Biography
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, All Movie Guide