SALLY KELLERMAN Biography - Actors and Actresses

 
 

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SALLY KELLERMAN

Name: Sally Claire Kellerman                                                       
Born: 2 June 1937 Long Beach, California, United States                             
                                                                                   
Sally Claire Kellerman (born June 2, 1937) is an American actress and singer       
known for her role as "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the film M*A*S*H (1970), for which     
she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.               
                                                                                   
Kellerman was born in Long Beach, California to Edith Baine (nee Vaughn) and       
John Helm Kellerman. She attended Hollywood High School, where she was "bitten     
by the acting bug" and went on to Los Angeles City College. She also studied at     
the Actor's Studio in New York City with Jeff Corey and famous classmates:         
Shirley Knight, Jack Nicholson, Dean Stockwell and Robert Blake.                   
                                                                                   
Kellerman made her debut film in Reform School Girl (1957) before starring in       
several classic The Outer Limits episodes, The Outer Limits: The Human Factor       
and The Outer Limits: The Bellero Shield and also starring as Dr. Elizabeth         
Dehner in the second filmed pilot episode of Star Trek (1965), entitled "Where     
No Man Has Gone Before", opposite actors Gary Lockwood and William Shatner. She     
also made an appearance in the science fiction series The Invaders.                 
                                                                                   
Kellerman would also co-star with Tony Curtis in The Boston Strangler (1968) in     
which she starred as the only surviving victim. In 1969, she reportedly almost     
talked herself out of her most famous role. She had an argument with M*A*S*H       
director Robert Altman after reading the script. She was incensed about the way     
her proposed character, Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, was to be humiliated.   
Altman said that her attitude and passion was exactly what he was looking for in   
that character.                                                                     
                                                                                   
Kellerman was offered but refused the role of "Hot Lips" in M*A*S*H the             
television series. The role would go to Loretta Swit. M*A*S*H                       
would not be the last successful team effort between Kellerman and director         
Robert Altman, Kellerman would appear in several other Altman films, including     
Brewster McCloud (1970) and Welcome to LA (1976). Kellerman co-starred with         
Diane Lane and Laurence Olivier in A Little Romance (1979), Jodie Foster in         
Foxes (1980), and Shirley MacLaine in Loving Couples (1980). Kellerman             
reportedly turned down the role of Linda Rogo in The Poseidon Adventure.           
It went to Stella Stevens.                                                         
                                                                                   
Kellerman starred as comedian Rodney Dangerfield's love interest in Back to         
School and the same year co-starred with Julie Andrews and Jack Lemmon in Blake     
Edwards That's Life (1986). Kellerman would again team up with Altman for The       
Player (1992) and Prot-à-Porter (1994) a film in which Kellerman co-starred       
alongside some of Hollywood's biggest names, Marcello Mastroianni, Sophia Loren,   
Lauren Bacall, Tim Robbins, Julia Roberts, Kim Basinger, Linda Hunt, Forest         
Whitaker and Cher.                                                                 
                                                                                   
More recently, Kellerman has been in American Virgin (2000), Boynton Beach Club     
(2006) and, making a somewhat quirky appearance as herself, leading a cult in       
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman (2006). Kellerman has as a cameo in     
Amy Heckerling's I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007) and is set to team up with     
her husband, Jonathan D. Krane, plus Dedee Pfeiffer and Dylan and Cole Sprouse     
in The Prince and the Pauper (2007).                                               
                                                                                   
Kellerman already had a recording contract with Verve Records when she was eight.   
After giving another signature performance in Robert Altman's Brewster McCloud,     
she cut her first demo with Lou Adler then jumped straight into the recording       
studio with arranger/producer Gene Paige to record Roll With The Feelin, an         
album by Decca Records.                                                             
                                                                                   
Kellerman contributed her vocal talent in the musical film, Lost Horizon (1973)     
in which she collaborated with Burt Bacharach, Liv Ullman and Olivia Hussey, the   
soundtrack was released by Razor & Tie.                                             
                                                                                   
Kellerman revived her vocal talent in the independent film, Open House (2004)       
opposite Ann Magnuson, Anthony Rapp and Kellie Martin. She was a hit in Teatro     
ZinZanni in the same year.                                                         
                                                                                   
Currently touring local spots, Kellerman plans to release another album in which   
she works side by side with her musical director, Chris Caswell.