Penelope Milford, known for performance in Coming Home, passes away at 77

For her performance, Milford received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Oscar-nominee Penelope Milford, best remembered for her role in Coming Home, has passed away at the age of 77.

Her sister, Candace Saint, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Milford died on Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Saugerties, New York. The cause of her death has not been disclosed.

Born on March 23, 1948, in St. Louis, Missouri, Milford grew up in Illinois and attended New Trier High School before pursuing a career in acting. She first made a name for herself on Broadway, appearing in Lenny (1972) and earning a Drama Desk nomination for her performance in the long-running musical Shenandoah.

Milford appeared in several early projects, including Norman Mailer’s 1970 indie drama Maidstone and an episode of CBS’ police drama The Blue Knight, before landing the role that would define her career. In Hal Ashby’s 1978 drama Coming Home, she played Vi Munson, whose brother Bill (Robert Carradine) returns from the Vietnam War changed, even after a short time in the conflict.

For her performance, Milford received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The film itself earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Although she lost to Maggie Smith for California Suite, co-stars Jane Fonda and Jon Voight won Oscars for their lead roles, and the movie also took home the award for Best Original Screenplay.

Milford went on to appear in more than a dozen films and television movies through the late 1990s. She played the Westerburg High School counselor in the cult classic dark comedy Heathers (1988), starring alongside Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Shannen Doherty.

She also appeared in notable TV movies, including the 1984 thriller The Burning Bed with Farrah Fawcett, which received eight Emmy nominations. Milford starred as the ailing title character in Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris (1980) opposite Leonard Nimoy, and had roles in Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story (1982) with Sondra Locke and The Oldest Living Graduate (1980) alongside Henry Fonda and Cloris Leachman.

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