Who was Penelope Milford married to? All about Oscar-nominated star as she passes away

Oscar-nominated actress Penelope Milford recently passed away. She was 77 years old. Although the cause of her death was not immediately revealed, according to multiple outlets, she passed away on Tuesday, October 14, in an assisted living facility in Saugerties, N.Y.

Penelope was reportedly married to New Jersey-born poet, former actor, activist, and jazz musician Michael Lally from 1982 to 1984. According to the Poetry Foundation, he was in the Air Force before he entered the poetry scene associated with both the Beats and the second-generation New York School poets.

Per multiple outlets, Lally, who wrote more than 30 books in both poetry and prose, has been married three times, with Penelope being his second wife.

More about Penelope Milford

70s screen icon Penelope Milford has passed away at the age of 77 in Saugerties, New York, following an incredible career in film, TV and theatre. She died on October 14 in an assisted living facility, no cause given.https://t.co/rpWDiGJciy

— BirdieBittern (@BirdieBittern) October 16, 2025

Born in St. Louis on March 23, 1948, Miford is survived by her brother, Douglas Milford, and sister, Candace Saint. Her younger brother Richard Kim Milford passed away from heart failure in 1980 at the age of 37.

She graduated from New Trier High School, Winnetka, Illinois, and made her acting debut as an extra in Maidstone (1970). In 1971, she appeared in an off-Broadway production of the musical Long Time Coming and a Long Time Gone alongside Richard Gere and joined the Broadway cast of Lenny in 1972. She was also nominated for a Drama Desk award in the musical Shenandoah.

Penelope is also well known for her Oscar-nominated role as Vi Munson in Hal Ashby's Coming Home. Speaking about Vi to The New York Times in 1978, Milford said:

"I saw Vi as a real eclectic kind of person, one who would take the best of any culture, any attitude. She's really not too concerned with being consistent. She's just on her own. She would never be a member. of an organization, for example."

Per the outlet, Milford grew up in a musical family. Her father, described as a "high tenor," published a trade magazine called Tips From Your Printer, and her mother was a soloist with the local Christian Science church.

The outlet further noted that the late actress worked in theatre in Chicago's suburban areas before moving to New York in 1967, and studied acting with Wynn Handman.

Speaking about her career goal at that time, the actress added:

"My dream is to do the story of Irene Castle, the ballroom dancer. She influenced women incredibly. I love that time period, right before. World War I, before the mass media, before technology, before all this mind‐expansion stuff. It was real pure then."

Penelope appeared in several films, including Man of a Swing (1974), The Last Word (1979), Take This Job and Shove It (1981), Cold Justice (1991), Normal Life (1996), and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1996). She also starred in multiple television series, including The Blue Knight (1976), Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris (1980), and The Oldest Living Graduate (1980).

Stay tuned for more updates.