Valerie Perrine, the actress who earned an Oscar nomination for her searing portrayal of Honey Bruce in Bob Fosse's Lenny and charmed audiences as Miss Teschmacher in Superman, died on March 23 at age 82. Her family confirmed this week that the cause was complications from Parkinson's disease, which she had battled privately for over a decade [1].

Perrine's career defined a particular moment in 1970s Hollywood. A former Las Vegas showgirl, she broke through with Lenny in 1974, playing the wife of comedian Lenny Bruce opposite Dustin Hoffman. The performance won her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination, establishing her as one of the decade's most compelling screen presences.

She followed Lenny with a role in Superman (1978) that showcased her comedic timing, playing Lex Luthor's girlfriend opposite Gene Hackman and Christopher Reeve. The part became one of the film's most beloved elements, a warmly funny counterpoint to the spectacle.

Her career slowed in the 1980s, a trajectory she later attributed to the industry's narrow tolerance for women aging past their twenties. She continued working steadily in smaller films and television through the 1990s and 2000s, though never again at the level her talent warranted.

Perrine disclosed her Parkinson's diagnosis in 2014 and retreated from public life in her final years. She is survived by no immediate family. Fellow actors and directors posted tributes throughout the week, with many noting that her body of work deserved more recognition than it received.

-- MAYA CALLOWAY, New York