Margot Kidder

Biography

Margaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018) was a Canadian-American actress, director, and activist whose extensive career spanned more than fifty years. Her impressive list of achievements includes three Canadian Screen Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award. While she had a diverse repertoire of film and television roles, Kidder is predominantly recognized for her portrayal of Lois Lane in the Superman film series, in which she starred in the first four installments.

Kidder was born in Yellowknife to a Canadian mother and an American father, spending her upbringing in the Northwest Territories and various other provinces across Canada. She embarked on her acting journey in the 1960s, taking on roles in low-budget Canadian films and television shows. Her breakthrough came with a leading role in Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970). She further showcased her talent by playing twins in Brian De Palma's cult classic Sisters (1973), a sorority student in the horror film Black Christmas (1974), and the girlfriend of the lead character in The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), alongside Robert Redford. In 1977, Kidder's career reached new heights when she was cast as Lois Lane in Richard Donner's Superman (1978), a role that solidified her place in mainstream cinema. Her portrayal of Kathy Lutz in the hit horror film The Amityville Horror (1979) further boosted her visibility, leading to her reprising the role of Lois Lane in Superman II, III, and IV between 1980 and 1987.

The 1990s brought significant challenges for Kidder, including serious injuries from a car accident in 1990 that left her temporarily paralyzed, and a widely publicized manic episode and breakdown in 1996 due to bipolar disorder. However, by the 2000s, she was actively working in independent films and television, with guest appearances in shows such