Christopher Reeve was an American actor who won a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy Award, throughout his career. A documentary about his life titled, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, was showcased at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, this documentary proved to be a tearjerker. Furthermore, the project also explained how he got paralyzed in 1995.
Christopher Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, to Barbara Pitney Lamb and Franklin D’Olier Reeve. His father was a teacher, novelist, poet, and scholar, while his mother was a journalist. After his parents divorced in 1956, he, his brother, and his mother moved to Princeton, New Jersey. Reeve was an academically gifted student. In addition, he played soccer, baseball, tennis, and hockey. He then went to the prestigious Cornell University and then to the Juilliard School.
On May 27, 1995, Christopher Reeve met with a tragic accident that shattered his first and second vertebrae. Reports suggest that he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. This accident resulted in him getting paralyzed from the shoulders down. Furthermore, he had to use a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life.
Reeve died on October 10, 2004, at the age of just 52. His remains were cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery.
According to IMDb, the synopsis of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story reads,
“Reeve’s rise to becoming a film star follows with a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After which he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.”
Furthermore, the writers of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story are, Ian Bonhôte, Otto Burnham, and Peter Ettedgui.
Christopher Reeve Documentary: Which role is Superman star best known for?
Christopher Reeve is known for several roles. However, he rose to fame for his portrayal of Superman in the films, Superman, Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. In addition, some of his most popular films are The Remains of the Day, The Bostonians, Street Smart, and more.
His first film role came in the form of a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie Gray Lady Down. This film was directed by David Greene and starred David Carradine, Stacy Keach, Ned Beatty, and Charlton Heston.
Ability Magazine once interviewed the late actor, where he candidly spoke about being considered a spokesperson for people with disabilities. He stated, “I can’t speak for all people with disabilities because I have very limited knowledge of all disabilities. I am mostly aware of spinal cord injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s—all the diseases that affect the central nervous system and the brain. I talk to researchers and mostly focus on those conditions. There are so many other things and I can’t take on the mantle of responsibility for everybody and all conditions.”
He further said, “But, I’m doing what I can to raise awareness. That was the purpose of the television special on ABC a couple of weeks ago. I mean, to get two hours of primetime on national television during the ratings sweeps was to not only highlight spinal cord injuries but to also show at least three disabled performers, two comedians, and a dancer, was frankly unheard of.”
Reeve married singer/actress Dana Morosini in 1992, and remained married to her until his passing.
