Valerie Perrine, Star of Superman and Oscar Nominee, Passes Away at 82
Valerie Perrine, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her dynamic roles in film, passed away at her home in Beverly Hills on Monday at the age of 82. Her death follows a 15-year struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Perrine’s notable performances include a porn actress abducted by aliens in Slaughterhouse-Five, Lex Luthor’s secretary in two Superman films, and her acclaimed portrayal of Lenny Bruce’s wife in Lenny.
The news of her passing was shared by friend Stacey Souther, who has launched a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral expenses. “Valerie Perrine gave everything she had to her craft, her fans, and her life — with grace, humor, and an indomitable spirit that Parkinson’s itself could never fully extinguish,” Souther stated. “Let’s make sure her final chapter is written with the same dignity and love that she gave to all of us.”
Born on September 3, 1943, in Galveston, Texas, Perrine began her career as a Las Vegas showgirl before transitioning to acting. In 1969, she landed the role of Montana Wildhack in Slaughterhouse-Five after meeting an agent at a dinner party. “That’s how I became an actress,” she recounted in a 2025 interview.
In 1973, Perrine made waves with her performance in PBS’s Steambath, noted for its groundbreaking depiction of female nudity on network television. Her success was solidified in 1974 when she received an Oscar nomination and a Cannes Film Festival award for her role as Honey Bruce in Lenny, starring alongside Dustin Hoffman.
Perrine also gained widespread fame for her portrayal as Lex Luthor’s girlfriend, Miss Eve Teschmacher, in the 1978 blockbuster Superman and its sequel. She starred in The Electric Horseman (1979) as Charlotta Steele, the ex-wife of Robert Redford’s character.
Her career faced a setback in 1980 with her participation in the critically panned film Can’t Stop the Music, which she described as ruining her career and prompting a move to Europe due to embarrassment.
Despite this, Perrine continued to act, appearing in works such as The Border with Jack Nicholson, NBC’s miniseries The Secrets of Lake Success, and CBS’s sitcom Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills. Her later roles included a part in the 2000 film What Women Want and a guest spot in the 1995 episode of Homicide: Life on the Street.
A documentary titled Valerie, directed by Souther, chronicled Perrine’s career and her battle with Parkinson’s disease, released in 2020. She is survived by her brother Kenneth, who shares her diagnosis.
