Definite List of Deceased Actors from Superman Franchise
by Wezqu | created - 1 month ago | updated - 1 month ago | PublicThis is list of all main or significant cast members of Superman movie franchise who have past away in order of death date.
1. Robert Henderson
Actor | Superman
Robert Henderson was born on December 19, 1904 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Superman (1978), Superman III (1983) and Phase IV (1974). He died on September 9, 1985 in London, England, UK.
2nd Editor/Mr. Simpson. Appeared in Superman (1978) and Superman III (1983). He died September 9, 1985. Cause of death "undisclosed".
2. Esmond Knight
Actor | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
A stage actor from 1925, Esmond made his first film appearance in 77 Park Lane (1931) for Michael Powell for whom he eventually made 11 films.
Esmond served in the Royal Navy during WWII and lost one eye and was almost totally blinded in the other during an engagement against The Bismarck. This ...
Second Elder. Appeared in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died February 23, 1987. Cause of death "heart attack".
3. Trevor Howard
Actor | The Third Man
The son of an insurance underwriter who represented Lloyd's of London in Ceylon, Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith was born in Margate, Kent. He spent his early childhood globetrotting with his mother, frequently left in the care of strangers. After attending private school he went on to study drama at ...
1st Elder. Appeared in Superman (1978). He died January 7, 1988. Cause of death "influenza and bronchitis".
4. David Garth
Actor | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
David Garth was born on April 15, 1921 in Calcutta, India. He was an actor, known for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), The Naked Lady (1959) and Doctor Who (1963). He was married to Geraldine Newman. He died on May 3, 1988 in Langley, Berkshire, England, UK.
First Elder. Appeared in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died May 3, 1988. Cause of death "undisclosed".
5. Harry Andrews
Actor | The Hill
British character actor Harry Andrews had the sort of massive granite face and square jaw that would stamp that career, but he set himself apart with brilliant stage and screen work. He had graduated from Wrekin College in Shropshire and then moved on to the stage, appearing with Liverpool ...
2nd Elder. Appeared in Superman (1978). He died March 6, 1989. Cause of death "viral infection complicated by asthma".
6. Lee Quigley
Actor | Superman
Lee Quigley was born on August 13, 1976 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Superman (1978). He died on March 10, 1991 in Eastbourne, England, UK.
Baby Kal-El. Appeared in Superman (1978). He died March 10, 1991. Cause of death "solvent abuse".
7. Robert Beatty
Actor | 2001: A Space Odyssey
Robert Beatty graduated with a B.A. from the University of Toronto and started in amateur dramatics with the Hamilton Player's Guild. For a while, he made a living as a cashier for a gas and fuel company. In order to further hone his acting skills, he made his way to London in 1936 (on the advice of...
Tanker Captain/U.S. President. Appeared in Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died March 3, 1992. Cause of death "pneumonia".
8. Bob Todd
Actor | Superman III
Bob Todd was born on December 15, 1921 in Faversham, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Superman III (1983), Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973) and The Best Things in Life (1969). He died on October 21, 1992 in Sussex, England, UK.
Dignified Gent. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died October 21, 1992. Cause of death "undisclosed".
9. Sam Wanamaker
Actor | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Actor and director Sam Wanamaker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Molly (Babell) and Maurice Wattenmaker, a tailor. He studied at Drake University, IA, then trained at Goodman Theatre, Chicago, worked with summer stock companies in Chicago as an actor and director, and...
David Warfield. Appeared in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died December 18, 1993. Cause of death "cancer".
10. Steve Plytas
Actor | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Steve Plytas was born on January 9, 1913 in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]. He was an actor, known for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Batman (1989) and The Young Lady from London (1959). He was married to Amy Doris Foxell. He died on December 27, 1994 in Surrey, ...
Russian General 2. Appeared in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died December 27, 1994. Cause of death "undisclosed".
11. E.G. Marshall
Actor | 12 Angry Men
With over 150 Film and TV appearances to his credit, E. G. Marshall was arguably most well known as the imperturbable Juror No. 4 in the Sidney Lumet legal drama 12 Angry Men (1957).
Some of his stand-out performances are in Creepshow (1982), Christmas Vacation (1989), and Nixon (1995).
Marshall ...
The President. Appeared in Superman II (1980) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He died August 24, 1998. Cause of death "lung cancer".
12. Kirk Alyn
Actor | Radar Patrol vs. Spy King
Starting his show business career as a chorus boy on Broadway and an entertainer in vaudeville, Kirk Alyn played bit parts and minor supporting roles in several low-budget films before getting his big break playing the title role in the serial Superman (1948). He wasn't able to sustain a film ...
General Sam Lane. Appeared in Superman (1978). He died March 14, 1999. Cause of death "natural causes".
13. Rex Everhart
Actor | Friday the 13th
Rex Everhart was born on June 13, 1920 in Watseka, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Friday the 13th (1980), Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Superman (1978). He was married to Claire Richard. He died on March 13, 2000 in Branford, Connecticut, USA.
Desk Sergeant. Appeared in Superman (1978). He died March 13, 2000. Cause of death "lung cancer".
14. Gordon Signer
Actor | Superman III
Gordon Signer was born in 1925. He was an actor, known for Superman III (1983), Prime Cut (1972) and The Fourth War (1990). He died on September 3, 2001 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Mayor. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died September 3, 2001. Cause of death "heart attack".
15. Philip Gilbert
Actor | Superman III
Philip Gilbert was born on March 29, 1930 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was an actor, known for Superman III (1983), Dentist in the Chair (1960) and The Tomorrow People (1973). He died on January 6, 2004 in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, UK.
Newsreader. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died January 6, 2004. Cause of death "undisclosed".
16. Marlon Brando
Actor | Apocalypse Now
Marlon Brando is widely considered the greatest movie actor of all time, rivaled only by the more theatrically oriented Laurence Olivier in terms of esteem. Unlike Olivier, who preferred the stage to the screen, Brando concentrated his talents on movies after bidding the Broadway stage adieu in ...
Jor-El. Appeared in Superman (1978) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He died July 1, 2004. Cause of death "pulmonary fibrosis".
17. Christopher Reeve
Actor | Superman
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was born September 25, 1952, in New York City, to journalist Barbara Johnson (née Barbara Pitney Lamb) and writer/professor F.D. Reeve (Franklin D'Olier Reeve). He came from an upper-class family; his paternal grandfather was CEO of Prudential Financial, and one of his ...
Clark Kent/Superman. Appeared in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died October 10, 2004. Cause of death "heart failure".
18. Maria Schell
Actress | Superman
Maria Schell studied in a religious institution in Colmar (Haut-Rhin, France). She received a dramatic training in Zurich, Switzerland. To pay her studies, she was a secretary there. Besides being a film star; Maria appeared in plays in Zurich, Basel, in Vienna (Josefstad Theater), Berlin, Munich (...
Vond-Ah. Appeared in Superman (1978). She died April 26, 2005. Cause of death "pneumonia".
19. John Hollis
Actor | Flash Gordon
John Hollis was born on November 12, 1927 in Fulham, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Flash Gordon (1980), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Superman II (1980). He was married to Sheila Forrester and Gabrielle Hamilton. He died on October 18, 2005 in Richmond ...
4th Elder/Krypton Elder/Russian General 3 (Kremlin). Appeared in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died October 18, 2005. Cause of death "natural causes".
20. William Hootkins
Actor | Star Wars
William Michael Hootkins was born on July 5, 1948, in Dallas, Texas. He moved to London, England in the early '70s and lived there up until 2002. Hootkins was an actor at Theatre Intime while attending Princeton University where he learned how to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese. He also trained as an...
Harry Howler. Appeared in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died October 23, 2005. Cause of death "pancreatic cancer".
21. Richard Pryor
Actor | Superman III
Highly influential, and always controversial, African-American actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple marriages and battles with drug addiction. He has been acknowledged by many modern comic artist's as ...
Gus Gorman. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died December 10, 2005. Cause of death "heart attack".
22. Glenn Ford
Actor | Gilda
Legendary actor Glenn Ford was born Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford in Sainte-Christine-d'Auvergne, Quebec, Canada, to Hannah Wood (Mitchell) and Newton Ford, a railroad executive. His family moved to Santa Monica, California when he was eight years old. His acting career began with plays at high school...
Pa Kent. Appeared in Superman (1978). He died August 30, 2006. Cause of death "complications from multiple strokes".
23. R.J. Bell
Actor | Superman III
R.J. Bell was born on January 11, 1940 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for Superman III (1983), Haunted Honeymoon (1986) and The Punk (1993). He died on November 5, 2006 in London, England, UK.
Mr. Stokis. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died November 5, 2006. Cause of death "undisclosed".
24. Don Fellows
Actor | Raiders of the Lost Ark
Don Fellows was born on December 2, 1922 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) and Superman II (1980). He was married to Miranda Fellows. He died on October 21, 2007 in London, England, UK.
General. Appeared in Superman II (1980) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He died October 21, 2007. Cause of death "undisclosed".
25. Helen Horton
Actress | Alien
Helen Horton was born on November 21, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for Alien (1979), Superman III (1983) and Phase IV (1974). She was married to Hamish Thomson. She died on September 28, 2007 in Vero Beach, Florida, USA.
Miss Henderson. Appeared in Superman III (1983). She died September 28, 2007. Cause of death "undisclosed".
26. Susannah York
Actress | A Man for All Seasons
The lovely Susannah York, a gamine, blue-eyed, cropped-blonde British actress, displayed a certain crossover star quality when she dared upon the Hollywood scene in the early 1960s. A purposefully intriguing, enigmatic and noticeably uninhibited talent, she was born Susannah Yolande Fletcher on ...
Lara. Appeared in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). She died January 15, 2011. Cause of death "advanced bone marrow cancer".
27. Jackie Cooper
Actor | Superman
Jackie Cooper was born John Cooper in Los Angeles, California, to Mabel Leonard, an Italian-American stage pianist, and John Cooper. Through his mother, he was the nephew of actress Julie Leonard, screenwriter Jack Leonard, and (by marriage) director Norman Taurog. Jackie served with the Navy in ...
Perry White. Appeared in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died May 3, 2011. Cause of death "undisclosed".
28. Phyllis Thaxter
Actress | Superman
This warm and winning, very non-theatrical brunette was born Phyllis St. Felix Thaxter in Portland, Maine, on November 20, 1919. The daughter of Maine Supreme Court Justice Sidney Thaxter, her acting talent came from her mother's side, who was a one-time Shakespearean actress. Phyllis was educated ...
Ma Kent. Appeared in Superman (1978). She died August 14, 2012. Cause of death "Alzheimer's disease".
29. Larry Hagman
Actor | Dallas
The son of a legendary actress (Mary Martin) and a district attorney, Larry Martin Hagman was born on September 21, 1931 in Fort Worth, Texas. After his parents' divorce, he moved to Los Angeles, California to live with his grandmother. When he was 12, his grandmother died and he moved back to his ...
Major. Appeared in Superman (1978). He died November 23, 2012. Cause of death "complications from myelodysplastic syndrome due to throat cancer treatments".
30. Graham Stark
Actor | The Return of the Pink Panther
Graham Stark was born on January 20, 1922 in Wallasey, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), A Shot in the Dark (1964) and Superman III (1983). He was married to Audrey Nicholson. He died on October 29, 2013 in London, England, UK.
Blind Man. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died October 29, 2013. Cause of death "stroke".
31. Stanley Lebor
Actor | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Stanley Lebor was born on September 24, 1934 in East Ham, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Flash Gordon (1980) and Holocaust (1978). He died on November 23, 2014 in Faversham, Kent, England, UK.
General Romoff. Appeared in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He died November 23, 2014. Cause of death "undisclosed".
32. Jeff Truman
Writer | Underbelly
Jeff Truman was born on November 4, 1957 in Australia. He was a writer and actor, known for Underbelly (2008), Superman Returns (2006) and Neighbours (1985). He died on December 2, 2014 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Gil. Appeared in Superman Returns (2006). He died December 2, 2014. Cause of death "brain hemorrhage".
33. Jack Larson
Actor | Superman Returns
Jack Edward Larson was born in Los Angeles, California, to Anita (Calicoff) and George E. Larson. He was raised in Pasadena, and attended Pasadena Junior College (by coincidence, exactly as did his Adventures of Superman (1952) co-star George Reeves). He was a contract player at Warner Bros. ...
Bo the Bartender. Appeared in Superman Returns (2006). He died September 20, 2015. Cause of death "natural causes".
34. Noel Neill
Actress | Superman Returns
Minnesota-born Noel Neill's ambition was to be a journalist like her father, the editor of a Minneapolis newspaper. However, she was hired by Bing Crosby to sing at the Turf Club at the race track in Del Mar, California (Crosby was one of the owners). Shortly thereafter, in 1941, she was signed to ...
Ella Lane/Gertrude Vanderworth. Appeared in Superman (1978) and Superman Returns (2006). She died July 3, 2016. Cause of death "after long illness".
35. Robert Vaughn
Actor | The Magnificent Seven
Robert Francis Vaughn was born on November 22, 1932 at Charity Hospital in New York City, the son of show business parents, Marcella Frances (Gaudel) and Gerald Walter Vaughn. His father was a radio actor and his mother starred on stage. Robert came to the public's attention first with his ...
Ross Webster. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died November 11, 2016. Cause of death "acute leukemia".
36. Clifton James
Actor | Live and Let Die
Blustery, stocky, loud although often genial character actor who has created a niche for himself playing often frustrated and fast talking Southern characters... most noticeably as Sheriff J.W. Pepper alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond adventures Live and Let Die (1973) and The Man with the ...
Sheriff. Appeared in Superman II (1980) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He died April 15, 2017. Cause of death "complications from diabetes".
37. Barry Dennen
Actor | Jesus Christ Superstar
Actor/singer/voice artist Barry Dennen possessed a sliver-eyed, sneering look and brittle, biting diction pattern that easily recalled the earlier flamboyant villainy of actor Jay Robinson. For Dennen, this would be best represented in his cruel, no-holds-barred performance of Pontius Pilate in the...
Dr. McClean. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died September 26, 2017. Cause of death "injuries from a fall".
38. Margot Kidder
Actress | Superman
Margot Kidder was born Margaret Ruth Kidder in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, to Jocelyn Mary "Jill" (Wilson), a history teacher from British Columbia, and Kendall Kidder, a New Mexico-born mining engineer and explosives expert. Margot was a delightful child who took pride in ...
Lois Lane. Appeared in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). She died May 13, 2018. Cause of death "suicide by self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose".
39. Al Matthews
Actor | Aliens
Folk singer and musical performer who worked professionally while living in England. He later turned to acting, but continues to write and sing. Matthews is noted for having made two significant historical firsts. While on combat duty during the Vietnam War, Matthews became the first black Marine ...
Fire Chief. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died September 22, 2018. Cause of death "undisclosed".
40. Annie Ross
Actress | Short Cuts
Annie Ross was born on July 25, 1930 in Mitcham, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Short Cuts (1993), Superman III (1983) and Throw Momma from the Train (1987). She was married to Sean Lynch. She died on July 21, 2020 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
Vera. Appeared in Superman III (1983). She died July 21, 2020. Cause of death "emphysema and heart disease".
41. Marcus D'Amico
Actor | Superman II
D'Amico was born in Germany to an American father and a British mother. Raised in the U.K. He first performed on London stage in a 1977 revival of Oliver!, moved briefly to Los Angeles in the early 80s, later returning to the British stage. Mostly known for playing Americans on British TV.
Willie. Superman II (1980). He died December 16, 2020. Cause of death "bronchial pneumonia".
42. Ned Beatty
Actor | Network
Stocky, genial-looking supporting actor Ned Beatty was once hailed by Daily Variety as the "busiest actor in Hollywood."
Ned Thomas Beatty was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Margaret (Fortney) and Charles William Beatty. He grew up fishing and working on farms. His hometown of St. Matthews, ...
Otis. Appeared in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He died June 13, 2021. Cause of death "natural causes".
43. Gavan O'Herlihy
Actor | The Descent: Part 2
Gavan O'Herlihy was born on July 29, 1951 in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. He was an actor, known for The Descent: Part 2 (2009), Willow (1988) and Never Say Never Again (1983). He was married to Juliette. He died on September 15, 2021 in Bath, England, UK.
Brad. Appeared in Superman III (1983). He died September 15, 2021. Cause of death "undisclosed".
44. Antony Sher
Actor | Shakespeare in Love
Born in 1949, Antony Sher was raised in South Africa before going to London to study at the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art between 1969 and 1971. After performing for the Gay Sweatshop theatrical group in "Thinking Straight" (1975), "The Fork" (1976), and "Stone" (1976), he joined the Royal...
Bell Boy. Appeared in Superman II (1980) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He died December 2, 2021. Cause of death "cancer".
45. Pepper Martin
Actor | Superman II
Pepper Martin was born on September 20, 1936 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for Superman II (1980), Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980) and General Hospital (1963). He died on March 18, 2022 in Glendale, California, USA.
Rocky. Appeared in Superman II (1980) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He died March 18, 2022. Cause of death "lung cancer".
46. Hugh Maguire
Actor | No Sudden Move
Hugh Maguire was born on April 22, 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for No Sudden Move (2021), Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) and Doctor Sleep (2019). He was married to Maryly Roney . He died on May 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Jack O Dwyer. Appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). He died May 18, 2023. Cause of death "natural causes".
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