Hollywood icon Sally Kirkland, the Oscar-nominated star of films like The Sting and Anna, is now receiving hospice care following a devastating series of health issues over the past year.
A Year of Health Struggles
The actress's representative, Michael Greene, confirmed to TMZ that the 84-year-old is in a hospice at a Palm Springs hospital. This move comes after she was afflicted with dementia this last year.
A GoFundMe campaign established to help cover her medical expenses reveals the full extent of her recent health ordeal. The page states that Kirkland fractured four bones in her neck, her right wrist, and her left hip over the past twelve months.
While recovering from these serious injuries, her health was further compromised. She developed two separate life-threatening infections, creating a perfect storm of medical challenges.
Financial Strain and Illustrious Career
The combination of these injuries and infections required extensive hospitalisation and rehabilitation, stretching far beyond the 100 days of cover provided by her insurance. The GoFundMe notes that she is now 'resting comfortable' in the hospice.
Kirkland's celebrated acting career began in the 1960s, with her first role listed on IMDb as being in the 1960 film Crack In The Mirror. She went on to appear in a slew of classic television programmes, including Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company, and Charlie's Angels.
Her career experienced a significant comeback in 1987 when she co-starred in the drama Anna alongside model Paulina Porizkova. The performance earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination and she is a two-time Golden Globe winner.
From Modelling to Marilyn Monroe
Before her screen success, Kirkland's life was steeped in fashion. Her mother was a fashion editor for Vogue, and as a child, Sally was photographed by legendary photographers like Irving Penn and Richard Avedon.
She described herself as painfully shy but was thrust into a 'socialite modelling career' by her mother. Her path changed at 18 when she met her idol, Marilyn Monroe, through the actress Shelley Winters, who took Kirkland under her wing.
Winters, who had lived with Monroe, gave Kirkland a pair of Marilyn's own shoes, which she reportedly wore everywhere.
More recently, Kirkland was part of the star-studded cast for the 2023 film 80 For Brady, starring alongside Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Rita Moreno, and Lily Tomlin.
