Kellerman made her debut film in
Reform School Girl (
1957) before starring in several classic
The Outer Limits episodes,
The Outer Limits:
The Human Factor and
The Outer Limits:
The Bellero Shield and also starring as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in the second filmed
pilot episode of
Star Trek (
1965), entitled "
Where No Man Has Gone Before", opposite actors
Gary Lockwood and
William Shatner.
Kellerman would also co-star with
Tony Curtis in
The Boston Strangler (
1968) in which she starred as the only surviving victim. In 1969, she reportedly almost talked herself out of her most famous role. She had an argument with
M*A*S*H director
Robert Altman after reading the script. She was incensed about the way her proposed character, Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, was to be humiliated. Altman said that her attitude and passion was exactly what he was looking for in that character.
M*A*S*H was released earning Kellerman an offer she would immediately refuse, the role of "Hot Lips" in
M*A*S*H the
television series. The role would later be given to
Loretta Swit. M*A*S*H would not be the last successful team effort between Kellerman and
director Robert Altman, Kellerman would star in two Robert Altman films, in
Brewster McCloud (1970) and
Welcome to LA (
1976). Kellerman co-starred to
Diane Lane and
Lawrence Oliver in
A Little Romance (
1979), also co-starring with
Jodie Foster in
Foxes (
1980). Kellerman reportedly turned down the role of Linda Rogo in
The Poseidon Adventure. The role went to
Stella Stevens.
Kellerman starred as
comedian Rodney Dangerfield's love interest in
Back to School and the same year co-starred with
Julie Andrews and
Jack Lemmon in
Blake Edwards That's Life (
1986). Kellerman would again team up with Robert Altman in
The Player (
1992), and in
Prêt-à-Porter (
1994) a
film in which Kellerman co-starred alongside some of the biggest names in
Hollywood, Marcello Mastroianni, Sophia Loren, Lauren Bacall, Tim Robbins, Julia Roberts, Kim Basinger, Linda Hunt, Forest Whitaker and
Cher.
Recently, Kellerman starred in
American Virgin (2000),
Boynton Beach Club (2006) and making a somewhat quirky appearance as herself, in which she leads a
cult in
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman (2006). Kellerman can be seen as a cameo in
Amy Heckerling's I Could Never Be Your Woman (
2007) and is set to team up with her husband,
Jonathan D. Krane, Dedee Pfeiffer and
Dylan and Cole Sprouse in
The Prince and the Pauper (
2007).
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