Margot Kidder – a life in pictures
The 69-year-old actor, known for roles in Superman and The Amityville Horror, has died of throat cancer. Her career was filled with blockbuster roles and unconventional choices
‘The thing about being famous is, first of all, it’s weird. The only people who get how weird it is are other famous people. So there’s this unspoken club where you go, and say to each other: ‘Oh God, if they only knew how ordinary I was, they wouldn’t be interested.’’ Margot Kidder and Beau Bridges in Gaily, Gaily1969Photograph: Allstar/The Mirisch Production Company
‘I guess I came to terms with my demons. Or else I’d be in big trouble, wouldn’t I? Horrifying as it was to crack up in the public eye, it made me look at myself and fix it.’ Margot Kidder and Bill Finley in SistersPhotograph: AIP/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock
‘Acting’s fun, but life’s more important.’ Margot Kidder in Black ChristmasPhotograph: Film Funding/Vision Iv/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock
‘People were exploitative; that’s human nature. I’ll tell you, being pretty crazy while being chased by the National Enquirer is not good. The British tabloids were the worst. But you take the cards you’re dealt, and I got better.’ Margot Kidder and Peter Fonda in 92 in the ShadePhotograph: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock
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‘Nudity in the flesh doesn’t bother me. But having my mind uncovered – that scares the hell out of me.’Margot Kidder and Michael Sarrazin in The Reincarnation of Peter ProudPhotograph: Allstar//Bing Crosby Prod
‘I remember when we were making it I thought it was going to be a flop. A lot of it was arduous and dull. The flying I didn’t think would work either. Nothing prepares anyone for that sudden thing of being world famous, it was such a shock. It wasn’t something I really liked or something I was very good at. I didn’t realise how good the movie was until I had seen it at the premiere in Washington.’ Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve in SupermanPhotograph: Allstar/Warner Bros
‘The energy we had was one of brother and sister, which was often bickering, that took the place of romantic energy. No one noticed the difference one from the other – it worked. We didn’t have to create a different reality.’ Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve in SupermanPhotograph: Allstar/Warner Bros
‘What a piece of shit! I couldn’t believe that anyone would take that seriously. I was laughing my whole way through it, much to the annoyance of Rod Steiger, who took the whole thing very seriously.’ Margot Kidder and James Brolin in The Amityville HorrorPhotograph: Rex/Shutterstock/AIP/Kobal
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‘I suppose that if you want to be famous and suddenly it happens and you don’t like it, it’s nobody’s fault but your own.’ Margot Kidder in The Amityville HorrorPhotograph: Allstar/Cinetext/MGM
‘With any group of people in life, sad things happen, and crazy things, and happy things. When you’re in the public eye, it’s just amplified, that’s all. There’s no curse.’ Margot Kidder and Michael Ontkean in Willie and PhilPhotograph: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock
‘My grandson sees me as Lois on TV every Christmas, and that scores me points.’ Margot Kidder and Sarah Douglas in Superman IIPhotograph: Allstar/Warner Bros
‘It was exciting, but for a while being typecast as Lois made my vanity and narcissism scream. Hadn’t people seen my other work? But now my grandkids watch it, and think I was Superman’s friend, so that’s a thrill.’ Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve in Superman IIPhotograph: Allstar/Warner Bros
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‘I fell in love with him in two seconds flat ... He was smart and funny and sexy, and you wanted to take care of him. He was wonderful. Oh gosh ... he was just – Richard was irresistible.’ Margot Kidder and Richard Pryor in Some Kind of HeroPhotograph: Paramount/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock
‘What happened to me – the biggest nervous breakdown in history, bar possibly Vivien Leigh’s – is not so uncommon. I’ve had thousands of supportive letters from all over the world. It’s just that mine was public. If you’re gonna fall apart, do it in your own bedroom.’ Margot Kidder and Michael Riley in To Catch A KillerPhotograph: Rex/Shutterstock
‘I now know how unusual it is and how lucky I was to have known really early on what I wanted to do.’ Margor Kidder in 2015Photograph: Albert L Ortega/Getty Images
