Penelope Milford, Oscar-nominated actress for Coming Home, dies at 77

Penelope Milford, an actress nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting role in the 1978 film Coming Home, has died at age 77 in Saugerties, New York, her brother Doug Milford confirmed. The family has not disclosed a cause of death.

Milford rose to prominence on stage and screen in the 1970s and 1980s. She received a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 51st Academy Awards for her portrayal of Vi Munson in Coming Home, the Vietnam-era drama that also starred Jane Fonda, Jon Voight and Bruce Dern. The film earned eight Oscar nominations and won three, including acting prizes for Fonda and Voight. Milford ultimately lost the supporting actress award to Maggie Smith.

Born March 23, 1948, in St. Louis, Missouri, Milford began her career in theater, appearing on Broadway and off Broadway before moving into film. Early screen credits include Norman Mailer’s Maidstone (1970) and Ken Russell’s biopic Valentino (1977), in which she played a silent-era movie star. She also appeared in Franco Zeffirelli’s Endless Love (1981) and had roles in films through the 1980s and 1990s, including Heathers (1988). Her last credited screen appearance was in the 1997 comedy thriller Night...