Margot Kidder, star of stage and screen, best known for her role as Lois Lane in the Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, has died at 69. The actress reportedly died late Sunday night in her home in Montana, though no cause of death has been revealed.
Kidder’s career began in the 60s with an appearance on the short-lived television drama Wojeck and continued into the present day, most recently with an appearance in the 2017 film, The Neighborhood. Her career spanned through 135 credits in movies and on TV, including appearances in Baretta, Barnaby Jones, and Mod Squad.
It was in 1978 that Kidder got her big break in Richard Donner’s Superman. Kidder would play the iconic Lois Lane in four films over the next decade, holding her own against Reeve and establishing Lois Lane as a modern-day hero in her own right. Like Reeve’s Superman, Kidder’s Lois has become the gold standard by which portrayals of the character are judged, and her interpretation of Lois can be felt even in the more recent big screen outings like Superman Returns and Man of Steal.
Kidder unwittingly, but bravely, became the face of mental health awareness after suffering through a dramatic public breakdown in 1996. The actress disappeared for three days in Los Angeles and was found disheveled and frightened in bushes before being sent for psychiatric evaluation. In 2006, the actress spoke out about her mental health and mental health awareness, giving thanks to an unknown homeless man named Charlie for saving her life.
“We are all, each and every one of you in this place, are a breath away from mental illness, homelessness, all of these things we tend to so look down on…We are all one human family and we really have to take care of each other.”
Despite her very public battle with mental illness, Kidder continued appearing in both movies and on television, often with a wry nod to her boisterous, outgoing personality. Additionally, the actress supported various charities helping those with mental illness get the help they need to recover.
Kidder’s long career is an inspiration, but so too was her tenacity in the face of despair. She was warm hearted, kind, bombastic, and brave. She leaves behind a legacy of greatness, from Superman to Amittyville Horror and Black Christmas, as well as giving with her charitable work and political activism. Through her ups and her downs she served as a model for overcoming adversity, and her presence will certainly be missed.
