Only seen her in Death Wish 4 and Stripped to Kill and she was terrible in both.

She won two Emmy awards (one daytime, one primetime) and her awards and nominations span a fairly long span of time. You might say she WAS a pretty big star, especially since a lot of 1970s-era actresses have been put to pasture and Key seems to keep working.
I think the larger problem is Hollywood's short shelf life for actresses generally. They seem to need major, breakthrough roles with a ton of publicity AND critical acclaim before they're 30 or they get sidelined for whatever's coming up in the next crop of actresses.
The other problem for Kay is she kind of fit the 1970s "type" for actresses and there were plenty of actresses who looked like her, making her sort of interchangeable with others like her.

It sounds like the rude remarks may have been manufactured to "blackball" her out of the industry. She seems like a very likable person. She is and always has been a superb actress. Like Sissy Spacek, she seems so natural when she's "acting." She was beautiful in THE INITIATION OF SARAH. I wish she could have worked with some of the great filmmakers because she could have been another Karen Black (in her own, unique style).

Kay was better than the material usually given to her. Deserved bigger choices IMO
http://www.tinaaumontseyes.com

I read somewhere that Kay was upset at being turned down for the role of Regan MacNeil in the "The Exorcist" (she was too old it said), and that 'she became a rude, selfish spoiled celebrity who was largely ignored by Hollywood since then'.
I have no idea whether this is true or not. But something must have happened, as she was not seen in much after the '80s.
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

She's always been an outstanding actress. Bigger fame may not have been in the stars or the cards, but she came out on top in talent and beauty.