Once one of Hollywood’s most dazzling stars in the 1970s, Valerie Perrine mesmerized audiences with her beauty and undeniable talent.
But before the cameras found her, she was a topless dancer in Las Vegas — and narrowly escaped a shocking murder attempt in a high-profile case that shook the nation.
Now, at 82, Perrine still turns heads… And you might want to sit down when you see how stunning she looks today.
Charmed the Emperor of Japan
Valerie Perrine was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1943, into a family already steeped in performance. Her mother was a showgirl, and her father served as a U.S. Army officer. At just four years old, Valerie performed for the Emperor of Japan while her family was stationed there after World War II, taking part in a ceremonial dance for the finale — without a black wig — hinting at the star she would one day become.
After returning to the U.S., Valerie followed in her mother’s footsteps, turning to dancing as a teenager. By 17, she ran away from home to perform in Las Vegas. She went door to door along the Strip until she landed her first big break—as a chorus girl in the Hello America show at the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino.
After that, she started earning up to $800 a week, about $8,000 today.
Why she moved to Hollywood
In the 1960s, Perrine performed up to 12 shows a week in Las Vegas. She danced on floors and up and down stairs, in heavy costumes and topless get-ups, all while perfecting her craft. But after eight years in the desert, she knew it was time for a change.
“I decided I needed a change. I moved to Hollywood,” she later said.
A small break came in 1972, when she was cast as Montana Wildhack, a soft-core pornography actress, in George Roy Hill’s adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.
“Acting wasn’t something I pursued. I was at a small dinner party where an agent was looking for someone to play the role… The agent saw something in me and thought I would be perfect for the part. That’s how I became an actress,” Perrine explained in 2025.
It was perhaps inevitable that Valerie would be discovered sooner or later, because the well-figured woman certainly didn’t go unnoticed in Hollywood.
According to friends, she was impossible to miss, cruising around Beverly Hills in a bright orange 1973 Chevrolet Suburban with the license plate “RATS 1.” With a wide floppy hat and oversized sunglasses, she made a bold statement wherever she went.
Had to protect herself
After Slaughterhouse-Five, Valerie appeared in a Playboy pictorial in May 1972 and made history as the first actress to appear nude on American network television in a PBS broadcast of Bruce Jay Friedman’s Steambath on Hollywood Television Theater.
Only a few stations aired it, but the moment cemented her daring reputation.
Overall, Valerie had no problem being labeled a sex goddess or sex bomb—titles that might have bothered others didn’t seem to faze her. She explained her perspective in a 1975 interview with The Houston Post.
“I don’t mind doing nude parts. I won’t be a Marilyn Monroe because I don’t see myself as a piece of meat to begin with. I have a sound personal philosophy,” she said, before expanding on her thoughts.
“Of course the sex goddess thing has disadvantages. People get a certain image of you. I already have to protect myself at parties where so many people just assume they can go to bed with me. Sometimes I get embarrassed. Sometimes I get mad.”
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.”
Could have been murdered
But Valerie Perrine’s life wasn’t just glitz and glamour — she survived near-death moments too. In 1969, she was dating Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring.
One night, he invited her to a dinner party in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles. Valerie managed to found someone to work for her that night, but at the last minute that person got sick, and she had to show up for work.
That party turned out to be the night the Manson Family brutally murdered six people, including Sebring and Sharon Tate. Had her replacement shown up, Valerie Perrine might have been another victim of that horrific night.
Years of dancing and acting also took a toll on her body. “I remember the doctor saying her body had the wear and tear of an NFL player,” said director Stacey Souther, who has cared for Perrine for years.
She underwent spinal surgery, leaving her in recovery for months.
Battling Parkinson’s
In 2015, Valerie was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Her health challenges began as early as 2011 with essential tremors, first noticed on a film set when a sound engineer asked her not to shake a coffee cup during multiple takes. “I first noticed I had a tremor on a movie set… It took a while to figure out what I had,” Perrine recalls.
Her brother, a neurological specialist, adds, “Essential tremors only come out when you’re using your arms or legs, but then she was visiting here for Christmas one year… with horror, I saw a resting tremor with her hand in her lap. That was the beginning of the whole downward spiral.”
Perrine has faced these challenges with remarkable resilience. “I’ve always lived in the moment. I don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. I try to live for today, and Parkinson’s hasn’t changed that,” she says.
Medications, deep brain stimulation, and even marijuana have helped her maintain her quality of life, she says.
Valerie Perrine today
Valerie Perrine’s life has been extraordinary: a dance from Las Vegas showgirl to Hollywood legend, survival against all odds, and a career that remains unforgettable.
Now, at 82, she continues to inspire with her resilience, charisma, and legendary spirit. According to recent reports, Valerie Perrine still lives in Beverly Hills, California, and she seems to keep her Facebook page fairly active despite the health challenges she’s faced in recent years.
Not long ago, she shared a photo that delighted many fans, posing alongside English actress Sarah Douglas, best known for her role as Ursa in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980).
Thank you, Valerie, for all the unforgettable memories and iconic performances over the years. You are truly a part of Hollywood history — and it’s wonderful to see you still going strong! Share this article with your friends if you remember this legendary star too!