Sally Kellerman

Sally Clare Kellerman was born on June 2, 1937, in Long Beach, California, to Edith Baine Kellerman, a piano teacher originally from Portland, Arkansas, and John Helm Kellerman, a Shell Oil executive from St. Louis. She had an older sister; a younger sister died in infancy. Her mother was a Christian Scientist and raised her daughters in that faith. During Kellerman's fifth-grade year, the family relocated from Long Beach to the San Fernando Valley, settling in Granada Hills. Her high school years were spent at Hollywood High School after the family moved again to Park La Brea, Los Angeles. She stood 5 feet 10½ inches tall, was notably shy, and earned poor grades with the exception of choir and physical education, though she did appear in a school production of Meet Me in St. Louis.

A high school friend helped Kellerman submit a recording demo to Norman Granz, the founder and head of Verve Records, resulting in a signed contract. She ultimately walked away from that opportunity, daunted by the prospect of a recording career. She went on to attend Los Angeles City College for a year before enrolling in Jeff Corey's acting class, where her classmates included Shirley Knight, Jack Nicholson, Dean Stockwell, and Robert Blake. The group appeared together in a production of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger staged by Corey. To cover her instruction fees, Kellerman worked as a waitress at the Chez Paulette coffee house. Toward the end of the 1950s, she joined the newly opened Actors Studio West and made her screen debut in the film Reform School Girl in 1957.

Her early stage work included a debut in Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, followed by roles in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Leslie Stevens's The Marriage-Go-Round and in Michael Shurtleff's Call Me by My Rightful Name in 1962. On television, she appeared in episodes of Cheyenne and the John Forsythe sitcom Bachelor Father. She appeared in two episodes of The Outer Limits, first in 1963 in "The Human Factor" and again in 1964 in "The Bellero Shield," in which she played Judith Bellero opposite Martin Landau. In 1966, she played psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the second pilot for Star Trek, which was broadcast as the third episode of the first season.

Also in 1966, Kellerman played Mag Wildwood in the original Broadway production of Breakfast at Tiffany's, directed by Joseph Anthony and produced by David Merrick. The production closed after four preview performances, but musical numbers were recorded live before the closing, and Kellerman recorded three songs that appeared on the original cast recording. Her Broadway appearance in this production represents her sole credited Broadway credit, which took place in 2013 according to database records. Additional television credits from the 1960s include guest appearances on The Invaders, Bonanza, and Hawaii Five-O, as well as a role as the sole surviving victim of Albert DeSalvo in The Boston Strangler in 1968 and a part as Jack Lemmon's wife in The April Fools in 1969.

Kellerman's career-defining role came in 1970 when she was cast as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H. The performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe nomination, the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Golden Laurel for Best Comedy Performance (Female), and a second-place finish in the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was featured in Life magazine in connection with the role. That same year she appeared in Altman's Brewster McCloud as Louise, guardian angel to Bud Cort, and recorded "Rock-a-Bye Baby" for the film's soundtrack. She went on to collaborate with Altman on Welcome to L.A. in 1976, The Player in 1992, and Prêt-à-Porter in 1994, as well as the short-lived anthology television series Gun in 1997.

Her 1972 film work included Last of the Red Hot Lovers, a Gene Saks adaptation of a Neil Simon comedy in which she played a hostile, chain-smoking, sex-addicted woman pursuing an afternoon affair with Alan Arkin's character. That same year she recorded her first demo with Lou Adler, and her debut album Roll with the Feelin' was subsequently recorded for Decca Records with producer-arranger Gene Page. She had signed her original recording contract with Verve Records at age 18, though that album was not produced. A second album, Sally, was released in 2009. Kellerman also contributed songs to the soundtracks of Brewster McCloud, Lost Horizon in 1973, Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins in 1975, and Boris and Natasha: The Movie in 1992.

Among her other notable film appearances were Back to School in 1986. Her television work spanned decades and included The Twilight Zone in 1963, Bonanza in 1966 and 1970, 90210 in 2008, Chemistry in 2011, and Maron in 2013, as well as The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman in 2006. Her voice work included the role of Miss Finch in Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird in 1985, which became one of her most recognized voice performances. Additional animation credits included The Mouse and His Child in 1977, Happily Ever After in 1990, Dinosaurs in 1992, Unsupervised in 2012, and The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange in 2013. She also performed commercial voiceover work for Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing, Mercedes-Benz, and Revlon.

In 2013, Kellerman published her memoir Read My Lips: Stories of a Hollywood Life, documenting her experiences in the entertainment industry. Her acting career spanned 60 years. She died on February 24, 2022.