Superman film beauty passes away after battling Parkinson’s disease
The late actress passed away in the deep sorrow and grief of her family, friends, and fans.
According to Page Six, Valerie Perrine — the actress best known for her role in the Superman film series starring Christopher Reeve — has passed away at the age of 82. The late actress died at her home in Beverly Hills, California, on the morning of March 23 after a brave battle with Parkinson’s disease.
On Facebook, her close friend Stacey Souther announced: “I am deeply saddened to share that Valerie has passed away. She faced Parkinson’s with extraordinary courage and compassion, never once complaining.” The director described Valerie Perrine as a true inspiration who lived life to the fullest and remarked that “the world is a less vibrant place without her.” He concluded with a message of love, saying he would see her again in the next life.
Stacey Souther also called for a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise $35,000 (approximately 922 million VND) for Valerie Perrine’s funeral. On social media, the sudden passing of the famous actress left many audiences shocked and heartbroken. They left numerous comments expressing condolences and wishing the Superman beauty to rest in peace.
Valerie Perrine was born in Galveston, Texas, USA on September 3, 1943. She began her career as a dancer performing at the Stardust resort and casino in Las Vegas in 1968. It wasn’t until 1972, when she was cast as Montana Wildhack in the film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Slaughterhouse-Five, that Valerie Perrine began her acting career.
“Acting was not something I pursued,” she shared in an interview published in July 2025. “I attended a small dinner party where an agent was looking for someone to play Montana Wildhack in George Roy Hill’s Slaughterhouse-Five. The agent saw something in me and thought I would be perfect for the role. That’s how I became an actress,” Valerie Perrine said.
Valerie Perrine went on to star in The Last American Hero in 1973 and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role as the troubled wife of Lenny Bruce (played by Dustin Hoffman) in Lenny (1974). However, it wasn’t until she was cast as Eve Teschmacher in Superman: The Movie (1978) that she became widely known to audiences across the United States. Her character served as both the personal assistant and lover of Lex Luthor — Superman’s archenemy. Valerie Perrine reprised this role in Superman II (1980), leaving a strong impression with her sensual appearance and captivating presence.
In the same year, 1980, the actress appeared in the disco musical comedy Can’t Stop the Music alongside the group Village People and Caitlyn Jenner (the parent of Kendall and Kylie Jenner). The film was so poorly received that it became one of the two films that laid the foundation for the Golden Raspberry Awards. Valerie Perrine once blamed the film for “ruining” her career. She later moved to Europe because she felt too embarrassed.
In addition to Lenny and Superman, Perrine also acted in W.C. Fields and Me (1976) and The Electric Horseman (1979), starring alongside Rod Steiger in the former and Robert Redford in the latter. The late actress also had an impressive television career, becoming the first woman to perform a sensual scene in the 1973 PBS film Steambath.
Considered a sex symbol in the United States, Valerie Perrine was featured multiple times in Playboy magazine and was described as a “Hollywood sex symbol” in a 1974 New York Times article. “I have so many wonderful memories from my career, and I was fortunate to work with some of the best people in the industry at that time in the 1970s. It was a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun,” Valerie Perrine said in her final interview.
Source: Page Six
