Hollywood Legend Enters Hospice Amid Dementia Battle
The 84-year-old actress was nominated for an Oscar in 1989.
Michael Tran/Getty Images
Sally Kirkland, 84, has entered hospice after being diagnosed with dementia in 2024.
The actress entered hospice care at a hospital in Palm Springs, California, where her friend and previous student Coty Galloway is by her side, Michael Greene, Kirkland’s representative, told TMZ. Greene also revealed that the actress had been diagnosed with dementia last year.
Greene did not immediately respond to the Beast’s request for comment.
Sally Kirkland attends the closing night gala of the 22nd Arpa International Film Festival at the American Legion Post 43 on November 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
John Wolfsohn/Getty Images
A GoFundMe page that Galloway and Kirkland’s other friends created explained that the actress had also been experiencing “life-threatening infections” and had been injured during a “fall in the shower, when she was left unattended.” A Nov. 7 update to the page confirmed that Sally had entered hospice and “is resting comfortably.”
Before her medical challenges, Kirkland was best known for playing the titular role in the 1987 film Anna, for which she won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, losing out to Cher for Moonstruck.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Kirkland has been acting since the 1960s—appearing in movies like JFK, The Sting, Bruce Almighty and Private Benjamin—but has continued to land roles in projects releasing this year. Her IMDb shows that the actress has five upcoming projects she’s set to appear in, as well.
A movie poster for 'Sallywood', releasing on digital platforms Nov. 14.
Buffalo 8
One of those projects is Sallywood, a film slated for release on digital platforms on 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.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…