Sally Kellerman Cause of Death Revealed: 'M*A*S*H' Star Dead at 85
Sally Kellerman, an Academy Award-nominated actress, popularly known for her role as U.S. Army Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film "M*A*S*H*," has passed away at the age of 84.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the veteran actress died at a Woodland Hills-based assisted care facility Thursday morning.
Her son, Jack Krane, confirmed the tragic news to the outlet, saying his mother died from complications relating to dementia.
The actress was born on June 2, 1937. During her early years in Long Beach, California, Kellerman starred in a production of "Meet Me in St. Louis" while studying in Hollywood High School.
She later submitted a demo to Norman Granz, who gave her a recording contract. However, despite the ample opportunity, the actress rejected the offer.
In a previous interview with Palm Springs Life, the actress said that she was "young and scared at the time" and had low self-esteem.
In addition, she had already started an acting class taught by Jeff Corey, which gave her the chance to "grow up."
Despite turning down an offer, Kellerman was able to make it to Hollywood on her own. Her first acting gig was in the 1957 movie "Reform School Girl" directed by Samuel Z. Arkoff.
Her acting career continued to blossom as she appeared in several television shows and plays like "The Mariage Go-Round" and "Call Me by My Rightful Name."
Aside from these projects, she's also popularly known for starring as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in a Star Trek episode titled "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
Her character in the sci-fi film is a human officer that boarded the USS Enterprise.
Her most notable portrayal would be the role of U.S. Army Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in "M*A*S*H," directed by Robert Altman.
Kellerman noted that when her fans see her in public, most of the time, they would yell "Hey, Hot Lips!" or recite a line from her movie "Back to School," saying, "Call me sometime when you got no class."
Later in life, the actress married Rick Edelstein, a writer, and director. However, their relationship wasn't great from the beginning.
In a previous interview, she mentioned that they "fought every day" since they met. Their connection didn't last as they got divorced in 1972.
Eight years later, she married Jonathan D. Krane, and they adopted twins Jack and Hannah.
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