Biography
Having emerged from the heady days of the free-spirited 1960s, actress Margot Kidder became instantly famous for her fiery take on Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in "Superman: The Movie" (1978). Prior to her career-defining role, Kidder made her first major film with former beau, director Brian De Palma, in "Sisters" (1973), though she struggled for several years until playing Lane. She followed up with "The Amityville Horror" (1979) and …
Career Milestones
| Abandoning husband and daughter, moved to London where she auditioned for the part of Lois Lane in the first "Superman" feature | ||
| Appeared in the CD-ROM game "Under a Killing Moon" as Bartender | ||
| Became severely disturbed upon discovering that she had lost three years of work on her memoirs "Calamities" due to a computer problem | ||
| Changed name from Margaret to Margot | ||
| Confined to a county psychiatric hospital for observation; diagnosed with manic-depression and prescribed lithium | ||
| First screen appearance, played a troubled teen in the Canadian Broadcasting Company TV-movie, "Moose Fever" | ||
| Moved to Los Angeles at age 18 | ||
| Refusing surgery, was often confined to a wheelchair over the next two years due to muscle spasms | ||
| Regained mobility after submitting to surgery | ||
| Ruined financially when insurance company refused to pay her bills | ||
| While attending the University of British Columbia, wrote to director Norman Jewison in Los Angeles; accepting Jewison's invitation to contact him if ever in town, flew to Los Angeles; persuded Jewison to let her audition | ||
1969 | Began seeing psychiatrists about her mood swings (date approximate) | |
1969 | Film debut in Jewison's "Gaily, Gaily" | |
1970 | First feature lead, "Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx", an Irish-shot comedy starring Gene Wilder | |
1971 | TV series debut on "Nichols", an NBC Western set in the early 20th century; played Ruth, the barmaid girlfriend of series star James Garner | |
1971 | TV-movie acting debut, "Suddenly Single", an ABC drama about the swinging singles scene | |
1973 | Moved to Billings, MT to be with writer Tom McGuane (date approximate) | |
1975 | Appeared in "92 in the Shade", a feature written and directed by husband Tom McGuane | |
1975 | Filmmaking debut, wrote and directed the short film "And Again" | |
1978 | Breakthrough feature lead, played Lois Lane in "Superman" (reprised the role in three sequels in 1980, 1983 and 1987) | |
1983 | Portrayed Eliza Doolittle (opposite Peter O'Toole's Henry Higgins) in a Showtime adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" | |
1984 | TV miniseries acting debut, "Louisiana" (Cinemax), a Franco-Canadian co-production helmed by future husband Philippe de Broca | |
1986 | Provided a voice for the children's animated feature "Gobots: Battle of the Rock Lords" | |
1987 | Starred on the CBS comedy-drama series "Shell Game", as a con artist turned investigative journalist (series was a short-lived mid-season replacement) | |
1988 | First diagnosed with manic-depression; rejected the diagnosis and the prescribed course of treatment | |
1990 | Injured in a car accident on the set of "Nancy Drew and Daughter", a Canadian cable TV production; incurred three damaged discs in her neck | |
1990 | Provided narration for "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", an HBO children's animated series based on four of the six Oz books by L. Frank Baum | |
1992 | Declared bankruptcy; sold her home and jewelry | |
1992 | Did a guest shot on an episode of HBO's "Tales From the Crypt" entitled "Curiosity Killed" | |
1994 | Provided a voice for "Phantom 2040", a syndicated cartoon sci-fi series extrapolated from Lee Falk's comic strip | |
1994 | Relocated to Prague after filming there | |
1995 | Appeared in first major theatrical role, touring in "Stieglitz Loves O'Keefe", as artist Georgia O'Keefe | |
1995 | Completed work in "Never Met Picasso", a gay-themed, low-budget independent feature that received festival screenings in 1996 | |
1995 | Moved to Livingstone, Montana | |
1996 | After behaving erratically in public and subsequently disappearing for three days, found behind a woodpile in the backyard of a suburban Glendale, CA, home, ragged, dirty and babbling incoherently about a plot against her | |
1996 | Did a guest shot on the NBC sitcom "Boston Common" as an acting teacher; character returned in recurring status | |