Late ‘M*A*S*H’ Actress Sally Kellerman Was a Mom of 3: All About Her Kids and the Legacy She Left Behind

Actress Sally Kellerman rose to fame in the 1970 film M*A*S*H, portraying Major Margaret J “Hot Lips” Houlihan. The role earned her an Oscar nomination and a lifetime full of unforgettable parts. She died on February 24, 2022, at the age of 84, and is survived by her son, Jack Krane, and daughter Claire Kellerman.

Jack confirmed the news of his mother’s death to The Hollywood Reporter after her battle with dementia. Tributes poured in on social media for the Hollywood icon from costars like William Shatner, Treat Williams and singer Nancy Sinatra. 

Sally’s acting credits include films like 1968’s The Boston Strangler, 1987’s Someone to Love and 1994’s Prêt-à-Porter. In addition to her success in blockbuster films, the California native scored breakout roles on popular television series like 1963’s The Twilight Zone, and both Bonanza and Star Trek in 1966. Sally was also a talented singer, voiceover artist and author. Though the Back to School star’s career really took off in the ‘70s, she had one goal in mind: to start a family. 

“I love acting … but my fantasy is to have a couple of babies and make an album a year, and maybe a picture a year too,” she said in a 1973 interview. “I don’t want to not do either one.”

She married her first husband, Rick Edelstein, in 1970. Their marriage lasted until 1972. The Hollywood icon married screenwriter Jonathan D. Krane in 1980 and the pair adopted three children together. He died in August 2016, just a few months before Sally announced the devastating death of their daughter, Hannah Krane. 

Who Is Sally’s Daughter Claire Kellerman? 

The Emmy nominee became a mom for the first time in the 1970s when she adopted her niece, Claire. Sally viewed Claire as her own, and she served as the maid of honor at the actress’ 1980 wedding to Jonathan. That same year, Sally starred in the coming-of-age film Foxes. In an interview with Roger Ebert after the film’s release, she spoke about how she related to her role of Mary. 

“I could identify with the role. I have a daughter who’s 15,” she said. “She doesn’t have the problems of the kids in this movie, but she does think she’s going to be better than me at everything. That’s what she says: ‘I’m gonna be better than you are. A better singer. Better at everything.’ I asked her one thing: ‘Do you think that’ll make you happy? Wait and see if it does.’ She got real quiet.”

Who Is Sally’s Son Jack Krane?

Sally adopted Jack and his twin sister, Hannah, when she was 52. “A friend said, ‘All your friends think you’re crazy,’” she told the Los Angeles Times in April 2013 about becoming a mom again later in life. “I said, ‘You’re kidding.’ I never had a sense of my age, and I don’t intend to.”

In her 2013 memoir, Read My Lips: Stories of a Hollywood Life, Sally shared several great memories with her children, including bringing them home for the first time. Jonathan’s stepmother, Bubby, was there to greet them and see the babies, a special kind of “unconditional love” that Sally was always grateful for. 

Who Was Sally’s Daughter Hannah Krane?

In October 2016, the singer shared a devastating post on Facebook to announce that her daughter, Hannah, had died.

“So sorry to report the sudden and unexpected passing of my beloved daughter Hannah Krane at the age of 27 on Sunday, October 23,” she began. “Just a little more than three months after I lost my darling husband Jonathan. Thank Heaven for her twin brother, Jack. We ask for your love and support at this terrible time. Love, Sally.”

Just a few months earlier, she had thanked her twins for being with her after losing her husband. The pair were by her side as she grieved and later returned to her career as a performer.