‘Superman’ And ‘Lenny’ Star Valerie Perrine Has Passed Away At The Age Of 82

Valerie Perrine, the former late 60s Las Vegas showgirl turned actress, has passed away at the age of 82. She was best known for her role as the drug-addicted stripper Honey Bruce in Bob Fosse’s Lenny (1974), for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Perrine also appeared alongside Christopher Reeve in Superman and Superman II as Eve Teschmacher, Lex Luthor’s secretary and accomplice.

The announcement was made by Perrine’s close friend and caretaker, Stacy Souther, who has been taking care of Perrine since she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015. Souther wrote in a heartfelt message,

​It is with deep sadness that I share the heartbreaking news that Valerie has passed away. She faced Parkinson’s disease with incredible courage and compassion, never once complaining. She was a true inspiration who lived life to the fullest—and what a magnificent life it was. The world feels less beautiful without her in it. I love you, Valerie. I’ll see you on the other side.

Perrine was widely regarded as a sex symbol during the period in the industry where there was a “feminist backlash” towards sex symbols. The New York Times details her as “a sensual Betty Boop, with her cherubic blue eyes, button nose, and rosebud lips.”

Perrine’s extensive filmography includes the 1972 adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, The Last American Hero (1973) where she co-starred with Jeff Bridges, The Electric Horseman (1979) where she shared the screen with Robert Redford and Jane Foda, the Razzie-nominated Can’t Stop the Music (1980), and the British comedy film Water (1985) where she worked alongside Michael Caine, dubbing him  “the nicest human being I’ve ever worked with.”

Perrine had never married nor did she leave any children behind. Her brother, Ken Perrine, wrote of her passing,

​I am devastated by the loss of my amazing sister Valerie this morning. She lived an extraordinary life most us can only dream of. She will be missed by all that knew her and her loving fans. She fought till the end and never gave up.