Penelope Milford, renowned for her Oscar-nominated performance in the 1978 film Coming Home, has passed away at 77 in Saugerties, New York. Her brother, Doug Milford, confirmed her death. The cause of her passing remains undisclosed.
In Coming Home, Penelope portrayed Vi Munson alongside Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Bruce Dern. Her character, the sister of Robert Carradine’s Bill Munson, grappled with mental health challenges stemming from her brother’s Vietnam War experiences.
Although Penelope received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her role in Coming Home, she lost to Maggie Smith for California Suite. Beyond her film accolades, she gained recognition for originating the character of Jenny Anderson in the 1974 musical Shenandoah, adapted from the 1965 film of the same name.
Commencing her acting journey in New York theaters, Penelope debuted in an Off-Broadway production in 1971 alongside Richard Gere. Transitioning to Broadway a year later with Julian Berry’s Tony Award-winning play Lenny, she later ventured into television roles by the 1980s.
In the later stages of her career, Penelope appeared dissatisfied with her film projects like Heathers (1988) and Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1996). Subsequently, she shifted her focus to teaching film acting in Chicago and Minneapolis during the 1990s before becoming a preservationist of historic homes upon her return to New York in 2003. She continued to participate in local theater productions and sing in the Bard Symphonic Chorus.
Survived by her brother Doug, Penelope’s other brother, Kim Milford, passed away in 1988. Kim, also an actor, succumbed to complications following open heart surgery at 37 due to congenital heart defects. He notably portrayed Jesus and Judas in the first concert tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and appeared in the original production of The Rocky Horror Show as Rocky.
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