Nine years ago, in May 1995 Christopher Reeve jumped on the back of a horse to participate in an equestrian competition in Virginia. He never finished the race. Instead he started life as a paralyzed man which would not only see any production of a Superman 5 flick scrapped but also cost him his life. Christopher Reeve died from an infection resulting from a pressure wound. Reeve's suffered a cardiac arrest and fell into a coma. Since his accident Reeve was determined to find a cure for spinal injuries Although this was one quest that even a former 'Man of Steel' couldn't do. The man who gave us the opportunity to tell the joke referring to mimicking someone in a wheelchair then thrusting both arms into the air pretending we were in the next Superman movie has gone to Superhero heaven. It's our duty as the leading disabled Internet site to trace Christopher's career and hope that Stephen Hawkings lives a few more years as these tributes take fucking ages to write...
Christopher Reeve was sent in a small shuttle to the planet Krypton and, oh hang on that's Superman. Let's start again Christopher Reeve on September 25th, 1952. His mother, Barbara Johnson was actually a journalist herself, something which Christopher ended up working as Clark Kent when he played in the Superman film His father, Frankin Reeve was a professor and writer although when Christopher was four they got divorced. The mother took Chris and his brother to Princeton, New Jersey - they flew there. Although in a plane as Christopher Reeve couldn't really fly himself - that was a special effect you saw in the Superman movies! Anyway, at the age of eight Christopher became interested in acting and by nine years old he had made his first acting debut in a Gilbert and Sullivan operatta at the Princeton's McCarter Theater. When he reached 15 Christopher received a summer apprenticeship to study drama in Williamstown and a year later he had his first agent.
Christopher continued his education in English and music at Cornell Uni. Which gave him a master's degree at Juilliard (unfortunately it was in 'drama' which kinds of takes the edge of the title, but still - it was a degree!) he then studied under actor John Houseman's tutelage before making his way onto English soil to work at London's Old Vic, he also headed to Paris to work at Comedeie Francaise before returning to the States in 1794 where he ended up in a Yankee soap opera called Love of Life playing Ben Harper. He stayed on the series until 1978. Over these four years he also made Broadway debut acting alongside Katharine Hepburn in A Matter of Gravity and his first movie role in a sea adventure called Gray Lady Down. Although he still wasn't a star, however this was about to change thanks to a certain superhero..
In 1978 big Hollywood actors, Robert Redford, Sly Stallone and Clint Esatwood were creeping round director Richard Donner. Richard was about to choose the lead role for his new movie called Superman. Boycotting the list of A List celebs Richard chose Christopher Reeve to play 'The Man Of Steel'. Nobody imagined how big the film was to become although when Christopher was awarded the British Academy Award for the Most Promising Newcomer later in the year there was a hint that world stardom was just around the corner for the actor and in 1980 Chris wore his underpants outside his trousers again for the first Superman sequel.
The Superman movies were great for Christopher but he was worried that he was going to be typecast so he made other films whilst Superman II was in production. These included acting as a gay amputee in Fifth of July, and a playwright in Somewhere in Time, in both films Christopher was portrayed as a good guy although his darker roles included being a crazed playwright in Deathtrap and a corrupt priest in Monsignor. He also starred in a film called Street Smart which was about prostitution.
Making a return to the small screen in the TV adaptation of Sleeping Beauty and Feerie Tale Thatcher Christopher also starred in a few TV movies, including Anna Karenina and Death Dreams. Towards the end of the eighties he worked co-founded the Creative Coalition and other social causes including work with Amnesty International which took him to Chile in 1987 campaigning for authors who were in prison. This work gave Christopher the inspiration behind Superman IV: The Quest For Peace which he wrote and starred in.
Everything was looking good for Christopher, but in 1985 things were about to change. Christopher saddled up in a steeplechase race and suffered a horrific injury after falling off. He broke several bones in his neck and became paralyzed he couldn't even breath without assistance. Christopher remained hopefully that despite his doctor's bleak prospect for his future that a cure would be found and in 1996 he started the UCI-Reeve-Irvine Research Center which hopes that one day a cure will be found for spinal injuries. The center's work is going strength to strength and thanks to Christopher will hopefully continue the amazing work it does. Since his accident Christopher was determined to carry on with his acting career and starred in the 1998 Alfred Hitchcock TV remake of Rear Window as well as directing a made-for-cable drama film called In The Gloaming in 1997.
He leaves his wife, cabaret singer Dana Morosini who he married in 1992 after dumping his ex, Gae Exton who despite not marrying, had two kids. He also leaves a son who he had with Morosini.
Morosini made this statement shortly after Christopher died at 52 on October 10th 2004,
"On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Northern
Westchester Hospital for the excellent care they
provided to my husband. I also want to thank his personal staff of nurses
and aides, as well as the millions of fans from around the world who have
supported and loved my husband over the years."
ABLE2UK ADDS..
We were very upset to hear of the death of Christopher Reeve. Admittingly over the past few years the actor was the center of some pretty bad taste jokes on our pages. Even though we aren't going to backtrack and apologize for previous digs as the nature of ABLE2UK is to make light and step the boundaries of disabled issues we would like to express our thoughts on what an incredible man he was. The sheer determination he showed after the accident just goes to show what an inspiration Christopher was to other people who have spinal injuries. Regular ABLE2UK will be aware that we don't normally give this much credit but this is one person who deserves our praise.