Actress Margot Kidder of "Superman" fame died on Sunday, May 14, at the age of 69. Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, Kidder aspired to be an actress as a young girl. After graduating from boarding school, Kidder moved to Los Angeles, and eventually landed her first feature film role in the 1969 comedy "Gaily, Gaily," starring alongside Beau Bridges.

Margot Kidder's film career

After the director of "Gaily, Gaily" criticized her performance, Kidder moved to New York City to study acting and take on roles in television. She began a relationship with film director Brian De Palma and starred as a lead in his 1972 film "Sisters," for which she earned critical praise for portraying conjoined twins.

After taking a break from acting to care for her daughter, Kidder was cast as Lois Lane alongside Christopher Reeve's Superman in the 1978 and 1980 "Superman" and "Superman II" films. She went on to reprise the role throughout the rest of the film series. In 2004, Kidder and Reeve returned to the Superman franchise as guest stars on episodes of "Smallville."

Kidder also starred in the popular horror movie classics, "Black Christmas" (1974) and "The Amityville Horror" (1979).

In 2015, Kidder won an Emmy Award for her role in R.L. Stine's "The Haunting Hour."

Her last film, "The Neighborhood," was released in 2017, and currently has a rating of 7.6 on IMDb.

Personal life

Margot Kidder had her only child, daughter Maggie, with her first husband Thomas McGuane.

She married to more times, including to "Home Alone" actor John Heard. Kidder struggled psychologically throughout her life and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In a widely publicized incident in 1996, Kidder entered a manic state and faked her death, disappearing for several days and altering her appearance to stay hidden.

She was able to get back on her feet and became a powerful advocate for mental health awareness.

As a liberal political activist

Kidder was a supporter of Democratic and liberal causes both in the United States and Canada. She became a political activist during the Gulf War and spoke out against the war efforts. She became an American citizen in 2005 so that she could participate in voting.

She actively supported Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign and supported Senator Bernie Sanders' campaign in the 2016 election. In 2011, Kidder was arrested alongside other protestors while protesting extending the Keystone Pipeline in Washington DC and continued to defend the environment by speaking out against fracking and supporting sustainable energy.

"Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill tweeted the following about the actress, "On-screen she was magic. Off-screen she was one of the kindest, sweetest, most caring woman I've ever known. I'll miss you #MargoKidder. Your legacy will live on forever."
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