When we think of Sarah Douglas, one role immediately comes to mind: the villainous Ursa in Superman and Superman II. While we saw very little of her in the first film, mainly relegated to the opening trial on Krypton and her banishment to the Phantom Zone, it wasn’t until Superman II that Sarah’s full range came to light for fans everywhere. Her character was created by David and Leslie Newman in 1976, and several other actresses had tested for the role in 1977, but it’s clear that we cannot envision anyone other than Sarah Douglas in the role.

And yet she’s had a versatile career with roles in films such as Conan the Destroyer, The People That Time Forgot, and The Return of Swamp Thing, and her TV work such as V: The Final Battle, Falcon Crest, and the Christmas Prince trilogy, proving she’s much more than the consummate villain on screen. She’s warm, funny, a storyteller with lots of memories of her work in her career, and she has also shared stories of living in Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of the legendary William Shakespeare.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Sarah, and I can tell you that she is indeed a warm and generous person. Her stories with Jack O’Halloran of working on the Superman films are filled with laughter and memories, as heard on the CapedWonder Superman Podcast and in person at events.

I almost had the opportunity to meet Sarah back in 2017 at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois. She and Margot Kidder were among the celebrities who were slated to appear that year, along with James Marsters and Dean Cain. But only a couple of weeks before the event, I lost my mom to Alzheimer’s disease. All of a sudden, my plans changed, and instead of going to Metropolis I had to return to Mississippi for her memorial service. Everything I had saved up for for the Metropolis trip went to food, gas, and lodging in Mississippi, and I was forced to cancel going to Metropolis.

Flash forward to February 2022. When I first heard about the Christopher Reeve Legacy Reunion in Detroit at the Motor City Comic Con, something inside me said, “Go.” Sarah would be there, along with Jack O’Halloran, Marc McClure, Aaron Smolinksi, Mariel Hemingway, Mark Pillow, and Damien McLawhorn. It was the first time that the Motor City Comic Con would be held since Covid, and the first time a large group of actors from the Superman films would come together since WonderCon in 2015.

So I started making my plans. I worked extra hours and saved all of money to cash flow my trip. That included food, gas, lodging, admission to the convention, getting the actors’ autographs, getting the convention exclusive version of the first issue of Superman ‘78, a group photo opportunity with the cast members, and even some swag.

Of the cast members, I was most excited about meeting Sarah. That Saturday I shared with her about how I missed meeting her in 2017, and she took my hand in hers and expressed her sympathy and how it was wonderful to finally get that chance. Echoes of “Let’s just hold hands”… and it didn’t tickle. She is indeed warm and genuine and gracious indeed.

And she signed my copy of the Superman Richard Donner Years coffee table book which was designed by my friend Jim Bowers.

So on this day, I want to send happy birthday wishes to one of the nicest, sweetest people around! Happy birthday Sarah! 🎂🎂🎂