One of the key things that made M*A*S*H such a memorable television series was its astounding
ensemble cast.
While many other factors certainly have contributed to its enduring popularity, such as its phenomenal
writing which expertly meshed drama with just the right amount of humor, and its groundbreaking
approach to tackling a subject as polarizing as the Korean War, it was the on-screen chemistry
of the series' primary cast members that kept audiences glued to their television screens
week after week.
Alan Alda played surgeon Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce, better known by his moniker
'Hawkeye'.
Then you had surgeon Captain Trapper John Mcintyre played by Wayne Rogers, Lt Colonel
Henry Blake played by McLean Stevenson, and Head Nurse Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan,
played by the lovely Loretta Swift.
While the majority of the series cast reprised their respective roles from the original 1970
M*A*S*H film, 'Hot Lips' was initially played by actress and singer Sally Clare Kellerman.
For her role in Robert Altman's trailblazing film, she earned an Oscar nomination for Best
Actress in a Supporting role.
Sadly we have just learned that Kellerman has just passed away at the age of 84.
She died from heart failure at a healthcare facility in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, on
February 24, 2022.
Prior to her death, Kellerman had been suffering from dementia.
As such, the last few years of her life were quite difficult both for her and her family
and friends.
While Kellerman was best known for her role in M*A*S*H, she went on to have a very active
and successful acting career that spanned more than five decades.
Join Facts Verse as we pay our respects to this dearly departed actress.
We'll be covering much of her career while taking the time to paint a picture of what
she was like on a personal level.
Let's first take a look back on her childhood and early adult life.
Raised As A Christian Scientist
Sally Kellerman was born on the 2nd of June, 1937, in Long Beach, California.
Her mother was a piano teacher who hailed from Portland, Arkansas.
Her father, John 'Jack' Helm Kellerman, was an oil executive for Shell from St. Louis,
Missouri.
Kellerman had one older sister named Diana and a younger sister named Victoria.
Tragically, baby Vicky died while still just an infant.
Sally's mother Edith was a devout member of The First Church Of Christ, Scientist.
Adherents of that minority faith are known as Christian Scientists.
Kellerman and her sister were both raised in that religion.
When she was a fifth-grader, Kellerman's family relocated to the San Fernando Valley, where
she spent much of her early life in the remote, scarcely populated area Granada Hills, California.
When she was a sophomore in high school, Kellerman's family once again moved, this time to Los
Angeles, where she attended Hollywood High School.
Since she was pretty shy and introverted as a teen, Kellerman had difficulty making friends.
She also struggled to receive high marks in her schooling except for in PE and Choir.
Fortunately, she discovered that she had a passion for acting and singing after appearing
in a school production of Meet Me In St. Louis.
One of the few friends that she managed to make helped her record a demo she sent over
to the head of Verve records, Norman Granz.
Granz was so impressed by her singing voice that he immediately signed her to his label.
After scoring a recording contract, however, Kellerman felt overwhelmed by the idea of
actually becoming a recording star and ended up walking away from the opportunity.
After graduating from high school, Kellerman continued her education at Los Angeles City
College.
To pay for her tuition, Sally worked as a waitress.
Additionally, she enrolled in Jeff Corey's acting class.
Less than a year later, she appeared in a production of Look Back In Anger which was
staged by Corey and starred fellow-future film stars Jack Nicholson, Robert Blake, Shirley
Knight, and Dean Stockwell.
In the late 50s, Kellerman joined the newly instituted Actors Studio West.
In 1957, she appeared in her first feature film, Edward Bernds Reform School Girl.
Digging this video so far?
If so, take a moment to show Facts Verse a little love by giving it a like and by subscribing
to our channel if you haven't already.
Sally's Big Break
Throughout much of the 60s, Kellerman made a number of relatively minor appearances in
television series such as Cheyenne and Bachelor Father.
Even though she managed to land these roles, they were still few and far between.
Since film and television roles were scarce, Kellerman returned to acting on stage.
For the next couple of years, she appeared in productions of plays like An Enemy of the
People, The Marriage Go-Round, and Call Me by My Rightful Name.
In 1964, Sally appeared in an episode of The Outer Limits playing a manipulative housewife
named Judith Bellero.
The following year, she played a perverted mistress in the film The Third Day.
She followed those roles up with turns on TV shows like The Rogues, Star Trek, and the
Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
In 1965, Kellerman played the character Mag Wildwood in the first run of the Broadway
musical Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Towards the end of the 60s, Kellerman made an appearance on The Invaders before performing
in films like The Boston Strangler and The April Fools.
After 8 years of trying to get noticed taking on whatever roles managed to fall into lap,
Kellerman finally received her big breakthrough role when she was cast to play Major Margaret
'Hot Lips' Houlihan in Robert Altman's 1970 film M*A*S*H.
For her performance in that movie, Sally received Golden Globe and Academy Award Nominations.
She took home prestigious awards such as The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award For
Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Laurel for Best Comedy Performance.
Following M*A*S*H's success, Kellerman collaborated once again with Robert Altman in 1970s Brewster
McCloud, in which she played a guardian angel named Louise.
In 1971, she was featured in Life Magazine, in which she gave a pretty candid interview
covering her struggles to make it big in the entertainment industry.
Beyond M*A*S*H
Kellerman's next major role was playing a chain-smoking, bitter, sex-addicted woman
in Gene Sak's Last of the Red Hot Lovers.
Shortly after that, she recorded her first demo with record and film producer Lou Adler.
She put out her first record, Roll with the Fellin', on the Decca label in 1972.
Sally's next film credit was in the 1972 slasher flick A Reflection of Fear.
A year later, she appeared opposite James Caan in the comedy film Slither.
She followed those roles up with performances in the remake of Frank Capra's Lost Horizon
and Dick Richard's 1975 comedy film Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins.
Kellerman rounded out the decade with roles in films like The Big Bus in 1976, Welcome
to LA in 1976, Verna: USO Girl in 1978, and A Little Romance in 1979.
Kellerman's roles in the 1980s were a bit of a mix bag, but she remained active throughout
the decade, appearing in films and television shows like 1980s Head On, 1986s Back to School,
1986s Meatballs III: Summer Job, and 1987s Three for the Road.
She also notably voiced Miss Finch in the 1985 animated feature Sesame Street Presents:
Follow That Bird and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1981.
In the 90s, Kellerman appeared in films such as 1992s Boris and Natasha, 1993s Younger
and Younger, and 1994s Ready to Wear – the latter seeing her collaborate once again with
Robert Altman.
In her later years, Kellerman's film output began to wane.
Shifting back to her love for music, Kellerman started performing as a jazz and blues singer
at clubs in New York and LA.
In 2009, Kellerman released her second record entitled Sally, a bluesy jazz album that received
mixed reviews.
After the turn of the new millennium, Kellerman appeared in films like 2001s Women of the
Night, 2004s Open House, 2005s Boynton Beach Club, 2011s Night Club, 2014s A Place for
Heroes, and 2016s A Timeless Love.
From 2016 to 2017, she appeared on the comedy web series, Decker.
Her final acting role was in an episode of the Hulu exclusive series Difficult People.
Sally Kellerman's Personal Life
In 1970, Kellerman married her first husband, Starsky & Hutch producer Rick Edelstein.
Just two years later, the couple divorced, citing irreconcilable differences.
For a short time in the mid-70s, Kellerman dated Mark Farner, lead guitarist, songwriter,
and singer of the rock band Grand Funk Railroad.
In fact, Farner wrote the song Sally off the group's 1976 album Born to Die about her.
8 years after her first marriage, Sally would decide to give marriage another try when she
married filmmaker Jonathan D. Krane in a private ceremony at Jennifer Jones's home in Malibu.
In 1989, Kellerman and Krane adopted newborn twins Jack and Hannah.
Kellerman is also the adoptive mother of her niece, Claire, whom she adopted in 1976 after
the girls' father, Charles Cargill Graham, passed away.
Kellerman and her husband remained married until his death in 2016, although they did
separate briefly in 1997 after Krane had an affair with actress Natassja Kinski.
Ultimately Kellerman forgave her husband for having the affair as she had dated married
men in the past.
Sally Kellerman died of heart failure at the age of 84 on February 24, 2022, at a care
facility in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.
In the years leading up to her death, she had battled dementia which started taking
a toll on her personal and professional life.
Do you remember Sally Kellerman best for her 1970 role as 'Hot Lips' in M*A*S*H, or is
there another role that stands out to you as her most nuanced performance?
Let us know in the comments.
If you've enjoyed this video, show your support by giving this video a like and subscribing
to the Facts Verse channel if you haven't already.
While you're at it, tap the bell to turn on notifications.
As always, thanks for watching!
We'll see you soon with more videos covering some of your favorite Hollywood stars, films,
and television show.