.
Kirkland, who had been battling dementia for the past year, had recently suffered a serious fall in the shower that left her with broken ribs and a foot injury, according to a GoFundMe page launched by friends and former students to assist with her care.
Kirkland at the 63rd Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, 25th March 1991.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The page also said she had been struggling with “life-threatening infections” and was “resting comfortably” after being moved into hospice.
Born in New York City, Kirkland began her acting career in the 1960s and went on to become one of Hollywood’s most enduring performers. Her breakout role came in 1987’s Anna, which earned her a Golden Globe award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress—losing out to Cher’s performance in Moonstruck.
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Over her six-decade career, she appeared in JFK, The Sting, Private Benjamin, and Bruce Almighty, and maintained a steady stream of roles well into her later years.
Sally Kirkland attends the closing night gala of the 22nd Arpa International Film Festival on November 10, 2019.
John Wolfsohn/Getty Images
Kirkland’s IMDb page lists five unreleased projects, including Sallywood, a semi-autobiographical film slated for digital release this Friday.
The film follows Zack (played by Tyler Steelman), who, inspired by Kirkland’s performance in Anna, decides to travel cross-country to pursue a Hollywood career.
In the process, he meets his idol, Kirkland, playing herself, and gets hired as her assistant—dedicating himself to getting her back on her feet and in her rightful place on the red carpet.
The film, directed by Xaque Gruber and produced by Steven J. Wolfe, features Kirkland and Steelman as the leads, along with Keith Carradine, Jennifer Tilly and Tom Connolly in supporting roles.
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