Her proudest work?
Valerie’s big breakthrough came in 1974 with Bob Fosse’s Lenny, where she played Honey Bruce, the wife of comedian Lenny Bruce, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman.
In Lenny, Valerie shattered Hollywood’s boundaries with a performance so raw it changed the way audiences saw women on screen. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, a Golden Globe nod, and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Valerie says that of all her movies, Lenny is the one she’s most proud of.
“Working alongside Dustin, one of the most talented actors of his era, was a blessing. Everything came together, and we created something magical,” Valerie said.
Hollywood stardom was in full swing when Valerie then took on the role of Eve Teschmacher, Lex Luthor’s glamorous accomplice, in 1978’s Superman.
She reprised her role in Superman II (1980), though the second film underwent major reshoots after director Richard Donner was replaced, leaving Perrine unaware of some changes.
Coke-fueled and star-studded party’s
While Miss Teschmacher became her most iconic role, Perrine’s career had its ups and downs. She appeared in Can’t Stop the Music (1980), earning a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress — though the film would later become a cult classic.
Despite setbacks, she maintained her legendary Hollywood grace. “She would host glamorous parties for all of [the cast],” Caitlyn Jenner recalled during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “She was truly the hostess with the mostest and knew how to have a great time for us all.”
Through it all, Valerie lived Hollywood to the fullest. According to her longtime friend and former boyfriend Nels Van Patten, the star actress would host “an army of beautiful women” at her legendary pool parties and lunches at her Sherman Oaks estate.
The guest list read like a who’s who of entertainment royalty: Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Jacqueline Bisset — anyone who was anyone in Hollywood made their way to Perrine’s parties. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter what made her parties special, Valerie quipped, “Cocaine.”
