Sylvia Miles, Oscar-nominated for ‘Midnight Cowboy’ and ‘Farewell My Lovely,’ dies at 94

Actress Sylvia Miles, who was Oscar-nominated for “Midnight Cowboy” and “Farewell, My Lovely,” died Wednesday at her home in New York.

Her friends, journalist Michael Musto and actress Geraldine Smith, confirmed her death to the Variety. The actress was reportedly 94, although she gave various accounts of her age.

Celebrity journalist Musto, who was about to appear with Smith and Miles in an indie film, said, “She was one of my first celebrity interviews (in the 1970s) and was charismatic and career driven. She’d run up to directors at Studio 54 and say ''Hire me!'' She was very proud of her two Oscar nominations.”

Smith said “Her family was her New York friends,” and related how she had been excited to get back to acting.

Miles’ first major role came in the 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy” alongside Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. Despite only appearing on screen for about six minutes, her role as Cass earned her an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. The award later went to Goldie Hawn for “Cactus Flower.” Her second nomination for the same award came in 1975 for Robert Mitchum and Charlotte Rampling’s noir remake “Farewell, My Lovely.” She played Jessie Halstead Florian in another brief appearance, but Lee Grant took home the award for “Shampoo.”