Terence Stamp, the legendary English actor who gave us the unforgettable General Zod in Superman and Superman II, has passed away at 87. His death reminds us just how amazing the cast of Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman really was. Christopher Reeve embodied both Clark Kent and Superman so perfectly that every actor since, including Henry Cavill and David Corenswet, feels like they’re just borrowing the cape. Gene Hackman owned Lex Luthor in a way only Gene Hackman could, while Margot Kidder and Marlon Brando rounded out an ensemble that turned comic books into true blockbusters. With John Williams’ soaring score, audiences finally believed a man could fly. In honor of Terence Stamp, let’s look back at all the amazing Superman actors who died over the years.
Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp, the British actor who defined cool in the ’60s and terror in the ’70s, passed away on August 17, 2025, at 87. While younger fans remember him as the menacing General Zod from Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), his career stretched far beyond Metropolis. Stamp earned an Oscar nomination for his first film, Billy Budd (1962), and later stunned audiences in The Collector (1965) and the cult classic Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).
His path to Zod was pure Hollywood randomness. While in India, he received a telegram, mistakenly addressed to “Clarence Stamp”, inviting him to meet Richard Donner. The result was a role alongside Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando that made “Kneel before Zod” pop culture history. “I can’t go out on the street in London without somebody saying, ‘It’s Zod!’” he laughed in 2013.
Actress Sarah Douglas, who played Ursa, called him “beyond gorgeous and talented,” recalling how her career began in the company of a legend.
Gene Hackman
Superman, Superman II and Superman IV actor Gene Hackman, one of Hollywood’s true heavyweights, died on February 26, 2025, at the age of 95. The two-time Oscar winner was found in his Santa Fe home alongside his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa. Reports cited heart disease and Alzheimer’s as the causes.
From Bonnie and Clyde (1967) to Unforgiven (1992), Hackman owned every role he touched. Yet for an entire generation, he’ll always be remembered as Superman’s greatest enemy: Lex Luthor. His 1978 take on the villain wasn’t the cold strategist of the comics. Instead, Hackman gave us a mix of menace, wit, and absurdity, equal parts dangerous and hilarious. Who else could plot to sink California and still make you grin? For many fans, his booming “I am a genius!” remains the definitive Lex.
Christopher Reeve
Before David Corenswet donned the cape, Christopher Reeve had already defined Superman. In Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman, Reeve delivered a performance so perfect it felt like he stepped straight out of the comics. He wasn’t just handsome in a Gregory Peck-meets-Rock Hudson way, he was believable, approachable, and instantly iconic. Off screen, tragedy struck in 1995 when a horse-riding accident left him paralyzed. Still, he fought back, regaining some movement in 2002 and inspiring millions through activism. Reeve died at 52 in 2004, but the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and even a 2009 law bearing his name keep his legacy alive.
Margot Kidder
Rachel Brosnahan might have stepped into the iconic role of Lois Lane, but long before her, Margot Kidder defined the part for a generation. Starring opposite Christopher Reeve through four films in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Kidder became the face of Superman’s fearless reporter. She wasn’t just Lois Lane. She was a horror movie icon in Black Christmas, Sisters, and The Amityville Horror. Kidder struggled with schizophrenia, often self-medicating, yet she fought Hollywood’s stigma around mental health. Before she died in 2018 at 69, she jokingly requested her body be left for Montana wolves, a final nod to the wildness that defined her life.
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando’s cameo as Jor-El in 1978’s Superman is Hollywood legend, not just for the performance, but for the paycheck and behind-the-scenes chaos. Brando appears onscreen for just 20 minutes of the 143-minute film, yet earned $3.7 million plus over 10% of box office profits (reportedly $19 million total) for a role smaller than most opening credits. Producer Ilya Salkind brought him on board, with Godfather author Mario Puzo drafting scripts for both Superman and its sequel. Donner had to convince Brando to play Jor-El as a man, not a bagel.
Despite awards and accolades, Brando’s later years were shadowed by heart problems, diabetes, and liver cancer.
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford didn’t need much screen time to leave a mark in Superman: The Movie (1978). As Jonathan Kent, he tells young Clark, “You are here for a reason. I don’t know whose reason, or what it is… but I do know one thing. It’s not to score touchdowns.” That single line sticks with Clark, shaping the hero he becomes. Ford’s quiet authority (no shouting, no dramatic cues) turns one moment into a lifetime of guidance.
Ford, who appeared in nearly 100 films, including Gilda (1946) and The Big Heat (1953), passed away at 90 in Beverly Hills after a series of strokes on 30 August 2006. He was the kind of actor whose understated presence made even a glance feel like a lesson. Inducted into the Hall of Fame of Great Western Performers in 1978, he left a legacy across Westerns, urban dramas, and iconic roles, including Superman’s adoptive dad.
Ned Beatty
Ned Beatty, who passed away at 83 on June 13, 2021, became a star in John Boorman’s Deliverance (1972), but he is equally remembered for his role as Otis in Superman: The Movie (1978). Otis, a bumbling henchman for Lex Luthor, fumbles secret codes, slinks under Lex’s wrath, and somehow still responds when called. While comic book henchmen existed before, none had Beatty’s comedic charm, turning a simple-minded sidekick into a memorable part of the film. In Superman II, Otis nearly escapes prison with Lex but fails, cementing the character’s mix of ambition and ineptitude. Beatty’s performance made Otis a standout in the franchise.
Susannah York
British actress Susannah York has died at 72 in London, after battling bone marrow cancer. Her son, Orlando Wells, called her “an absolutely fantastic mother, who was very down to earth,” adding that her death “was painless and quick.” York made a mark early, starring as Albert Finney’s love interest in 1963’s Tom Jones, and later earning an Oscar nomination for They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? She also played Lara, Kal-El’s mother, in Superman (1978) and reprised the role in Superman II and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Off-screen, she loved Sunday roasts and cozy winter evenings by the fire.
Phyllis Thaxter
Phyllis Thaxter, the actress who brought Ma Kent to life in 1978’s Superman, died at 92 on 14 August 2012. Before she helped raise the Man of Steel on screen, Thaxter starred opposite Robert Ryan in the 1948 noir Act of Violence and appeared in wartime drama Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. She passed away in her Orlando home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, her daughter Skye Aubrey confirmed. Superman was her final film, after which she returned to the stage, performing in The Little Foxes with Anne Baxter and The Gin Game alongside Larry Gates during the 1980s.
Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor’s turn in Superman III is a case study in “too much of a good thing.” Pryor, who had battled a near-fatal drug overdose years earlier and later faced a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, ended up dominating the 1983 film so thoroughly that it often feels like his movie more than Superman’s. Back in 1981, during a Johnny Carson interview, Pryor gushed about Superman II: “I wanna see Superman II. That’s what I’m waiting on to see… Oh, it’s gonna be good—the previews are great!” The Salkinds noticed. They offered $5 million to bring him aboard, giving him co-lead status as Gus Gorman, a quirky computer genius-turned-reluctant hero. The gamble didn’t pay off, though, as Superman III grossed about half of Superman II. But Pryor bounced back with hits like Stir Crazy before passing away at 65 from a heart attack on December 10, 2005.
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