Marilyn Burns

Marilyn Burns (born Mary Lynn Ann Burns; May 7, 1949 – August 5, 2014) was an American actress. Burns is best known for her performance as survivor Sally Hardesty in Tobe Hooper's exploitation horror film ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974), which is considered one of the best horror films of all time. In 2009, Burns was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame at the Phoenix Film Festival. In 2025, the film was her first to be inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

While in college, Burns was involved in the Houston film industry. She made her film debut in Robert Altman's comedy ''Brewster McCloud'' (1970) as a tour guide. Burns' most notable performances outside of the ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' films were Linda Kasabian in the Emmy nominated true crime television film ''Helter Skelter'' (1976) and Faye in Hooper's horror film ''Eaten Alive'' (1977). On August 5, 2014, she was found dead in her home. Her final film, ''In a Madman's World'' (2017), was released posthumously. Provided by Wikipedia