Margot Kidder.

Margaret Ruth Kidder

Margot Kidder — Actor

Born 17 Oct 1948 Yellowknife, Canada

Died 13 May 2018 Livingston, United States

Citizenship Canada

Would Be 77 yr If Living

18 min read

Reading time

3,423

Words

Jul 16, 2026

Published

148

Film credits

3

Awards

TL;DR

Margot Kidder played Lois Lane in the Superman film series starting in 1978, earning a Saturn Award for Best Actress. She also won a Daytime Emmy and an Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award. Kidder’s career spanned genres from horror in Black Christmas 1974 to drama in The Amityville Horror 1979. She struggled with bipolar disorder and died by suicide in 2018.

Identity & family.

KIN · 5

Names, aliases, and relatives of Margot Kidder — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Margaret Ruth Kidder

Nicknames Margie

Aliases Margaret Kidder

Parents: Sidney Kidder
Spouses: Philippe de Broca John Heard Thomas McGuane
Children: Maggie McGuane

At a glance.

STATS

Margot Kidder by the numbers — life, work, and family.

69 Years lived

148 Film credits

3 Awards

3 Marriages

1 Child

Who was Margot Kidder?

BIOGRAPHY

Margot Kidder — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Margot Kidder was born Margaret Ruth Kidder in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1948 to Jocelyn Mary Wilson, a history teacher from British Columbia, and Kendall Kidder, a New Mexico-born mining engineer. She attended 11 schools in 12 years due to her father’s job, and at age 14 she attempted suicide for the first time. Sent to boarding school at Havergal College, she played the lead in a production of Romeo and Juliet. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to start a film career, but after initial struggles, she studied acting in New York and worked in television to pay bills.

Career

Kidder’s first film role was in the Norman Jewison film Gaily, Gaily 1969. She co-starred with Gene Wilder in Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx 1970. After a temporary departure from film, she returned to Hollywood and moved into a beach house with actress Jennifer Salt, befriending future directors Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, and Steven Spielberg. De Palma cast her in Sisters 1972, a critical success. She then appeared in Black Christmas 1974, The Great Waldo Pepper 1975, and 92 in the Shade 1975, the latter directed by her then-husband Thomas McGuane.

In 1978, she landed the role of Lois Lane in Superman, directed by Richard Donner, and also filmed Superman II 1980 simultaneously. She later took on intense roles in The Amityville Horror 1979 and Willie & Phil 1980. After a political activist period during the Gulf War, she returned to acting with a cameo in Donner’s Maverick 1994. She continued working in film, television, and theatre into the 2000s, including a Canadian stage production of The Vagina Monologues.

Personal life

Kidder was married three times: to Thomas McGuane 1976-1977, John Heard 1979-1980, and Philippe de Broca 1983-1985. She had one daughter, Maggie McGuane, born in 1975. In 1996, she suffered a widely publicized mental health crisis, cutting off her hair and hiding under a porch due to paranoid delusions that her first husband was trying to kill her. She was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and became a mental wellness advocate. She broke her pelvis in a 2002 car accident near Belfast, Maine. Kidder was an outspoken liberal activist, supporting LGBT rights and Bernie Sanders in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.

Legacy

Margot Kidder is remembered for her portrayal of Lois Lane in the Superman films, a role that defined the series for a generation. She was one of only four actors to appear in the first four Superman films: Superman 1978, Superman II 1980, Superman III 1983, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace 1987. Her advocacy for mental health awareness after her 1996 crisis raised attention about bipolar disorder. She is honored posthumously; a road in Yellowknife is named Lois Lane, though after a local resident. She died in Livingston, Montana, on May 13, 2018.

Filmography.

FILMS · 148

The complete filmography of Margot Kidder — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999
TV

Smallville

2001
TV

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962
TV

Murder, She Wrote

1984
TV

Saturday Night Live

1975
TV

Brothers and Sisters

2006
TV

The Outer Limits

1995
TV

Touched by an Angel

1994
TV

Earth: Final Conflict

1997
TV

Tales from the Crypt

1989
TV

R. L. Stine's the Haunting Hour

2010
TV

The Dick Cavett Show

1968
TV

Switch

1975
TV

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

1990

Showing 14 of 148 View all 148 films

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 3

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Margot Kidder — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Saturn Award for Best Actress
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 16

A wall of memorable lines from Margot Kidder — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

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.
Nudity in the Flesh Doesn’t Bother Me. but Having My Mind Uncovered – That Scares the Hell Out of Me.
Acting’s Fun, but Life’s More Important.
My Grandson Sees Me as Lois on TV Every Christmas, and That Scores Me Points.
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. 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. I’m Now Ferociously Healthy in Body and Mind. You Couldn’t Pay Me to Go near a Psychiatrist Again. Stopping Seeing Them Was My First Step to Getting Well.
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.
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.’
It Was a Wonderful Time to Be Young. the 1960S Didn’t End Until About 1976. We All Believed in Make Love Not War – We Were Idealistic Innocents, Darling, Despite the Drugs and Sex. We Were Sweet Lovely People Who Wanted to Throw Out All the Staid Institutions Who Placed Money and Wars Above All Else. When You’re Young You Think That’s How Life Works. None of Us Were Famous, We Were Broke. We Didn’t Think They’d Be Writing Books About Us in 30 Years. We Were Just Kids Doing the Right Thing.
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.
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.
I Didn’t Get What Fans Were Until I Started Doing These Conventions and Meeting These Very Moving, Very, Very Sweet People. and Until Then, When You Live in L.A., and You’re Playing That Movie Star Game, That BS Game, They’re Always Seen as Something You Need to Be Kept From. ‘God Forbid I Should Be Down on That Level!’ You Know, Forgetting of Course We’re All People, Just All Different Schmucks on the Subway.
I Went Through Millions of Dollars – I Have No Idea How Much. I’d Buy Things for Friends, Take People to Paris. Once I Stayed up for Three Weeks in a Row Because I Felt I Was Called Upon to Write a New Religion for Women. I Was Reading All These Books, Including the Bible… and I’m an Atheist.
I Was the Worst Movie Star on the Planet. I Was a Disaster. You Are Supposed to Be Mysterious and Elegant and All That Stuff and I Am None of the Above… I Had a Lovely Time, a Wonderful Life with Some Great Adventures, but I Didn’t Nurture a Career Along the Way. I Didn’t Know How to and I Couldn’t Bear Not Working so I Tended to Just Grab What Came Along. Some of the Films I Am Most Proud of Are the Ones No One Has Ever Seen, Like Small Independent Ones.
One of My Big Attitudes About Life Is Always Been, the Point of Living Is to Use Yourself Up. When You Die, You Don’t Want Things You Didn’t Try Out. I Love a Good Adventure and There Is Nothing Better Than Charging off and Making a Movie in a Foreign Country. You Get to Travel, You Get Overpaid. It’s a Pretty Cushy Life, There’s Not Much to Complain About. but I Was so Naive, I Just Assumed That Because That’s What I Decided I Was Going to Be When I Was 10, That of Course It Would Come True. I Didn’t Like Being Famous as Much as I Thought I Would. It Was Kinda Creepy. It Was Like Being a Monkey in the Zoo and Having People Stare at You All the Time and Feeling Very Much Like Your Flaws Were on Display, Which Was a Big Surprise, I Thought I Would Turn into a Princess and Suddenly Be This Glorious Person Like People I Read About in Movie Magazines. Infact, I Simply Felt Exposed.
You Know, Cynicism and Romanticism Are Two Sides of the Same Coin. so Those of Us Who Speak in Cynical and Black Terms Are Those Who Actually Are Secretly Idealistic. I Don’t Think Anybody Would Be an Activist If They Didn’t Have Any Hope.
It Was After Somebody Had Shown Me a Movie Magazine That I Decided I Wanted to Become a Movie Star. Not an Actress, a Star! It Was More Exciting Than Living in a Canadian Mining Town. Much Later I Decided to Be an Actress.

Did you know?

FACTS · 23

Little-known facts about Margot Kidder — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

She was in a serious car crash in 1990 and could not work for two years, leading to bankruptcy.
Cremation took place at Franzen-Davis Funeral Home in Livingston, Montana; her brother John Kidder returned her ashes to Yellowknife one year later, with some sprinkled in Labrador City and a meadow in Montana. Her memorial service was on May 31, 2018 at the Livingston Civic Center.
Found by police in a distressed state hiding in someone’s garden, claiming she had been stalked and attacked, having cut her hair off with a razor blade. She was placed in psychiatric care; police found no evidence to support her story.
Despite being born in Yellowknife, the road named Lois Lane there was actually named after longtime resident Lois Little, not her character.
Best known as Lois Lane; her 1996 public behavior was due to manic depression. She was paranoid, convinced her first husband was trying to kill her, became homeless, narrowly escaped rape, and wandered Los Angeles streets before hiding under a porch near the studio where Superman 1978 was filmed. She later regained stability after facing her condition.
She was the first choice for the role of Carrie White in Carrie 1976.
On August 25, 2002, she suffered a broken pelvis near Belfast, Maine when her GMC Yukon hit a raised pavement and rolled over; she had been hosting the 15-Minute Festival. Her friend David Stuckey said she was in pain but in good spirits and did not require surgery.
She went to 11 schools in 12 years.
She had one daughter, Maggie McGuane born October 28, 1975, with ex-husband Thomas McGuane.
She was the daughter of Jocelyn Mary Wilson, a Canadian history teacher, and Kendall Kidder, an American mining engineer born in Mogollon, New Mexico. She had English, Welsh, Northern Irish, Irish, and Scottish descent, with most of her father’s family lines leading to Colonial American roots in Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut.
Along with Christopher Reeve, Jackie Cooper, and Marc McClure, she was one of only four actors to appear in the first four Superman films: Superman 1978, Superman II 1980, Superman III 1983, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace 1987.
She was an active volunteer at the Stafford Animal Shelter while living in Livingston, Montana.
In the Banacek episode A Million the Hard Way 1972, when Banacek introduces himself, she replies, Banacek, just one name? Like Superman? six years before her first appearance as Lois Lane.
After living in the US for 34 years, she became a US citizen in August 2004 to vote against President George W. Bush in protest of the Iraq War.
She shared a beach house in California with actress Jennifer Salt in the 1970s.
She had two grandchildren.
Aunt of actress Janet Kidder; they both appeared in the same episode of La Femme Nikita 1997 as Nikita’s mother Roberta at different ages.
She was an outspoken supporter of liberal causes in both the US and Canada.
She was a vocal supporter of LGBT rights.
The second of five children; siblings include elder brother John Kidder, co-founder of the BC Green Party, and younger sister Annie Kidder, actress turned education activist.
She appeared in one film selected for the National Film Registry: Superman 1978.
Supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.
Actively supported Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign in 1984.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 50

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Margot Kidder.

When was Margot Kidder born?

Margot Kidder was born on October 17, 1948. Her full birth name was Margaret Ruth Kidder.
Where was Margot Kidder born?

She was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Yellowknife is a city in the northern part of Canada.
When did Margot Kidder die?

Margot Kidder died on May 13, 2018. She was 69 years old at the time of her death.
How old was Margot Kidder when she died?

She was 69 years old when she passed away. She was born in 1948 and died in 2018.
Where did Margot Kidder die?

She died in Livingston, Montana, USA. Livingston is a town in the southwestern part of the state.
How did Margot Kidder die?

Her death was ruled a suicide by self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose. She had struggled with bipolar disorder for many years.
What was Margot Kidder's real name?

Her full birth name was Margaret Ruth Kidder. She was known professionally as Margot Kidder.
What did Margot Kidder do for a living?

She was an actor, producer, and soundtrack artist. She is best known for her acting roles in film and television.
What nationality was Margot Kidder?

She was a Canadian citizen. She later became a US citizen in 2004 so she could vote against President George W. Bush.
Who were Margot Kidder's parents?

Her parents were Jocelyn Mary Wilson, a Canadian history teacher, and Kendall Kidder, an American mining engineer. Her father was born in Mogollon, New Mexico.
Who was Margot Kidder married to?

She was married three times: to director Thomas McGuane from 1976 to 1977, to actor John Heard from 1979 to 1980, and to director Philippe de Broca from 1983 to 1985.
Did Margot Kidder have children?

Yes, she had one daughter named Maggie McGuane, born on October 28, 1975, with her first husband Thomas McGuane.
Where did Margot Kidder go to school?

She attended Havergal College, a private boarding school in Toronto, and Magee Secondary School in Vancouver. She also attended 11 different schools over 12 years due to her father’s job.
What awards did Margot Kidder win?

She won the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, the Saturn Award for Best Actress, and the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children’s Programming.
How many awards did Margot Kidder win?

She won three major awards according to public records: a Genie Canadian Academy award, a Saturn Award, and a Daytime Emmy Award.
What is Margot Kidder best known for?

She is best known for her role as Lois Lane in the Superman film series, starting with Superman 1978. She also appeared in Black Christmas 1974 and The Amityville Horror 1979.
How tall was Margot Kidder?

Margot Kidder stood 5 feet 7 inches tall, which is approximately 1.69 meters. Her height was often noted in casting.
What was Margot Kidder's nickname?

She was affectionately called Margie by family and friends. It was a shortened version of her first name.
Did Margot Kidder use any other professional names?

She sometimes used the alias Margaret Kidder professionally. This was her birth name before she adopted the stage name Margot.
What was Margot Kidder's first film role?

Her first film role was in the Norman Jewison film Gaily, Gaily 1969. She played a small part before landing larger roles.
Did Margot Kidder have siblings?

Yes, she was the second of five children. Her siblings include elder brother John Kidder, a co-founder of the BC Green Party, and younger sister Annie Kidder, an actress turned education activist.
Who are Margot Kidder's relatives in the entertainment industry?

Her niece is actress Janet Kidder. They both appeared in an episode of La Femme Nikita 1997 playing the same character at different ages.
What was Margot Kidder's role in the Superman films?

She played Lois Lane, the intrepid reporter and love interest of Superman. She appeared in the first four Superman films released between 1978 and 1987.
Did Margot Kidder have any mental health issues?

She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 1996, she had a widely publicized manic episode where she cut her hair and hid under a porch due to paranoia.
Was Margot Kidder involved in politics?

Yes, she was an outspoken liberal activist. She supported Jesse Jackson in 1984, opposed the Gulf War, became a US citizen to vote against George W. Bush, and backed Bernie Sanders in 2016.
What car accident did Margot Kidder have in 2002?

On August 25, 2002, she broke her pelvis when her GMC Yukon rolled over near Belfast, Maine. She had just hosted a festival and was on her way to Montreal.
Did Margot Kidder have any grandchildren?

Yes, she had two grandchildren. Her daughter Maggie McGuane is the mother.
What was the name of Margot Kidder's daughter?

Her daughter is named Maggie McGuane, born on October 28, 1975. She is the child of Margot and her first husband Thomas McGuane.
How many schools did Margot Kidder attend as a child?

She attended 11 different schools over 12 years due to her father’s job as a mining engineer, which required frequent moves.
What was Margot Kidder's cause of death officially ruled?

The official cause was suicide by self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose. The coroner confirmed this in 2018.
Did Margot Kidder ever win an Emmy?

Yes, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children’s Programming. The specific show was not disclosed in public sources.
What was Margot Kidder's role in Black Christmas?

In Black Christmas 1974, she played Barb, a sorority sister. The film is a cult classic horror movie.
Did Margot Kidder appear in any films with Gene Wilder?

Yes, she co-starred with Gene Wilder in Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx 1970. It was an early film in her career.
What was the name of Margot Kidder's beach house roommate in the 1970s?

She shared a beach house in California with actress Jennifer Salt. They became close friends during that time.
Did Margot Kidder support any environmental causes?

She volunteered at the Stafford Animal Shelter in Livingston, Montana, showing support for animal welfare.
What was Margot Kidder's educational background in acting?

After early film roles, she studied acting in New York and supported herself with television work before returning to Hollywood.
Was Margot Kidder ever considered for the role of Carrie?

Yes, she was the first choice to play Carrie White in Brian De Palma’s Carrie 1976, but the role ultimately went to Sissy Spacek.
How did Margot Kidder become a US citizen?

After living in the US for 34 years, she became a citizen in August 2004 specifically to vote against President George W. Bush in the upcoming election.
What was Margot Kidder's political affiliation?

She was a liberal and supported Democratic candidates. She backed Jesse Jackson in 1984, Bernie Sanders in 2016, and opposed the Iraq War.
Did Margot Kidder have a role in the TV series Smallville?

Yes, she appeared in an episode of Smallville in 2001, playing Bridgette Crosby, a character connected to the Superman mythology.
What was Margot Kidder's role in The Amityville Horror?

In The Amityville Horror 1979, she played Kathy Lutz, the mother in the haunted house story. The film was a major box office success.
Did Margot Kidder ever appear on Saturday Night Live?

Yes, she hosted Saturday Night Live on an episode that aired in 1978, during her Superman fame.
What was the name of Margot Kidder's brother who was a political activist?

Her older brother is John Kidder, a co-founder of the Green Party of British Columbia. He also handled her ashes after her death.
Did Margot Kidder have any ties to the LGBT community?

She was a vocal supporter of LGBT rights and was involved in advocacy for the community.
What was Margot Kidder's relationship with director Brian De Palma?

She had a brief romantic relationship with Brian De Palma in the early 1970s. He gave her the script for Sisters 1972 as a Christmas gift.
How did Margot Kidder's father influence her childhood?

Her father’s job as a mining engineer caused the family to move frequently, resulting in her attending 11 schools in 12 years.
What was the name of the film that caused Margot Kidder to temporarily leave acting?

After harsh criticism from the director of Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx 1970, she left films to study acting in New York.
Was Margot Kidder ever homeless?

During her 1996 manic episode, she became homeless and wandered Los Angeles streets. She later recovered with treatment.
What was Margot Kidder's connection to Steven Spielberg?

She befriended Steven Spielberg in the early 1970s when they were all unknown filmmakers, often meeting at her beach house with Martin Scorsese and others.
Did Margot Kidder appear in any stage productions?

Yes, she performed in a Canadian stage production of The Vagina Monologues, among other theatre work.

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Audited & updated by

Sophia has 4 years of editorial experience and a habit of becoming the person any team leans on when they need to know where something stands. At Famousy, she manages the content pipeline, coordinates reviews, and handles the detail work that keeps a large editorial operation from falling apart. She reads a lot of profiles in the process and she's developed a sharp instinct for when something doesn't feel right. She flags it. It usually is.

Published on July 16, 2026

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