Penelope Milford dead: Hollywood icon dies aged 77 as tributes flood in

Hollywood icon Peleope Milford has died at the age of 77, her brother Doug Milford confirmed. Her cause of death has yet to be announced. The beloved actress, who is best known for her roles in Heathers, Coming Home, and Valentino, passed away in Saugerties, New York.

The actress was a household name in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to her established acting career and even scooped up an award at the Oscars for Best Supporting Actress in 1979 for her role as Vi Munson in Coming Home. The actress was a star on both stage and screen, after she bagged a successful stint on Broadway and co-starred alongside Richard Gere in the hit play Richard Farina: Long Time Coming and a Long Time Gone.

Penelope, who hailed from St Louis, Missouri, landed several roles on the big screen. She famously starred in Norman Mailer's Maidstone in 1970 and Ken Russell's 1977 biopic Valentino. Her most memorable role came in the popular war drama Coming Home where she starred alongside Angelina Jolie's dad Jon Voight, Jane Fonda, and Bruce Dern.

It went on to become one of the top films of 1978 and reached huge commercial success and critical acclaim. At the 36th Golden Globe Awards, the picture received six nominations, including for Best Motion Picture in the Drama category.

During the 51st Academy Awards, it received eight nominations, including for Best Picture and Penelope's Best Supporting Actress. Coming Home ended up taking home the awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor and Actress. Penelope's next film credit came with Franco Zeffirelli's Engless Love in 1981.

The actress took a break from the big screen when she delved into the world of television. She landed a number of notable roles alongside Henry Fonda, Cloris Leachman, and Timothy Hutton in the Emmy-winning TV play, The Oldest Living Graduate.

She also received praise for her role in the TV film Burning Ben in 1984, which explored the theme of marital abuse. Penelope worked alongside Farrah Fawcett for the film, which picked up a WGA award and a Golden Globe. Her final role on the big screen before her death came in the 1997 comedy thriller, Night of the Lawyers.

After taking a step back from Hollywood, Penelope went into teaching the next batch of stars. She worked at film schools in Chicago and Minneapolis, inspiring the minds of the next generation.

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