Sally Kirkland death: Oscar-nominated actor dies aged 84, days after entering hospice care

The veteran star was nominated for an Oscar in 1988 for her role in ‘Anna’, and made appearances in films including ‘Blazing Saddles’ and ‘JFK’

Actor Sally Kirkland has died at the age of 84, her representative has said. Michael Greene told US website TMZ that the Oscar nominee had died in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Kirkland’s death comes just days after she entered hospice care in Palm Springs, California.

The actor, who earned a Best Actress nomination at the 1988 Academy Awards for her lead role in the indie drama Anna, had suffered two separate life-threatening infections and several major falls over the past year, all while living with dementia.

Kirkland’s friends launched a GoFundMe to raise money for her medical costs last November. A post shared on the page in October read: “It has been a challenging few months for Sally as her health continues to struggle. She had a fall in the shower, when she was left unattended; injuring her ribs, foot, along with cuts and bruises. Sally is now receiving 24/7 care in a specialised facility, that is providing wonderful safety and care.”

Kirkland earned an Academy Award nomination for her lead performance in the indie drama ‘Anna’ (Getty)

In another update on 7 November, the fundraiser’s organiser said Kirkland was under hospice care and “resting comfortably”.

Fans have shared tributes online, with one writing: “Devastated to hear of Sally Kirkland's passing. She was an indelible character actor and red carpet icon who was never anything short of memorable. Her awards season campaign for Anna, a powerhouse performance all should see, will always be the greatest.”

“A fantastic, underrated actress. She'll be deeply missed,” wrote another.

Kirkland is perhaps best known for her role as the titular character in Yurek Bogayevicz’s Anna (1987), about a starry-eyed Czech immigrant who travels to New York City to meet her hero, Anna, a once-famous actor from her homeland.

She earned an Oscar nomination for the film and won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

During her decades-spanning career, Kirkland starred in more than 250 movies and TV shows, including The Sting (1973), The Haunted (1991), and Bruce Almighty (2003), as well as the entire 65-episode run of the 1994 drama series Valley of the Dolls.

She was also a member of Andy Warhol’s Factory, and was involved in New York’s 1960s avant-garde theatre scene.