Who played Lex Luthor in the 1978 film 'Superman'?

Gene Hackman played Lex Luthor in the 1978 film Superman. His Luthor is a wealthy, highly intelligent criminal mastermind who uses scientific schemes and hired accomplices to threaten Superman and the world.

Superman, also marketed as Superman: The Movie, was directed by Richard Donner and released in 1978. Christopher Reeve played Superman and Clark Kent, while Marlon Brando portrayed Superman’s biological father, Jor-El. Terence Stamp played General Zod, making all three names common sources of confusion in this question.

Hackman’s Luthor differs from many later comic-book versions. The film presents him as a flamboyant real-estate schemer with a taste for elaborate plans, supported by his loyal but dim-witted assistant Otis, played by Ned Beatty. Luthor discovers Superman’s vulnerability to kryptonite and attempts to use nuclear missiles to trigger a catastrophic earthquake along the San Andreas Fault.

Hackman reprised the role in Superman II and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The 1978 film’s version of Luthor helped establish the character as one of Superman’s defining screen adversaries.