LOS ANGELES — Actor Jackie Cooper, who played the Daily Planet editor in the “Superman” films, died in Los Angeles, TMZ reported Wednesday.

The actor died at age 88 Tuesday, after he suddenly fell ill with an undisclosed illness.

In 1929, Cooper began his career in Hollywood as a child star in the film series “Our Gang” and became the youngest Academy Award nominee, when at age nine he received the prestigious nod for his role in the 1931 film “Skippy.”

At the height of his stardom as a child actor he appeared in hits like “Treasure Island” and “The Champ.”

As an adult, Cooper’s acting options became limited and he transitioned to working on the business side of the movie industry and eventually began directing projects that included the TV series “M*A*S*H” and “The White Shadow.”

Both projects earned him Emmy Awards for Best Directing in the seventies.

Cooper returned to the big screen to play newspaper editor, Perry White, in the “Superman” movie series that starred the late Christopher Reeve.

He retired from acting after the final “Superman” film in 1987 and a career of more than six decades in Hollywood.