Penelope Milford, the American stage and screen actor best known for her Oscar-nominated performance in Hal Ashby’s 1978 film “Coming Home, died Tuesday at the age of 77. According to media reports, Milford died in New York in an assisted living facility.
Milford launched her professional acting career on the New York stage in 1971, starring opposite Richard Gere in the Off-Broadway play “Long Time Coming and a Long Time Gone,” based on the life of musician and novelist Richard Fariña. In 1972, she appeared in the cast of the Broadway biographical play “Lenny” about the life of Lenny Bruce.
The 1970s also saw the start of Milford’s screen career. In 1974, she appeared in Frank Perry’s “Man on a Swing,” based on the true crime investigation at the center of William Arthur Clark’s book “The Girl on the Volkswagen Floor.” 1977 saw Milford appear in “Valentino,” a biopic about the silent screen actor Rudolph Valentino directed by Ken Russell.
The following year, Milford would star in “Coming Home,” which brought her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Milford joined Jane Fonda, Jon Voight and Bruce Dern as cast members nominated for the film, which one nominee in each of the four acting categories. Voight and Fonda won the two lead acting awards, while the original screenplay (written by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones with a story by Nancy Dowd) took home an Oscar as well. The film was nominated for eight awards in total, including Best Picture and Best Director.
In 1988, Milford appeared in Michael Lehmann’s now-iconic film “Heathers,” playing the overbearing guidance counselor at the movie’s central high school. Milford would continue working into the 1990s, with her final credited screen appearance being in 1997’s “Night of the Lawyers.”
Milford’s brother, Kim Milford, was another stage actor in the family, appearing in the original version of “Hair” and starring as Rocky in the first American run of “The Rocky Horror Show.” Kim died of heart failure at the age of 37.
According to media reports, Penelope’s siblings, Doug Milford and Candace Saint, confirmed the news of her passing. No cause of death was given.