SALLY KIRKLAND

Sally Kirkland: The Artist, The Healer, The Friend

There are some people who enter your life as light and remain that way—steady, luminous, and unafraid to burn bright. Sally Kirkland was one of those people. An actress, a teacher ( she coached the greats including Barbra Streisand) a healer, a minister, and to me, a dear friend of over thirty years.

As a young man, I remember watching her Oscar-nominated performance in Anna. She won the Golden Globe for that role—and deserved every accolade that came with it. What I didn’t know then was that years later, I’d not only meet her, but share a friendship that would span decades, continents, film festivals, laughter, and baseball games.

Sally believed in me before most did. She saw me—not just as an astrologer or teacher, but as a fellow artist. For more than fifteen years, she had me as a regular guest on her radio show. We’d talk about the stars, destiny, love, forgiveness, and always—always—the Dodgers. When she wasn’t behind the mic, she was just as soulful in person.

There were countless afternoons in Los Angeles where I’d bike from Brentwood to her place in West Hollywood—Dodger game on, snacks from Gelson’s in hand, and Sally already in full fan mode. She cheered with a child’s heart and a mystic’s wisdom. And when she came to New York to film—on a modest budget but with a big heart—she stayed at my place. That was Sally: devoted to the work, unconcerned with ego, always ready to create, no matter the circumstance.

One of my favorite memories was attending the premiere of The Last Gamble (2011), directed by Joe Goodvich, where she starred alongside Stephen Bauer and John Savage. Joe even asked me to appear in a scene that summer, but I was teaching at Equinox and couldn’t make the schedule work. That film—shot with passion and grit—was pure Sally: fearless, generous, and committed to art over vanity. We later attended the premiere of The Archaeology of a Woman, and again, she was radiant—her presence commanding, her laughter contagious.

What many didn’t know was that Sally was also a painter—her home a gallery of color, divinity, and emotion. Behind her famous face was an artist’s soul, a minister’s compassion, and a childlike curiosity that never left her. She could talk about acting and angels in the same breath, and somehow, both felt like truth.

To me, she wasn’t just an actress—she was proof that art can heal, that faith can sustain, and that friendship can transcend the years, the miles, and the spotlight.

Sally Kirkland was a Golden Globe winner, yes. An Oscar nominee, yes. But more than that, she was the rare kind of person who makes you feel like you, too, could win something—maybe not a trophy, but a kind of inner courage.

I will miss her deeply, but I will always carry her light. The light that said: Create. Believe. Love. Forgive. And when in doubt—turn on the Dodgers.