In my social group, it often falls upon me to keep the conversation or the evening rolling. In recent years this has become true, especially for some parties that fail to start off on the right foot. Again, it's up to me to get it going. One of my most successful techniques is a little game I invented that I call "Casting Couch." One person names a film and a character in it, and tries to find an actor or actress who could replace the original performer convincingly. The trick is to name a film and character who were played so well that one cannot separate the actor from the role. For example, can you imagine anyone but Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice, or Bette Davis in All About Eve? Who else could do Marlon Brando's role in The Godfather or Dustin Hoffman's in Rainman? It gets difficult, doesn't it, especially when you have a group of people disagreeing with you. Having been the game's originator, I've discovered there are some roles that are so closely associated with the actors that no one would dare suggest a replacement who could do it as well. Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? always stump the players. Another one of those stumpers is the role of Anna, which Sally Kirkland immortalized in the 1987 film Anna.

Anna earned Kirkland an Oscar nomination, and she took home the Golden Globe, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award, the Independent Spirit Award and an accolade from the film-industry group Women In Film. Her portrayal of the forgotten and neglected Czechoslovakian actress Anna made her performance one of the best film roles for women ever.

Having grown up surrounded by the famous and having had a mother who was a celebrity in her own right (Sally Kirkland senior was fashion editor at Vogue for 10 years, later moving on to Life), it was inevitable that the younger Sally would walk the path to stardom. In a career spanning more than 70 films, she has had the distinction to work with actors like Robert Redford, Barbara Streisand, Kevin Costner and Martin Landau and to star in films such as The Sting, The Way We Were, JFK, and, most recently, in Excess Baggage and Ed TV.

Besides having a successful film and theater career, Sally has embraced many unforgettable roles in television including those of David's mother in ABC's Roseanne and more recently as Tracey on Days of Our Lives, as well as Professor Sherman on Felicity. She recently finished a film for television titled Norma Jean, Jack and Me, where she plays the sultry Marilyn Monroe.

In addition to her busy life as an actress, Sally keeps herself busy by being a leading acting coach. Having studied under actor-coaches Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen, she is regarded as one of the industry's most respected coaches. Through seminars and private tutoring, she has taught thousands of students. Sally has been an ordained minister in the Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness for the past 25 years. She travels the country as a spokesperson for the Humantics Foundation for Women, The Institute for Individual and World Peace, and the Kirkland Institute of Silicone Syndrome Survival. She was recently voted into the American Civil Liberties Union. Sally shares her homes in West Hollywood and Malibu with her dog and companion, Shiva, and her 12-year-old godson, Marpa, who recently came to live with her.

Kareem Tabsch: How many pets do you have?
Sally Kirkland: My male Shih Tzu, Shiva, will be 5 in April. He was named after Lord Shiva, Lord of the Universe.

KT: Shiva is somewhat of a celebrity in his own right, isn't he?
SK: Yes, he was in Wilbur Falls with Danny Aiello, and on Showtime in a movie called The Westing Game, as well as a few others. He has also been on The Joan Rivers Show, as well as with Sam Rubin on The Today Show. He was also in a film I made named Starry Night.

KT: Other than Shiva, have you worked with many animals?
SK: Yes, I tamed five tigers and two lions in the 1992 Circus of the Stars [television show].

KT: Growing up, did you have many animals around?
SK: As a kid I had macaws and turtles. In the 1970s I had two cats, Charlie and Krishna, 36 tropical fish, 40 hamsters and many parakeets.

KT: What have you learned from your pets?
SK: Innocence and joy. [Shiva's] tail is always wagging. Only once have I seen him have a nervous reaction, and I'd say he was taking on my sadness. I had his cards read: he is a triple Aries. He is a very peaceful dog, but I have had two scares. He once slipped out of my house in Malibu and walked around the beaches for a few hours. Luckily some neighbors spotted him and called me. Also, relatively recently, he slipped into my neighbor's house where they have a poodle he plays with, and got locked in. I went crazy and thought he was lost, so I climbed over my balcony and into my neighbor's place to get my Shiva.

KT: What is your hardest responsibility as a pet owner?
SK: The structure. I have no basic structure in my life. In a way, being with Shiva has given me structure, but as an actress, when my work is going crazy, sometimes I cannot bring him onto the set, and I feel like I'm neglecting him. I can't walk him at the same time every day, 'cause sometimes I am really busy. I can't ever think of the possibility of not having a pet. The last five years with Shiva have been an amazing lesson in responsibility. In a funny way he has become my personal life. I don't date as much as I used to because he is my companion. Having Shiva, this little person, has grounded me, and how depressed can I get when he is wagging his tail all day? You know, the Shih Tzu was the Tibetan temple dog, and guarded the temple from evil spirits. For me, it was very important having a little Shih Tzu guarding my temple. It was so obvious from the first hour I spent with him that we were made for each other, and I feel God gave him to me. He is a great dog and very peaceful and quiet, which was an important factor when I got him because I have tinnitus in my left ear, which only lets me hear bells, so peace and quiet is very important.

KT: What upcoming projects can fans expect?
SK: I have a film on March 6 at 9 P.M. on Lifetime called My Husband's Other Woman. Also look out for Norma Jean, Jack, and Me where I play Marilyn Monroe.

KT: Do you feel that animals and humans have a connection on a spiritual level?
SK: I think they do. I think they feel when we're happy and when we're sad, and I think they know. One time I was stressed, and Shiva could sense my stress, and his house training went out the window. I think we're at a very peaceful place together. It is gonna be interesting having my godson move in. I think owning Shiva has been one of the best things for me. I've had a very roller-coaster life as an actress, but Shiva has given me a family.

KT: What message would you like to convey?
SK: If you've never had a pet, for goodness sake what's stopping you? If you're lonely or your health is stressed out and you want a simple way to feel better and make friends, get a pet. God has given me a way of unconditional loving and it gives you a reason to laugh, love and cuddle, and you know you mean so much to them, you have a reason in the world.

-Kareem Tabsch is a freelance writer who specializes in celebrity interviews. He has interviewed celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Hope, Joan Rivers, Julio Iglesias, and Barbara Mandrell, among others. He writes frequently on animal-related issues as well as on the entertainment industry.