Sally Claire Kellerman was born on 2nd June 1937, in Long Beach, California USA, and is an actress no doubt still best known for her role in the hit TV series “M * A * S * H” in the 1970s, for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in 1970. In addition to film roles, Kellerman has played dozens of single guest roles in various television series, among others “Star Trek” (1966), “Hawaii Five-O” (1969), “Touched by an Angel” (1996) and “Providence” (2002). Kellerman has been active in the entertainment industry since 1957.
How rich is the actress? It has been reported by authoritative sources that the overall size of Sally Kellerman net worth is as much as $2.5 million, as of the data presented in the middle of 2017. Film and television are the main sources of Kellerman wealth.
Sally Kellerman Net Worth $2.5 Million
After graduating from Los Angeles City College, she joined Actor’s Studio with Jeff Corey and Lee Strasberg, and made her film debut in the youth film “Reform School Girl” (1957). During the 1960s, the actress worked on television, taking part in numerous series including “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” (1965), “Star Trek” (1966) and “The Invaders” (1967). Only in 1968 did she return to film, with “The Boston Strangler” in which she played the role of Dianne Cluny.
The definitive affirmation came to Kellerman with the role of nurse Margaret “Hot Lips” O’Houlihan, repressed but desirable and desiring, in the comedy “M * A * S * H” (1970) by Robert Altman; the actress won Kansas City Film Critics Circle and Golden Laurel Awards as well as being nominated for the Academy, Golden Globe and National Society of Film Critics Awards in the category of the Best Supporting Actress. Subsequently, Kellerman’s career continued in a discontinuous manner, with interesting roles in the comedy film “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” (1972) by Gene Sacks, and the musical film “Lost Horizon” (1973) by Charles Jarrot.
Later, the actress switched to interpretations of female figures in middle-aged crisis, as in the comedy “That’s Life” (1986) by Blake Edwards. In 1994, she landed the role in the satirical comedy drama film “Pret-a-Porter” written, produced and directed by Robert Altman – along with the cast the actress won the National Board of Review Award for the Best Cast. In 2011, she won the Accolade Competition Award of Excellence for the Best Supporting Actress after appearing in the film “Night Club” (2011) by Sam Borowski. Subsequently, during the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival in 2013, Sally Kellerman was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. From 2013 to 2016, she portrayed Constance Bingham in the soap opera “The Young and the Restless”, for which she was nominated for Emmy Award as the Best Actress. She had a recurring role in the series “Maron” (2014 – 2016). Recently, she created the characters of Bernadette in the film “His Neighbour Poli” (2016), Aunt Peg in “The Remake” (2016) and Thelma in “Flycatcher” (2016), so her net worth is still rising constantly.
Finally, in the personal life of the actress, Kellerman was married to the screenwriter Rick Edelstein from 1970 to 1972. Since 1980, she has been married to the filmmaker Jonathan D. Krane; the couple adopted twins in 1989.
Golden Laurel Award for Best Comedy Performance, KCFCC Award for Best Supporting Actress (1971), National Board of Review Award for Best Cast, Susan B. Anthony 'Failure is Impossible' Award (2004), AARP Movies for Grownups Awards (2007), Award of Excellence for Best Supporting Actress (2011)
Record Labels
Verve Records
Albums
Roll with the Feelin' (1972), Sally (2009)
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (1971), Golden Globe Award (1971), National Society of Film Critics Award, Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress (1980)
Movies
“M * A * S * H” (1972-1983), “Reform School Girl” (1957), “The Boston Strangler” (1968), “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” (1972), “Lost Horizon” (1973), “That's Life” (1986), “Night Club” (2011)
TV Shows
“Star Trek” (1966), “Hawaii Five-O” (1969), “Touched by an Angel” (1996), “Providence” (2002), “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” (1965), “Star Trek” (1966), “The Invaders” (1967), “Maron” (2014-2016)
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Trademark
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Deep smoky voice
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Platinum blonde hair
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Statuesque, model-like figure
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Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in Robert Altman's seminal film MASH (1970)
I didn't know anything about building careers. Somehow I still have a career.
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[on Rodney Dangerfield] I remember he was being honored one evening and invited me to come along with him and his date. We had a lot of fun, and when we got back to the car, I said, "Rodney, you're going to have to come up to the house for dinner." The look on his face said it all: "I'd rather get in a helicopter and jump." I howled. The rejection wasn't personal. Rodney was a night club guy. He didn't want to have a nice, quiet dinner with Jonathan and me, he wanted to be in Vegas!
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[on Sissy Spacek] On the set of Welcome to L.A. (1976), I had the joy of meeting the oh-so lovely and adorable Sissy Spacek. Sissy played my topless housekeeper and was a sheer delight. Memories of her Texas draw still bring a smile to my face.
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[on her Academy Award nomination] it may sound like a cliché when someone who's up for an Academy Award says, "It's an honor just to be nominated," but it really is an incredible honor. Yes, it's true that the coolest thing is doing the work, being on the set, having a part you can sink your teeth into, and 5 am burritos and doughnuts at craft services or hanging out in the makeup trailer. But being nominated is amazing because it's your peers' acknowledgment of your work. That's humbling!
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[on Brewster McCloud (1970)] Okay, MASH (1970) was a big hit, so let's do something obscure. I think he (Robert Altman) made up my part because he wanted to work together. I loved it. He gave me wing scars and let me sing "Rock-a-bye Baby" to Bud Cort. I stopped people on the road to tell them about Bob and how I loved Bob and how I'd do anything for Bob, And of course he took full advantage and he put me sitting naked in the fountain. To his credit it was a long lens and there was nobody in the streets, and I was this bird, this fairy godmother. Why I did these things... All I know is we had a great time. I remember Bob had the police chief come over and he'd have these big bowls of grass sitting around. I don't know if the guy knew or if he didn't.
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[on coming to the role of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" O'Houlihan] Soon after The April Fools (1969) my agent called me about an audition. I didn't know anything about the director or who, if anyone, had already been cast. The only thing my agent said was that I was reading for the part of Lt. Dish (later played by Jo Ann Pflug), so I thought that I had better put on some red lipstick to look more "dish-y". The audition room was full of men, scattered about, none of whom I recognized. I didn't even know which one was the director. I guess I did well because, all of a sudden, one of the men--he had the longest fingers I've ever seen, like birds about to take flight--said, "I'll give you the best role in the picture: Hot Lips." "Really?" I said. I was so excited. Finally! The best role in something. I thanked the long-fingered man, took the script, and rushed outside. I didn't even want to get home before I cracked open the script to get a better look at this "best" role in the picture. Leaning against the building, I began thumbing through the pages looking for my part. And looking. And still looking. Nothing. On page forty, maybe I found a single line. Later I found a few more. Fourteen years in Hollywood and my "best role" is the nine-line part of a solider named Hot Lips? I staggered home, angry and bitter, and I called my agent, indignant. "There's nothing to this part!" I told him. "This guy is supposed to be really talented," he said, trying to calm me down. "I really think you should do it." I later learned that fifteen directors had said no to this film before Robert Altman had said yes. So I read the script again and then agreed to take another meeting with Altman, it was just the two of us this time, and I arrived in a huff. I didn't know him from Adam, but I hated him for thinking he could fool me. Hot Lips was a memory before the script was even halfway over. But as long I had come this far, I was going to tell him what I thought. "Why does she have to leave in the middle of the film?" I began. I had spent years playing roles on TV. I was already thirty-one years old. I didn't want a career playing hard-bitten drunks in Chanel suits who get slapped by their husbands. This movie was supposed to be a comedy. Hell. I'd done two episodes of Bonanza (1959) just to prove I could be funny. I was capable of so much more than a few lines. I was capable of a "best" role--and so was my character. "I'm not just some WAC--I'm a woman!" "So why can't she do this? And why can't she do that?" I shouted at Altman. I was ranting. When I finally came up for air, Bob just casually leaned back in his chair. He said, simply, "Why couldn't she? You could end up with something or nothing. Why not take a chance?". The minute he said that, something in my shifted. Here I was having a tantrum in his office, and there he was leaning back in his chair, smiling. Everything about him was comfortable and relaxed. So sure. So it was settled. The role of Hot Lips O'Houlihan was mine. The movie was MASH (1970).
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It hasn't been smooth or delightful every minute, there were lean years and rough years, but it's been exciting and good and I'm thrilled to be an actress and a singer and to have spent my life this way.
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I hope to have some more cracks at some wonderful roles before I go to the Great Beyond.
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I always wanted to be an actress. My mother told me to get a job as an elevator operator - because Dorothy Lamour was discovered that way.
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Fact
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She and Luana Anders were best friends in high school.
Adopted her niece Claire (born 1965) in 1976. Claire's mother (Sally's sister) moved to France and her father died two days after his consent to adopt. Sally is also the adoptive mother of two twins, Jack and Hannah Krane (born 1989) with second husband Jonathan D. Krane.
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Member of Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
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Supplements her ongoing film career with stints as a nightclub singer, television and radio narrator and voice-overs.
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Harrison Ford built her a deck when he supported himself as a carpenter.