Today the film world mourns the loss of Canadian born actress Margot Kidder. Her publicist confirmed that Margot died in her sleep Sunday night at her home in Livingston, Montana. While the 69 year-old actress was probably best known to the world as Lois Lane in the Superman franchise, she holds a very special place in the hearts of many horror fans.

In her early career, Kidder was a frequent face on many TV programs and got her first real film role starring alongside Gene Wilder in the 1970 Waris Hussein film Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx. It wasn’t long before more roles came her way and she truly came into her own when she starred in Brian de Palma‘s 1972 horror film Sisters. I was lucky enough to speak with Kidder last year and she revealed to me that this was her favorite film to have worked on and working with de Palma was one of the highlights of her career. The film is often compared to the works of Hitchcock and is a must see for fans of the genre.

A few short years later, she was cast as the character Barb in Bob Clark’s 1974 film Black Christmas. In the film Barb is easily the most entertaining character with the best death scene. A true classic in the horror world, Black Christmas is a movie that established new tropes and still terrifies audiences today in real and visceral ways. Her contributions to the film were huge and 1978 she got her giant mainstream break, Superman.

Playing the iconic character of the Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane was not a role to be taken lightly and Kidder definitely stepped up to the plate. Beautifully balancing just the right amount of brains, beauty, attitude and vulnerability that the role required, she really became Lois Lane. She would play the role not just once, but four times and became an icon of the era. However, playing such a huge role in such a huge movie definitely took a toll on Kidder’s personal life as she was now a true celebrity.

In 1979, Kidder once again returned to the world of horror starring alongside James Brolin in Stuart Rosenberg’s The Amityville Horror. While the film’s merits may be up for debate, there is no question that it will forever be a genre classic. Kidder’s constant back and forth between the world of horror and mainstream cinema and television is a balance that not many actors/actresses are able to pull off. Her ability to navigate the different genres and play the vastly different roles that were available to her is a real testament to her abilities.

She remained incredibly active all through the 1980’s and early 90’s, even appearing in a 1992 episode of Tales from the Crypt. However, the constant work and life in the public eye combined with her struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder led to a very public nervous breakdown in 1996. After the incident, Kidder became a strong advocate for mental illness and never sugar-coated the challenges that she faced. In a famous People magazine interview she was quoted as saying, “I’m not saying it’s all over, I’m saying this is the pattern of my life. In three years I might be having another wig-out. I have no idea. I just have to accept the fact that this is me, or I ain’t gonna make it.”

Always one to speak her mind, she was very vocal of her opposition to the Iraq War and in 2011 was arrested at the White House while protesting the Alberta-Texas oil pipeline. Her incredible spirit, and indomitable personality was one that was present both on screen and off. The characters she played will forever be cherished by film lovers, and the way she used her public presence to speak for those whose voices were being drowned out truly speaks to the woman she was. There’s no question, she will be missed.