Sally Kirkland, the Academy Award-nominated actress who appeared on Days of Our Lives in the brief but memorable role of Tracey Simpson, has passed away at the age of 84. Kirkland, who had suffered from dementia in the final year of her life, had recently entered hospice care, and died in Palm Springs, CA in the early hours of November 11.
Manhattan Transfer
Born in New York City on October 31, 1941, Kirkland’s mother (also named Sally) was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life magazines. Kirkland began modeling as a child and studied acting at The Actors Studio under the legendary Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen. In 1963, she made her off-Broadway debut in the play Bicycle Ride to Nevada. Catching the attention of avant-garde artist Andy Warhol, Kirkland became a familiar face in The Factory, Warhol’s storied studio and gathering place, and he directed her in 13 Most Beautiful Women, an underground film released in 1964.
Kirkland’s career began moving into the mainstream in the 1970s and 1980s, with roles in films like 1973’s The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, 1976’s A Star Is Born with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson and 1980’s Private Benjamin with Goldie Hawn. Later movies in her filmography include the Oliver Stone-directed thriller JFK in 1991 and the Jim Carrey-starrer Bruce Almighty in 2003. On television, she appeared on classic series such as Hawaii Five-O, Three’s Company, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie’s Angels and Roseanne and in 1983, she played Ella on two episodes of the prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest.
In 1987, Kirkland played the title role in Anna, starring opposite Larry Pine (ex-Roger Gordon, One Life to Live) and supermodel Paulina Porizkova, for which she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar and received the Golden Globe for Best Actress.
The actress’s DAYS stint was in conjunction with the storyline in which Sami Brady had been framed for the murder of Franco Kelly and sentenced to death. During a prison transport mix-up, Sami was able to slip out of police custody and she went on the run, finding shelter with the eccentric Tracey, played by Kirkland, who helped Sami disguise her identity and elude the law (at least for a time). Alison Sweeney, Sami’s portrayer, told Soap Opera Digest in 2013 that Kirkland was central to the storyline that made her feel like she’d “made it” on the show, which she had been starring on for six years at that point. “I don’t know if there’s a defining moment,” Sweeney mused. “I suppose when I was sent to death row for killing Franco. When they had a night shoot and Sally Kirkland was out there holding a Free Sami banner, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’”
One of Kirkland’s final film appearances was in the 2023 comedy 80 For Brady, which co-starred Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin.
Digest sends its heartfelt condolences to Kirkland’s friends and family.
