Overview

Sally Clare Kellerman (June 2, 1937 – February 24, 2022) was an American actress and singer whose acting career spanned 60 years. She was best known for her role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in Robert Altman’s film M*A*S*H (1970), for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. After M*A*S*H, she appeared in other Altman films like Brewster McCloud and The Player. Kellerman’s career included roles in television series such as The Twilight Zone, Maron, and Decker, and films like Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Back to School. Besides acting, Kellerman had a recording contract with Verve Records at 18 and released albums like “Roll With the Feelin'” and “Sally.” She also contributed to film soundtracks and did voice-over work for brands like Hidden Valley Ranch and Mercedes-Benz. In her later years, Kellerman suffered from dementia and passed away from heart failure in February 2022 at the age of 84.

What Is Sally Kellerman’s Net Worth?

At the time of her death, Sally Kellerman, a celebrated American actress and singer, possessed a net worth of $2.5 million. This financial standing was accumulated over a career that spanned several decades, encompassing diverse roles in film, television, and stage productions.

Early Life and Education

Sally Kellerman was born on June 2, 1937, in Long Beach, California. Her parents were Edith, a piano teacher, and John, an executive at Shell Oil. She had an older sister named Diana, and a younger sister named Victoria, who passed away in infancy. When Sally was in the fifth grade, the Kellerman family relocated to the San Fernando Valley. Later, during her teenage years, they moved to Park La Brea. Sally attended Hollywood High School. Despite being naturally timid, she overcame her shyness to participate in the school production of “Meet Me in St. Louis.” For her post-secondary education, Kellerman enrolled at Los Angeles City College.

Film Career Highlights

Kellerman’s cinematic journey began in 1957 with a minor role in “Reform School Girl.” She followed this with an appearance in the 1962 horror film “Hands of a Stranger.” Subsequently, she took on roles in the suspense thriller “The Third Day” and the biographical crime film “The Boston Strangler.” Kellerman’s career reached a significant turning point in 1970 when she portrayed Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in Robert Altman’s critically acclaimed black comedy war film, “M*A*S*H.” This role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Following the success of “M*A*S*H,” Kellerman reunited with Altman for his next film, “Brewster McCloud.” She then starred as a chain-smoking sex addict in Gene Saks’ adaptation of Neil Simon’s play “Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” During the remainder of the 1970s, Kellerman appeared in films such as “A Reflection of Fear,” “Slither,” “Lost Horizon,” “The Big Bus,” “Welcome to L.A.,” and “A Little Romance.” She also lent her voice to the animated film “The Mouse and His Child.” In 1980, Kellerman participated in four films: the coming-of-age drama “Foxes,” the drama “Head On,” and the comedies “It Rained All Night the Day I Left” and “Serial.” Other film credits from the 1980s include “Moving Violations,” “Back to School,” “That’s Life!,” “Three for the Road,” “Someone to Love,” and “All’s Fair.” The 1990s saw Kellerman in films such as “Doppleganger,” “It’s My Party,” “The Lay of the Land,” and “American Virgin.” She also made appearances in Robert Altman’s “The Player” and “Prêt-à-Porter.” Her film work in the 2000s included “Boynton Beach Club,” “Night Club,” “Reach Me,” and “His Neighbor Phil.”

Television Career

Sally Kellerman’s television career commenced in the 1960s. During this decade, she made appearances on numerous popular shows, including “Cheyenne,” “The Outer Limits,” “The Twilight Zone,” “My Three Sons,” “12 O’Clock High,” “The Rogues,” “Seaway,” “Star Trek,” “Bonanza,” “That Girl,” and “Mannix.” Although Kellerman’s television appearances were less frequent in the 1970s, she did have a notable role in the NBC miniseries “Centennial.” In the 1980s, she was featured in several television films, such as “For Lovers Only,” “Dempsey,” “September Gun,” and “Secret Weapons.” In the early 1990s, Kellerman appeared in episodes of “The Ray Bradbury Theater” and “Evening Shade,” as well as the television films “Victim of Beauty” and “Boris and Natasha: The Movie.” Later in the decade, she had roles in episodes of “Diagnosis: Murder,” “Gun,” and “Columbo.” Kellerman began the 2000s with a role in the television film “Bar Hopping.” In 2011, she landed one of her most significant television roles on the Cinemax dramedy series “Chemistry,” where she portrayed the eccentric artist Lola Marquez. The following year, she had another substantial role, voicing the character of Principal Stark on the adult animated sitcom “Unsupervised.” Kellerman’s next notable role came in 2013 when she began playing the titular character’s mother on the sitcom “Maron.” Additionally, she earned an Emmy Award nomination for her work on “The Young and the Restless,” a role she held from 2014 to 2015. Subsequently, Kellerman had a main role in the fourth season of “Decker,” playing First Lady Janet Rothman Davidson.

Stage Career

Early in her acting career, Sally Kellerman participated in theatrical productions of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People,” Leslie Stevens’ “The Marriage-Go-Round,” and Michael Shurtleff’s “Call Me by My Rightful Name.” She also played Mag Wildwood in the original Broadway preview of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” In the 1980s, Kellerman starred in a production of Philip Barry’s “Holiday” in Los Angeles. During the 1990s, she played the title role in “Mame.” Her other stage credits include productions of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” “The Vagina Monologues,” and “The Wild Party.” Kellerman also performed in numerous cabaret shows and benefit concerts.

Music Career Details

In 1972, Sally Kellerman released her first album as a recording artist, entitled “Roll with the Feelin’.” Her second album, simply titled “Sally,” was released in 2009. This album featured her interpretations of songs by artists such as Aerosmith, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Neil Diamond, James Taylor, and Jennifer Warnes. In addition to her own albums, Kellerman contributed songs to the soundtracks of some of her films, including “Brewster McCloud” and “Lost Horizon.” The financial gains from her music career contributed to Sally Kellerman’s net worth.

Personal Life and Death

One of Sally Kellerman’s early serious relationships was with actor William Duffy. This relationship resulted in an unplanned pregnancy in 1961, leading Kellerman to undergo a botched home abortion. Later, in 1970, Kellerman married television producer Rick Edelstein. The pair divorced in 1972 due to irreconcilable differences. Kellerman then dated musician Mark Farner and adopted her sister’s estranged daughter, Claire. In 1980, she married her second husband, talent manager Jonathan D. Krane. The couple adopted newborn twins, Jack and Hannah, in 1989. Kellerman and Krane separated twice during their marriage but remained married until Krane’s death in 2016. In her later years, Kellerman suffered from dementia. She passed away from heart failure in February 2022 at the age of 84, which impacted the finalization of her estate, and the dispersal of her assets which contributed to her $2.5 million net worth. She passed away in her sleep at an assisted living facility in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.

Real Estate Assets

In 1990, Sally Kellerman acquired a home in the Hollywood Hills for $650,000. She later sold this property in August 2017 for a little under $1.4 million, realizing a significant profit on her initial investment. This real estate transaction notably contributed to Sally Kellerman’s net worth. Additionally, in May 2014, she sold another Los Angeles home in a foreclosure sale for $1.4 million. The details surrounding the acquisition and initial value of this property remain less clear, but the foreclosure sale suggests potential financial challenges at that time. The net worth of Sally Kellerman was greatly impacted by her real estate dealings, positively and negatively.

© 2025 Net Worth Ranker / All Rights Reserved