Born	Christopher D'Olier Reeve September 25, 1952 New York, New York, U.S.A.
Died	October 10, 2004 (aged 52) Mount Kisco, New York, U.S.A.
Years active	1973 — 2004
Spouse(s)	Dana Reeve (1992-2004)

 

Christopher Reeve was born September 25, 1952, in New York City. When he was four, his parents (journalist Barbara Johnson and writer/professor Franklin Reeve) divorced. His mother moved with sons Christopher and Benjamin to Princeton, New Jersey, and married an investment banker a few years later. After graduating from high school, Reeve studied at Cornell university, while at the same time working as a professional actor. In his final year of Cornell, he was one of two students selected (Robin Williams was the other) to study at New York's famous Juilliard School of Performing Arts, under the renowned John Houseman. Although Christopher is most well known for his role as Superman (1978), a role which he played with both charisma and grace, his acting career spans a much larger ground. Paralyzed after a horse riding accident, he died suddenly at age 52, after several years of living and working with his severe disability.

Paralyzed in a horseback-riding accident near Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. [27 May 1995]

Children, with Gae Exton: Matthew (b. 1979) and Alexandra (b. 1982).

Son, with Dana Reeve: Will Reeve (b. 1992).

Was a licensed pilot.

Attended Cornell University, where he lived in Risley Hall, as a member of the class of 1974, leaving for Juilliard after his junior year.

Broke his leg after falling out of his wheelchair during a workout. [August 2000]

Turned down the lead role in American Gigolo (1980).

Gained 30 pounds for the role of Superman.

Wrote an autobiography, "Still Me." The book was a bestseller, and he was working on another book at the time of his death.

Was offered numerous roles, such as the lead in _Running Man, The (1987)_ (which went to Arnold Schwarzenegger). He turned down these roles to take on more challenging ones.

He and his wife opened the first center in the United States devoted to teaching paralyzed people to live more independently, in Short Hills, New Jersey, May 3, 2002. Known as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, the facility operates a website, publishes new "Paralysis Resource Guide," and houses the largest U.S. collection of paralysis-related publications. The Reeve Family Foundation has also distributed grants to paralysis researchers totalling some $22 million.

The last character he played before his riding accident was a paralyzed individual in the film Above Suspicion (1995), which was released six days before the accident.

Attended the Supergirl (1984) premiere with Helen Slater.

At the time he was paralyzed, he had been doing a film on horseback-riding safety.

Jane Seymour's son was named after him.

Hal Ketchum's "Hang in There, Superman" was written about him.

He is the tallest out of the six actors who have played Superman, the others being Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Dean Cain, Tom Welling, and Brandon Routh.

Turned down the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty (1984).

Turned down the lead role in Body Heat (1981).

Son of F.D. Reeve.

Turned down two films that later went to Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Running Man (1987) and Total Recall (1990).

Was offered, but declined, the role of Mason Verger in Hannibal (2001). The role was eventually given to Gary Oldman.

Died at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, after suffering heart failure while being treated for a severely infected pressure wound (common among paralyzed people).

Brother: Benjamin Reeve (b. 1953). Half-brothers: Jeff Johnson and Kevin Johnson.

Relationship with Gae Exton, mother of his two oldest children (1977-1987).

Said that after he was paralyzed, it was his wife's support that kept him from chosing death over living on a respirator.

In 1976, turned down the role of Mark Harris in _Man from Atlantis (1977) (TV)_ .

Roommates with Robin Williams at Juilliard. They remained close friends for the remainder of his life.

After the critical and box-office failure of Superman III (1983), he was reluctant to do a fourth Superman film, especially if it was going to be treated as a farce. He eventually agreed to do it when the producers promised him story input and that they would finance a longtime pet project of his, the gritty crime drama Street Smart (1987), in which he played an amoral reporter.

His longtime friend Robin Williams helped pay his medical bills during his final years.

Turned down the role of Jack T. Colton in Romancing the Stone (1984). The part eventually went to Michael Douglas, who also served as one of the film's producers.

His weight trainer for Superman (1978) was British weight-lifting champion David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

Along with Margot Kidder, Jackie Cooper, and Marc McClure, he is one of only four actors to appear in the first four Superman films: Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

His friend Jane Seymour used to call him "Superfoot" because of his tendency to step on her toes while filming their dance scenes from "Somewhere in Time".

After he died, a number of political cartoons drawn to commemorate his death were Superman-themed. Many artists drew Reeve as Superman flying away from the wheelchair. In one picture, Superman came to Reeve's grave with flowers. In another picture, a grief-stricken Superman reads the news of Reeve's death in The Daily Planet newspaper and says to the reader, "He was my hero." In another, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Batman come to Reeve's grave with Batman, commenting, "He really was a super man." In another, a young boy in a wheelchair tells the reader, "He was the Man of Steel. He had incredible vision. He used his powers to save people. Nothing could stop him. And I think before that he acted in some Superman movies." Some pictures depicted Reeve arriving in heaven dressed as Superman; in one, he says to Gabriel, "You can keep the wings." In another, dressed as a regular angel, he declines the wings by saying, "No thanks, I'd rather walk."

Took some criticism for his portrayal of Clark Kent (Superman's alter ego) as a weak, bumbling nerd. This characterization (which he said was based on a younger Cary Grant), in Reeve's opinion, was necessary because he felt that there had to be some kind of a difference between Superman and Clark Kent, otherwise "it's just the same guy in glasses."

At the time of his death, he had regained partial movement in his fingers and toes, and said he could feel a pin prick anywhere on his body as well as differentiate hot and cold temperatures.

Starred opposite Michael Keaton in Speechless (1994). Keaton and Reeve portrayed DC Comics' two most iconic characters, Batman and Superman respectively.

The character he portrayed on "Smallville" (2001), Dr. Swann, was named after longtime Superman artist Curt Swann.

Made his Broadway debut starring opposite Katharine Hepburn in a production of "A Matter of Gravity" in 1976. Hepburn became very fond of him, both as an actor and as a person, and teased him that he would take care of her when she retired. Ironically, Reeve's reply was "Miss Hepburn, I don't think I'll live that long."

He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters after his death by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick on May 18, 2005.

Was posthumously awarded an honorary degree at Stony Brook University's commencement on May 20, 2005. His doctor of humane letters degree was accepted by a graduate student whose own struggle with paralysis was the subject of a 2004 TV movie directed by Reeve.

Attended Julliard with actor Kevin Conroy, who later went on to provide the voice of Batman for the animated Bruce W. Timm series.

Was slated to direct a fifth Superman film featuring a new actor in the lead role if the fourth film was successful. The fourth film did poorly at the box office however and the fifth film never materialized.

His Doctor of Humane Letters degree was accepted by Stony Brook graduate student Brooke Ellison, whose life and struggle against paralysis was the subject of a made-for-TV movie directed by the late actor just before his death in 2004.

His last theatrical film, John Carpenter's remake of Village of the Damned (1995), paired him with Mark Hamill, who provided the voice of the Joker on "Batman" (1992).

The "Smallville" (2001) episode "Thirst" was dedicated to his memory, with the caption at the end of the credits reading: "He made us believe a man could fly."

A picture of him as "Superman" appears at the end credits of European Vacation (1985).

Wore nearly 25 different Superman costumes for the first Superman film, some of which were specifically for walking, and others that were for flying, and some of which were turquoise for blue screen shots (in order to balance out the blue of the uniform).

He was distinguished in January of 2004 by the Chilean Government for his humanitarian work, with the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, by the Chilean chancellor in his home in New York

He went to Chile in 1987 during the military dictatorship to support about 80 Chileans artists (actors and directors) threatened with death by dictatorship security organizations.

A Superbowl XXXIV commercial for a medical company, set in the future, portrayed Reeve as being able to walk, via computer animation. The next day, the company was flooded with phone calls from people asking how they had cured him.

III (1983)_ . As a relatively unknown actor at the time, he was given third billing behind Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman in the first Superman film, then given second billing behind Gene Hackman in the second Superman film before achieving t

Was a fan of "Law & Order" (1990). He claimed that watching it helped him through his psychical therapy.

Robin Williams dedicated his Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award to Reeve.

Was only 24 years old when he was cast by Richard Donner in Superman (1978), making him the youngest actor ever to play the part of Superman.

Winner of a Grammy Award in the "Best Spoken Word Album" category for "Still Me" (1998)

While Reeve was filming Somewhere in Time (1980), the local theater decided to show his breakout hit Superman (1978). Many "Somewhere" cast members joined locals for the event. Early into the screening, the sound went out. Reeve, who was seated next to co-star 'Jane Seymour (I)" , stood up in the audience and delivered all the lines.

After meeting Reeve at the 1979 Academy Awards, John Wayne turned to Cary Grant and said, "This is our new man. He's taking over."

At the height of his popularity as Superman, a group of children who recognized him in a park purposefully threw their Frisbee over a fence and then asked him to fly after it. Trying hard not to hurt their feelings, Reeve replied he couldn't fly after the Frisbee because his cape was in the washer, so they settled for him just reaching over the fence and handing it back to them.

Godfather of Christopher Keach, Jane Seymour's son.

Following the first Superman film, he was offered a number of scripts for action films, one of which he claims was a script for a film about the Viking Eric the Red. He turned these scripts down because he felt they did not require much in the way of acting. Instead, he chose the Somewhere in Time (1980) as his first post-Superman film, against the advice of his agent, because he liked the script and the character.

Was a descendant of the prominent D'Olier family of France.

Was the very first caller into "Dr. Frasier Crane"'s radio show on the TV sitcom "Frasier" (1993).

Descendant of Humphrey Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Gloucester, younger brother of the famous King Henry V of England.

"Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean."

"What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely. From an acting point of view, that's how I approached the part."

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

Talking about Robin Williams, in the hospital shortly after the accident: "There was this guy wearing a blue scrub hat and a yellow gown and with a Russian accent, being some insane Russian doctor... I laughed for the first time, and I knew that life was going to be okay."

"I've seen first hand how Superman actually transforms people's lives.  I have seen children dying of brain tumors who wanted as their last request to be able to talk to me, and have gone to their graves with a peace brought on by knowing that their belief in this kind of character is intact.  I've seen that Superman really matters.  They're connecting with something very basic: the ability to overcome obstacles, the ability to persevere, the ability to understand difficulty and to turn your back on it."

"I asked Sean Connery on how to avoid being typecast and he said, 'First you have to be good enough that they ask you to play it again and again.'"

On making sequels: "You know, when you make sequels, they have to be better each time. And you have to spend the money. I remember on Superman II (1980), we once went down to St. Lucia in the Caribbean from Pinewood - took a whole crew to get a shot of Superman picking a flower by a stream. And we had just been to Norway to get some shots of him in the snow fields. All that was scaled down by the producers of Superman IV, and I think the film looks ersatz as a result."

"Siegel and Shuster created a piece of American mythology. It was my privilege to be the onscreen custodian of the character in the '70s and '80s. There will be many interpretations of Superman, but the original character created by two teenagers in the '30s will last forever."

On director Richard Lester's filming of Superman III (1983): "[Richard Lester] was always looking for a gag - sometimes to the point where the gags involving Richard Pryor went over the top. I mean, I didn't think that his going off the top of a building, on skis with a pink tablecloth around his shoulders, was particularly funny."

On the weight training he did for the first Superman film: "I actually thought I was in pretty good shape before, but by the time we were done, I felt like I was ready to take on Muhammad Ali!"

Your body is not who you are. The mind and spirit transcend the body.

From an interview three months before the release of the third Superman film: "Look, I've flown, I've become evil, loved, stopped and turned the world backward, I've faced my peers, I've befriended children and small animals, and I've rescued cats from trees. What else is there left for Superman to do that hasn't been done?"

From a Barbara Walters interview a few months prior to his death: "I am getting older and time is ticking. The more time goes by the more I feel a sense of urgency and I can accept anything except for complacency."

"Hollywood needs to do more. Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else."

On his post-accident role in Rear Window (1998) (TV): "I was worried that only acting with my voice and my face, I might not be able to communicate effectively enough to tell the story. But I was surprised to find that if I really concentrated and just let the thoughts happen, that they would read on my face."

"The key to success is letting the relationships in your life grow to the highest levels they possibly can... not putting yourself first in life and remembering that the more you give away, the more you have."

Speaking about the reshoots of the second Superman film after changing directors: "It was usually done whenever a set doubled or we had a problem with expensive actors being available. I remember we did many scenes from the Daily Planet, if not all of them, while we were doing Part One. So those were pretty much in the bank. Gene Hackman, to the extend that he was in Part Two, was also done while he was around for Part One. I don't remember that he came back again."

On the famous fight scene in the second Superman film: "The Salkinds wanted to make a splash. Their vision was really big. I remember much of that as being fun. The strong wind blowing the cars around, from the three baddies with their super breath, that was all staged by Dick Lester. And it had an element of humor to it, so it was fun for us to think of gags."

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."

[On Superman's enduring popularity]: "He's a friend. Everybody needs a friend. That's why he's still here."

This is an unofficial fansite and is not associated in any way with the CW, or any other official entity.