Days of our Lives, Valley of the Dolls alum Sally Kirkland dead at 84

Days of our Lives welcomed Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Sally Kirkland to Salem in 1999 to play the part of Tracey Simpson. The actress died on November 11, 2025, two days after entering hospice. She was 84.

Days of our Lives, Remembering Sally Kirkland

Kirkland's role as the eccentric Tracey, a woman who encountered Sami (Alison Sweeney) when she was on the run with Will, was just one of the many roles she played throughout her career.

A native of New York City, Kirkland studied at the Actors Studio and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Kirkland's mother, also named Sally, was the fashion editor of Life magazine and Vogue. The actress gained critical acclaim for her portrayal of the title role in Anna, which earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama. The role also earned her an Academy Award nomination.

Her other credits include the films The Way We Were, Cold Feed, Best of the Best, JFK, The Sting, and Bruce Almighty. Kirkland began her professional acting career with the 1964 film The 13 Most Beautiful Women.

In a time when not many film actors crossed over to television (and back to films) for fear of being uncastable on the big screen, Kirkland amassed guest starring roles on TV shows including Police Story, The Rookies, Three's Company, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, and Falcon Crest.

The trials of Tracey Simpson

In 1994, there was a syndicated series based on the film Valley of the Dolls, which was shown in select markets. Kirkland played Helen Lawson, the character portrayed in the big screen version of Valley of the Dolls by Susan Hayward. The short-lived series, which ran for 65 episodes, starred Sharon Case (Sharon, The Young and the Restless) as Anne Welles and Kevin Spirtas (Craig, DAYS) as Tim Burke.

Kirkland advocated for women who were harmed by breast implants. In 1998, she founded the Kirkland Institute for Implant Survival Syndrome. Additionally, Kirkland was an ordained minister in the Church of Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness.

Kirkland had other creative roles; she was both a painter and a teacher. Her students include Oscar-winners Sandra Bullock, Liza Minelli, and Barbra Streisand.

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Soap Central sends condolences to Kirkland's friends and family.

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