The official cause of death for Superman actress Valerie Perrine has been revealed.
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According to her death certificate obtained by PEOPLE, the actress died of acute cardiopulmonary arrest, also known as sudden cardiac arrest. Parkinson’s disease, with which she was diagnosed in 2015, was listed as the underlying cause.
Dementia was also listed as a contributing factor to her death, according to the Los Angeles Department of Health.
Perrine was a fan favorite for her role as Lex Luthor’s girlfriend, Miss Eve Teschmacher, in Superman and Superman II.
Perrine was 82.
A close friend of Perrine’s, film producer Stacey Souther, announced her death in a Facebook post shared to the actress’s page on March 23. “It is with deep sadness that I share the heartbreaking news that Valerie has passed away,” he wrote.
In 2022, Souther directed Valerie, a documentary about the Oscar-nominated actress’s career and her life with Parkinson’s.
“She faced Parkinson’s disease with incredible courage and compassion, never once complaining. She was a true inspiration who lived life to the fullest — and what a magnificent life it was,” Souther added.
“The world feels less beautiful without her in it. I love you, Valerie. I’ll see you on the other side. ❤️” he concluded.
Souther Started a GoFundMe for Valerie Perrine in the Wake of Her Death
Souther also shared a GoFundMe campaign for Perrine’s funeral, adding that the actress “passed away peacefully at her home… surrounded by love, exactly as she had wished.”
“After more than fifteen years waging a quiet, courageous battle against both Parkinson’s disease and debilitating central tremors, the luminous, vivacious woman finally rested,” Souther wrote.
In addition to her roles in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), Perrine’s filmography included W.C. Fields and Me, The Electric Horseman, The Border, Can’t Stop the Music, and What Women Want. The actress also earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Bob Fosse’s Lenny.
Per IMDb, her later work included guest spots on ER and Nash Bridges, an eight-episode arc on As the World Turns, and a role in the 2000 film What Women Want, among many other parts.
Meanwhile, Perrine’s breakout role was in George Roy Hill’s 1972 adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.