Penelope Milford

An alumnus of the Chicago/New York theatrical scene, American actress Penelope Milford struck paydirt with her first film, Coming Home (1978). Playing Viola Munson, the best friend of Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda), Penelope was nominated for an Academy Award. She didn't win, but on the strength of Coming Home, Ms. Milford was cast in a major TV biopic, Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris (1979), the tale of a real-life singer's recovery from a brain-surgery-induced coma. The highlight of this production was the final scene, wherein the real Kathy Morris replaced Milford in the final concert scene, proof of her total recovery; Milford's performance had been so authentic that the switch was all but imperceptible. Few of Penelope Milford's subsequent films did her talent justice: the outgoing blonde actress was seen in pedestrian roles in such pedestrian pictures as Take This Job and Shove It (1981), Endless Love (1981) and The Golden Seal (1984). ~ Hal Erickson Full Biography »