Superman Star Christopher Reeve Dies

[Odie 0]

May Chirstopher Reeve rest in peace.

 

 

BEDFORD, N.Y. - Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died Sunday of heart failure, his publicist said. He was 52.

 

 

 

Canadian Press 

Slideshow: `Superman' Star Christopher Reeve Dies

 

 

Reeve fell into a coma Saturday after going into cardiac arrest while at his New York home, his publicist, Wesley Combs told The Associated Press by phone from Washington, D.C., on Sunday night. His family was at his side at the time of death.

 

Reeve was being treated at Northern Westchester Hospital for a pressure wound, a common complication for people living with paralysis. In the past week, the wound had become severely infected, resulting in a serious systemic infection.

 

"On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Northern Westchester Hospital for the excellent care they provided to my husband," Dana Reeve, Christopher's wife, said in a statement. "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."

 

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Reeve broke his neck in May 1995 when he was thrown from his horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Va.

 

Enduring months of therapy to allow him to breathe for longer and longer periods without a respirator, Reeve emerged to lobby Congress for better insurance protection against catastrophic injury and to move an Academy Award audience to tears with a call for more films about social issues.

 

"Hollywood needs to do more," he said in the March 1996 Oscar awards appearance. "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else. There is no challenge, artistic or otherwise, that we can't meet."

 

He returned to directing, and even returned to acting in a 1998 production of "Rear Window," a modern update of the Hitchcock thriller about a man in a wheelchair who becomes convinced a neighbor has been murdered. Reeve won a Screen Actors Guild (news - web sites) award for best actor.

 

"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," Reeve said. "But I was surprised to find that if I really concentrated, and just let the thoughts happen, that they would read on my face. With so many close-ups, I knew that my every thought would count."

 

In 2000, Reeve was able to move his index finger, and a specialized workout regimen made his legs and arms stronger. He also regained sensation in other parts of his body. He had vowed to walk again.

 

"I refuse to allow a disability to determine how I live my life. I don't mean to be reckless, but setting a goal that seems a bit daunting actually is very helpful toward recovery," Reeve said.

 

Reeve's support of stem cell research helped it emerge as a major campaign issue between President Bush (news - web sites) and John Kerry (news - web sites). His name was even mentioned by Kerry earlier this month during the second presidential debate.

 

His athletic, 6-foot-4-inch frame and love of adventure made him a natural, if largely unknown, choice for the title role in the first "Superman" movie in 1978. He insisted on performing his own stunts.

 

Although he reprised the role three times, Reeve often worried about being typecast as an action hero.

 

"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," Reeve told the Los Angeles Times in 1983. "What else is there left for Superman to do that hasn't been done?"

 

Though he owed his fame to it, Reeve made a concerted effort to, as he often put it, "escape the cape." He played an embittered, crippled Vietnam veteran in the 1980 Broadway play "Fifth of July," a lovestruck time-traveler in the 1980 movie "Somewhere in Time," and an aspiring playwright in the 1982 suspense thriller "Deathtrap."

 

More recent films included John Carpenter's "Village of the Damned," and the HBO movies "Above Suspicion" and "In the Gloaming," which he directed. Among his other film credits are "The Remains of the Day," "The Aviator," and "Morning Glory."

 

Reeve was born Sept. 25, 1952, in New York City, son of a novelist and a newspaper reporter. About the age of 10, he made his first stage appearance — in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Yeoman of the Guard" at McCarter Theater in Princeton, N.J.

 

After graduating from Cornell University in 1974, he landed a part as coldhearted bigamist Ben Harper (news) on the television soap opera "Love of Life." He also performed frequently on stage, winning his first Broadway role as the grandson of a character played by Katharine Hepburn (news) in "A Matter of Gravity."

 

Reeve's first movie role was a minor one in the submarine disaster movie "Gray Lady Down," released in 1978. "Superman" soon followed. Reeve was selected for the title role from among about 200 aspirants.

 

Active in many sports, Reeve owned several horses and competed in equestrian events regularly. Witnesses to the 1995 accident said Reeve's horse had cleared two of 15 fences during the jumping event and stopped abruptly at the third, flinging the actor headlong to the ground. Doctors said he fractured the top two vertebrae in his neck and damaged his spinal cord.

 

While filming "Superman" in London, Reeve met modeling agency co-founder Gae Exton, and the two began a relationship that lasted several years. The couple had two sons, but were never wed.

 

Reeve later married Dana Morosini; they had one son, Will, 11. Reeve also is survived by his mother, Barbara Johnson; his father, Franklin Reeve; his brother, Benjamin Reeve; and his two children from his relationship with Exton, Matthew, 25, and Alexandra, 21.

 

No plans for a funeral were immediately announced.

 

A few months after the accident, he told interviewer Barbara Walters that he considered suicide in the first dark days after he was injured. But he quickly overcame such thoughts when he saw his children.

 

"I could see how much they needed me and wanted me... and how lucky we all are and that my brain is on straight."

[hangon 3]

:angry: I am just watching the news now and its very sad superman was my childhood hero and when he broke his neck his fight to carry on made him in my eyes a real SUPERMAN i am very sad he has passed away :)

[VaBeachGuy 12]

That is sad news to read, I always enjoyed his movies.

[Wishfire 2]

"Superman is dead." Rest in peace.

[Mike 5]

Sad news..I always enjoyed the Superman movies..Rest in peace Christopher Reeve..

[Jeanway 0]

Life is SO short :angry: Rest in Peace my friend :)

[Capt_Picard 0]

In his movies he fought for thoes who could not fight, and in life he fought for people so they may keep their lifes. To a man that does great deeds like these I can only say thank you for what you have done and may your death help as many people as your life has helped.

 

*Plays taps*

Edited October 11, 2004 by capt_picard

[DutchDebbie 0]

:angry: I am just watching the news now and its very sad superman was my childhood hero and when he broke his neck his fight to carry on made him in my eyes a real SUPERMAN i am very sad he has passed away :)

271431[/snapback]

When Hang told me i was shocked i have drawn a few superman pictures for Hang because he is totally mad about superman :lol: my thoughts are with his family.

[Angela 1]

Superman and the man behind him were my personal hero's growing up, I was in a social security office with my mum when i heard of his accident. I was almost 14. I kept uptodate with his trials and his fight for stem cell research to allow parapalegics and quadrapelegics the use of the sinal cords. To me Mr. Reeve went beyond a hero and someone who was an amazing light in the world for me. He even though he had such a significant injury and was limited in such a way, had such an indomitable spirit that he helped to change the world. I am glad he was brought into this world. I wish there were more men willing to make things change when facing such limitations as he.

 

My thoughts and sympathies go to his family and children.

Edited October 11, 2004 by Unadopted Angelic

[Gotabite 0]

Christopher Reeve was truly a Super Man among men. :angry:

[Kyra_Ashleigh 0]

I'm so sad to hear this! Christopher Reeve was a great man and a true inspiration.

 

My condolences to the family at this difficult time.

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

May he rest in peace. :angry:

[BlueCrystal 0]

Peace be with Mr Reeve and God bless his family. I know that many think of him as 'Superman'. After his accident and seeing him in the re-make of 'Rear Window' made me realize anything is possible. He never gave up. I pray that the research will go on and this great man is honored but those that can stand and walk because of his effort on their behalf.

[sea trooper 0]

Oh wow. That's sad news. He was a hero to us all. :superman:

[Cougar 0]

Ya I just heard. I was gone for the weekend and I just got back. I just heard about this a hour ago. Rest in Peace Superman.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

 

 

:angry: What a bummer, my condolences and prayers go out to his family.

 

See you on the other side Chris. :)

[ILIKESEVEN 0]

Mr. Reeves was Superman and he still is, deep in my heart.

:angry:

[Captain Ericks 0]

I can't say anything that some one else hasn't already posted on this board except that I know that he is in a better, happier place where he can finally walk(and fly) again.

 

God be with his family and rest in peace Superman.

[BakulaBabe 2]

I still can't believe he's gone.

 

Rest in peace, Christopher. You'll always be Superman to me. :superman:

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Of his movies, aside from the Superman movies I think one of the most interesting ones was the 1980 movie "Somewhere In Time" http://www.somewhereintime.tv/ It was a good time travel/love story movie.

[BakulaBabe 2]

Of his movies, aside from the Superman movies I think one of the most interesting ones was the 1980 movie "Somewhere In Time" http://www.somewhereintime.tv/ It was a good time travel/love story movie.

271867[/snapback]

 

It's been a long time since I've seen it, but it was very good. And I had a major (non-Superman) crush on Christopher after seeing it!

Edited October 12, 2004 by BakulaBabe

[starsinmyeyes 0]

Rest in Peace Christopher.

[Matt 0]

My condolences to his family and to all those whom he has inspired.

[Nemesis 0]

Reeve was a Super Hero, and it had nothing to do with the character that he played in movies.