(L to R) Valerie Perrine and Gene Hackman in ‘Superman II’. Photo: Warner Bros.
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Valerie Perrine has died at the age of 82.
She was best known for her roles in ‘Superman’ and ‘Lenny.’
In later years, she became an advocate for Parkinson’s disease awareness after her diagnosis.
Valerie Perrine, the actress who captivated audiences with her bold performances in films like ‘Superman’ and ‘Lenny,’ has died at the age of 82.
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Her death was announced by friend Stacey Souther, who has set up a GoFundMe page to help defray funeral costs.
Here’s Souther’s statement:
“Valerie Perrine gave everything she had to her craft, her fans, and her life — with grace, humor, and an indomitable spirit that Parkinson’s itself could never fully extinguish. Let’s make sure her final chapter is written with the same dignity and love that she gave to all of us.”
(L to R) Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine in ‘Lenny’. Photo: United Artists.
Born September 3, 1943, in Galveston, Texas, Valerie Perrine grew up with a passion for performance and entertainment. She began her career as a dancer and showgirl in Las Vegas before transitioning into acting.
Her breakthrough came in 1974 when she starred as Honey Bruce in ‘Lenny,’ opposite Dustin Hoffman. Her fearless and emotionally layered performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and established her as one of the most compelling actresses of her time.
Valerie Perrine: A Life in Film and Television
(L to R) Valerie Perrine and Jeff Bridges in the documentary ‘Valerie’.
Following ‘Lenny,’ Perrine gained widespread recognition for her role as Eve Teschmacher in the 1978 blockbuster ‘Superman,’ starring alongside Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman. She reprised the role in ‘Superman II,’ further cementing her place in pop culture history.
Throughout her career, Perrine appeared in a range of films and television projects, showcasing her versatility in both dramatic and comedic roles. While she never fully courted the spotlight in later years, her performances remained beloved by fans and critics alike.
Valerie Perrine: Offscreen
Valerie Perrine in the documentary ‘Valerie’.
In her personal life, Perrine faced significant health challenges, including a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, which she publicly discussed in later years. She became an advocate for awareness, speaking candidly about her condition and inspiring others with her resilience.
She will be remembered for her daring performances, her vibrant personality, and the lasting impact she made on Hollywood and audiences around the world.
(L to R) Valerie Perrine and Gene Hackman in ‘Superman II’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Selected Movies and TV Shows Featuring Valerie Perrine:
Jerry Bruckheimer says he’s developing a sequel to 1995 submarine thriller ‘Crimson Tide’.
Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman starred in the original.
A writer and director are involved in the new potential project.
Having seen big success wrangling a sequel to one of his previous hits via ‘Top Gun Maverick,’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer is looking to do it again.
Talking on a recent episode of ‘The Rich Eisen Show,’ Bruckheimer revealed that he was in the early stages of developing a follow-up to 1995 submarine thriller ‘Crimson Tide.’
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While the new project is still very much in its infancy, Bruckheimer did say that a writer and director –– who he did not name –– were already having discussions with the Navy as to the current state of undersea warfare, as a new scenario will be needed for this movie.
In the near future, Russian rebels have seized control of one of the ICBM bases in the USSR. Alarmed by the prospect of a rebel strike, the U.S. sends the USS Alabama, a nuclear ballistic missile submarine, to watch over the base and retaliate in case they launch.
While on patrol, the submarine is attacked and the radio systems are knocked out, but after first receiving an emergency message from HQ to launch nuclear missiles at the rebels. A second emergency message received during the battle is only partially recovered.
Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman) decides to carry out the first order to launch the missiles regardless while Executive Officer Hunter (Denzel Washington) wants to wait for a successful receipt of the second message once the radio systems are repaired. The conflict escalates into mutiny as Ramsey and Hunter fight for control of the Alabama’s nuclear missiles.
But it was perhaps more famous for the people behind the keyboard for the script; while Michael Schiffer’s name is on the screenplay, with Richard P. Henrick credited for the story, there was an extensive list of writers who did passes, including Robert Towne and Quentin Tarantino.
According to Bruckheimer, the hope is to entice Washington to return (Hackman retired years ago and died in February of this year).
Here’s what he said about the possibility:
“If we give him a good script, I think he’d do it.”
Variety reached out to a source close to Washington, who brought word that the actor would consider the idea, but is certainly waiting to see any screenplay.
As to who is at work on the concepts for the new movie, Bruckheimer declined to name them.
There are no details, plot or otherwise, about this sequel, so we can only speculate what it might focus on. The technology behind nuclear submarines has moved on considerably from the days of the original, and yet the basics remain.
A nuclear submarine was a key plot point in the last two ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies, and the concept of technology aboard such a vessel could well play into the new one.
And it’s worth noting that Disney, which has the rights to ‘Crimson Tide’, has yet to comment on the possibility of any sequel –– but given Bruckheimer’s long working relationship with the studio, he certainly has leeway to say what he likes about future projects.
Here’s what Bruckheimer told Eisen about a potential return for Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell:
“I can’t talk about [the story] yet, but it’s a real good one.”
What else is Denzel Washington working on?
Denzel Washington attends Netflix’s ‘The Piano Lesson’ LA premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on November 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images for Netflix.
Though he has been making statements about retiring, at least from acting, he’s still keeping busy.
This is what he said about potentially stepping back from being on screen:
“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker. The things that are going on for me professionally behind the camera are as important to me now as in front of the camera. I think there’s less and less time I’ll be spending in front of the camera.”
He’s preparing to work on crime drama ‘Here Comes the Flood,’ and he’s talked up a potential role in the planned third ‘Black Panther’ movie, which director Ryan Coogler has confirmed could happen, and he has other possible roles coming up, including a project about the historical warrior Hannibal.
And even if he does decide that his days as an actor are numbered, he’ll likely to continue to produce and direct movies.
When might the ‘Crimson Tide’ sequel be on screens?
With the script not even written yet and no other details offered, we don’t expect this one to come together for a while yet.
If Denzel Washington does sign on to star, that’ll have this one moving a little faster and encourage the studio financiers to turn their keys and release the funds for this one to be made.
Following last year’s decent if unspectacular return to Oscar standard behavior, the 2025 ceremony was one heralded with some trepidation. There was a new host (comedian and talk show veteran Conan O’Brien), the need to pay tribute to Los Angeles in the wake of the devastating wildfires and speculation as to whether many of the categories would break the way they have in other awards shows.
As it turned out, it was a giant night for one movie which, while it had certainly been seen as a major contender, hadn’t been performing that way elsewhere. Some history was made and while the speeches had a political flavor at times, the show itself largely eschewed politics (beyond one smart gag about a certain sitting president and his attitude to Russia).
All said and done, despite a hefty running time (three hours and 45 minutes all told), this year’s Academy Awards is likely to be seen as largely a success. Read on for more of our thoughts…
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the long-running stage musical may only have picked up a couple of trophies on the night (more on one of them below), but following a middling montage celebrating movies set in Los Angeles, the movie’s stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, kicked off the show properly with a blast of nostalgia and then smart use of ‘Wicked’s standout song.
The pair began with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” before segueing into “Defying Gravity” and the stylish presentation combined with powerhouse pipes proved to be just the right mix of celebration and spectacle.
There were the usual concerns in some quarters when Conan O’Brien was announced as this year’s Oscars host –– would he be too intellectual for audiences, was he enough of a “name”? As it turns out, he might just have scored a regular gig (assuming he wants this much pressure every year). Because by all estimations, he was a stellar emcee for the night.
Opening with a ‘Substance’ gag that was fairly expected but still played well, O’Brien’s monologue set the right tone: witty, entertaining and as usual, full of his trademark self-deprecating humor.
From threatening long-winded speeches with ‘Conclave’ star John Lithgow looking sad and disappointed to ejecting a tracksuit-clad, cheery Adam Sandler from the audience, he was assured and calm.
There were also solid gags about Timothée Chalamet’s yellow suit and bike safety, and a funny bit about promising to show stars’ early headshots if they rambled (Chalamet again, with an ultrasound image).
Later in the show there was the crack at Trump via a mention of ‘Anora’ (“I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian”) and a promise that the show was not made using A.I. (“We would never do that; we used child labor — hey, they’re still people!”)
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Yet despite a funny musical number (featuring a dancing Deadpool and a ‘Dune’ sandworm on piano) about not wasting the audience’s time, the show still ran very long, though that was more on the producers than the host. Which bring us to…
Perhaps the most egregious example of padding was the choice of the tribute to the music of James Bond. Introduced by former ‘Die Another Day’ star Halle Berry, it was a mishmash of performance art (Margaret Qualley showing off her well-honed dancing abilities) and karaoke night for the likes of Doja Cat and Lisa from Blackpink.
It’s a little ironic that the celebration of the venerable espionage franchise comes just as it has been fully swallowed up its corporate overlords at Amazon.
Also given special memorial treatment was music icon Quincy Jones, but despite a classy intro from Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, the choice of “Ease on Down the Road” from ‘The Wiz’ was a vaguely confounding one.
Still, if the opening montage fell flat, the respect for First Responders (who have been more a staple of recent award shows than Karla Sofía Gascón) worked much better. Initially seeming like a now-traditional wave-and-accept-applause moment, O’Brien and his writing team turned it around by having fire officers and others read out jokes he thought were too mean, including LAFD Captain Eric Scott kicking off the bit with, “well, our hearts go out to all of those who have lost their homes… and I’m talking about the producers of ‘Joker 2.’ ”
If last year was all about big-budget blockbusters with “Barbenheimer,” 2025 was the year indies struck back.
Sean Baker’s ‘Anora,’ whose combined budget ($6 million) and box office ($40.9 million worldwide) would barely cover some of the salaries for some of the giant movies, went on to take five statuettes, including Best Picture, Best Director for Baker (who also scored Best Original Screenplay and Editing) and Mikey Madison named Best Actress.
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Baker became the first person since Walt Disney in 1954 to win four Oscars in one night (and the first for one movie they have personally directed), and showed that the Academy was ready to root for the little guys again.
Madison’s win was something of a surprise itself –– while she’d been going toe-to-toe with ‘The Substance’ star Demi Moore all awards season –– there had been a narrative of Moore’s legacy forming around the Best Actress gong. Yet it was Madison who ended up taking the stage for a teary, heartfelt speech.
Madison wasn’t the only winner to express her feelings. While the Oscar stage is no stranger to strong emotion, there was the usual blend of politics and heart-string plucking.
Baker used his various triumphs as a combined rallying call to support movies big and small and for seeing films in theaters in this age of shrinking windows and streaming dominance.
Best Documentary Feature ‘No Other Land’s Palestinian co-director Basel Adra called for an end to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, while his Israeli collaborator Yuval Abraham insisted that there can be peaceful solution to the war in Gaza that honors both Palestinian and Israeli people, adding that “the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path. Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe and Basel’s people can be truly free?”
There were shoutouts to sex workers and immigrant children, while Team ‘Brutalist’ (especially composer Daniel Blumberg) seemed surprised and overawed by their wins, giving real, nervy speeches.
Kieran Culkin accepts the Oscar® for Actor in a Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
And then there was the comedic speech of the night, with predicted Best Supporting Actor winner, ‘A Real Pain’s Kieran Culkin proving once more to be anything but on stage. He was enthusiastic and funny, and got further laughs by pointing out to his wife, Jazz Charton that they’d talked about having more children after his Emmy win, and that she’d mentioned she’d only consider a fourth child if he won an Oscar. Whoops!
Culkin wrapped up his moment in the spotlight with:
“You remember that, honey? You do? Then, I just have this to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith. No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again. And let’s get crackin’ on those kids. What do you say? I love you!”
Best reaction to that? Culkin’s former ‘Succession’ co-star J. Smith Cameron, who played the long-suffering Gerri Kellman to his foul/motormouthed Roman Roy, offering the perfect tweet:
For the most part this year, the presenters did not embarrass themselves and the bits were relatively painless.
We got Ben Stiller slowly being swallowed by scenery to introduce Best Production Design, June Squibb admitting she’s being played by ‘Nosferatu’ star Bill Skarsgård in prosthetics whenever she’s at an event and Robert Downey Jr. following Conan’s comedic lead and then going sentimentally honest handing out Best Supporting Actor.
Some awards, such as Best Costume Design were presented by the stars of the nominees’ movies, and that proved to be a mixed bag, since they worked on an emotional level, but tended to drag a little. Thank goodness then, for John “I love a roomy cassock” Lithgow and ‘Wicked’s Bowen Yang bringing the funny.
A highlight? Rock icon Mick Jagger taking the stage to present Best Original Song, full of jokes about how Bob Dylan was asked to do his job first (which was true; the Academy offered the subject of ‘A Complete Unknown’ to host and perform, and he turned them down).
Was this the start of a stealth campaign to get Jagger a belated, throwback Oscar for ‘Freejack’? Your guess is as good as ours. And our guess is, “maybe?”
Sean Baker wasn’t the only filmmaker making history on Oscar night. ‘Wicked’ costume maestro Paul Tazewell became the first black person to win his category, making emotional note of the fact.
And while we all knew she would scoop her trophy (despite, er, being much more a lead than a supporting turn), Zoe Saldaña was gracious in victory and was clearly moved by becoming the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar as one of two for ‘Emilia Pérez.’
‘Flow’ surprised in the Animated Feature category, and became the first Latvian Oscar winner. “Ball’s in your court, Estonia,” quipped O’Brien after the team left the stage.
Proving that stars don’t have to just recreate classic scenes for Super Bowl commercials, ‘When Harry met Sally’ leads Billy Crystal (no stranger to Oscar hosting, he quipped “I used to work here,” following Ryan’s question of how long ago with “nine tuxedos…”) and Meg Ryan came on stage to give out Best Picture.
They were a classy, classic wrap to a successful event, which ended with ‘Anora’s Best Picture triumph.
Gene Hackman in ‘The Firm’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Gene Hackman has died at the age of 95.
He was found dead with his wife, Betsy Arakawa at their home.
Hackman’s career spanned decades –– but he retired early.
Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose roles ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers, has been found dead along with his wife and dog at their home. He was 95.
Their death has already sent shockwaves around the acting community, and with the Oscars mere days away, the producers will likely be scrambling to include the two-time winner in the In Memoriam section.
Hackman had a propensity for a wide range of performances, from buffoons to driven, gruff heroes to scheming villains –– and in the likes of ‘Superman’s Lex Luthor, he combined two of them.
He was the model of a workmanlike actor not in performance –– when he did his job, he did better than most, but he let others worry about his image. Beyond the obligatory appearances at awards ceremonies, he limited his exposure to the social circuit and was openly disdainful of the business side of show business.
Gene Hackman in 1971’s ‘The French Connection.’ Photo courtesy of TCM.
This is what he told Film Comment in 1988:
“Actors tend to be shy people. There is perhaps a component of hostility in that shyness, and to reach a point where you don’t deal with others in a hostile or angry way, you choose this medium for yourself. Then you can express yourself and get this wonderful feedback.”
In 1956, Hackman married Fay Maltese, a bank teller he had met at a YMCA dance in New York. They had a son, Christopher, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, but divorced in the mid-1980s.
In 1991 he married Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist. Arakawa moved with him to New Mexico, and they, along with their dog, were found dead on Wednesday during a welfare check. The cause of death has yet to be determined.
Gene Hackman in ‘The Conversation’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Eugene Allen Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California in 1930, and grew up in Danville, Illinois, where his father worked as a journalist.
His parents’ marriage was a dysfunctional one, and when his father would beat Gene to take out his anger issues, the young Hackman found refuge in movie theaters, identifying with such screen rebels as Errol Flynn and James Cagney.
Following his father’s abandoning the family, the situation only got worse, and a 16-year-old Hackman lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Marines.
Yet his attitude and constant getting into brawls didn’t make him a natural fit for the service –– he was demoted from the rank of corporal three times –– but he finally found somewhere to flourish at the unit’s radio station.
Yet still he wavered; having earned his high school degree in the Marines, he went to study journalism in Illinois before dropping out of college and moved to New York to study radio announcing. He worked in radio in Florida before returning to the Big Apple to instead study painting before a fateful move to an acting course at the Pasadena Playhouse in California.
From there, it was once more back to New York and the long process of looking to land acting gigs alongside contemporaries such as Robert Duvall and Dustin Hoffman, working odd jobs to support himself.
Hackman began to score roles in off-Broadway theatrical productions, which led to film director Robert Rossen hiring him for a brief role in ‘Lilith,’ which starred Warren Beatty and Jean Seberg.
And so, a career was launched.
Gene Hackman: Memorable Movies and TV
(L to R) Valerie Perrine and Gene Hackman in ‘Superman II’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Yet even given his early roles, Hackman was no overnight sensation. He ploughed a familiar path through TV series and small roles in films, appearing on the small screen likes of ‘Naked City,’ ‘The Defenders,’ ‘Hawk,’ ‘The FBI,’ and ‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-in.’
It was Beatty who really gave Hackman a boost –– When Beatty began work on ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ which he produced and starred in, he remembered Hackman and cast him as bank robber Clyde Barrow’s outgoing brother. Hackman scored praise and an Oscar nomination (his first of five) for Best Supporting Actor.
Near-misses followed, including a role in ‘The Graduate’ and that of Mike Brady in TV institution ‘The Brady Bunch.’
A starring role followed in 1970 with ‘I Never Sang for My Father,’ as a man struggling to deal with a failed relationship with his dying father, Melvyn Douglas –– which obviously brought up deep issues. And despite his being the lead by any real description, he was again nominated by the Academy for Best Supporting Actor.
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Real Oscar success would follow with William Friedkin’s ‘The French Connection,’ perhaps his breakout role, and which would land him the first of his two trophies.
In amongst them was his other Oscar-winning role, that of the brutal, corrupt Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s ‘Unforgiven.’
Gene Hackman: Retirement
Gene Hackman in ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Despite his prolific career, Hackman knew when he wanted to call it quits. His final role was in 2004 comedy ‘Welcome to Mooseport,’ and he told Reuters in 2008 why he decided to step back:
“I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer. I’ve been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don’t want to do it any longer.”
When not on film locations, Hackman enjoyed painting, stunt flying, stock car racing and deep sea diving. In his latter years, he wrote novels and lived on his ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on a hilltop looking out on the Colorado Rockies.
Gene Hackman: Tributes
Gene Hackman in ‘Hoosiers’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Here’s what Coppola had to say about him on Instagram:
“The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity, I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
“So awful. Gene was such an inspiration to so many of us who love movies. So many brilliant roles. His performance in ‘The Conversation’ alone changed the way I looked at acting and what actors could bring to a role. Such an amazing career. RIP Mr. Hackman.”
“Loved you in everything! ‘The Conversation,’ ‘The French Connection,’ ‘The Poseidon Adventure,’ ‘Unforgiven’ — tough yet vulnerable. You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir.”
Gene Hackman in 1971’s ‘The French Connection.’ Photo courtesy of TCM.
