Oscar-nominated actress Penelope Milford dies, aged 77

American actress Penelope Milford has died. She was 77.

The stage and screen actress, who received an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in Hal Ashby's Coming Home, passed away in Saugerties, New York.

Her death was confirmed by her brother Doug Milford, mulitple US outlets have reported.

A cause of death has not been made immediately available.

The star was best known for her role as Vi Munson in Coming Home as well as her roles in the 1977 film Valentino and the 1988 cult film Heathers.

Milford, who was born in Missouri and grew up in Illinois, began her career on the stage.

In 1971, she co-starred opposite Richard Gere in an Off-Broadway production of Long Time Coming and a Long Time Gone, a musical about musician-novelist Richard Farina.

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 A year later, she joined the Broadway cast of Lenny, a play about the actor Lenny Bruce.

She also originated the role of Jenny Anderson in the musical Shenandoah for which she was cast in 1974.

Her role in the show, which opened on Broadway in January 1975, earned her a nominated for the first Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress. The musical went on to received a Tony nomination for Best Musical.

She appeared in a number of other theatre roles including Felix (1974), Fishing (1981), Territorial Rites (1983) and a revue show titled The Second Hottest Show In Town.

Milford's acting success was not tied to the stage. The actress also took on several roles on the big and small screen throughout her career.

Her first television appearance was on a 1976 episode of The Blue Knight. After which she took on a number of TV roles.

In 1980, she starred alongside Henry Fonda and Cloris Leachman in The Oldest Living Graudate. In 1982 she starred opposite Sondra Locke in the television film Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story and in 1984 she starred alongside Farrah Fawcett in The Burning Bed.

Milford's film roles include Coming Home – in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda – Valentino, The Last Word, Endless Love, Blood Link, The Golden Seal and Heathers.

Her last role, per her IMDB profile was as Anna Carroll in the 1997 film Night of the Lawyers.

She is pre-deceased by her brother, actor and singer Richard Kim Milford who died aged 37.

She is survived by her sister Candace Saint and her brother Doug Milford.

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Title: Oscar-nominated actress Penelope Milford dies, aged 77
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/penelope-milford-death-oscar-nominated-actress-dies-aged-77/b43e1df9-4c75-4316-a3d1-2127c1068779
Published Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2025 22:10:00 GMT