Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer renowned for his film portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent.

Acting career

Reeve was born in New York City to writer Franklin Reeve and journalist Barbara Johnson. He attended Cornell University as a member of the class of 1974, but left before earning his degree and began studying at the Juilliard Drama School under John Houseman. While at Juilliard, he became friends with Robin Williams, as well as with Kevin Conroy who would later be the voice actor for the animated Batman television series.

Related Topics:
New York City - Journalist - Cornell University - 1974 - Juilliard Drama School - John Houseman - Robin Williams - Kevin Conroy - Voice actor - Batman

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Reeve's first big break as an actor came in 1975 when he was selected to co-star opposite Katharine Hepburn in the Broadway play A Matter Of Gravity. Reeve stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews. He and Hepburn became very close. Reeve credited the legendary actress with giving him many valuable lessons on acting. Hepburn in turn praised her young co-star. She predicted great things for him and joked that he would "support me in my old age." Reeve is reported to have joked back, "I don't think I'll live that long Miss Hepburn."

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Actor - 1975 - Katharine Hepburn - Broadway - Play - A Matter Of Gravity

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Reeve continued to work on the stage, as well as on the soap opera "Love of Life". His first role in a Hollywood film was a small part as a submarine officer in the disaster movie Gray Lady Down in 1977.

Related Topics:
Soap opera - Love of Life - Gray Lady Down - 1977

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With his stunning good looks and tall stature, Reeve is said to have drawn eyes when walking into auditions. This paid off when he beat out thousands of others for the role of Superman in the 1978 film directed by Richard Donner. This film was an enormous success and inspired three sequels. Coincidentally, Christopher Reeve's good friend Robin Williams also became a star that same year with the television show Mork & Mindy. Because of the similar surnames, people sometimes surmise that Christopher Reeve is related to George Reeves, an actor who portrayed a previous incarnation of Superman on television. The two were not related; in fact, George Reeves' surname was a stage name.

Related Topics:
Superman - 1978 - Richard Donner - Television show - Mork & Mindy - George Reeves

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Superman was the kind of part Reeve usually disdained. He once said, "I want to challenge myself in my roles, not run around on screen with a machine gun." However, Reeve did find that he could play the character with depth and challenge himself with the role. He said that there had to be something more to the Clark Kent character, otherwise you just had a "pair of glasses standing in for a character." Christopher Reeve essentially redefined Superman, no small feat considering what a global icon the character was and still is. To this day, people see Superman in Christopher Reeve.

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In 1980, Reeve co-starred with Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time, a time travel romance. Although this film was not popular at the time it was released, it has since inspired a wide "cult" following. Seymour thought so highly of Reeve that she named one of her children after him.

Related Topics:
1980 - Jane Seymour - Somewhere in Time - Time travel - Cult

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In 1984, Reeve won critical acclaim for his role as a 19th century southern lawyer in The Bostonians. He often said this was the best movie role of his career. It was immediately afterwards that he scored another triumph on the stage. This time it was on a London stage. Reeve had always been fond of England and jumped at the chance to co-star with his friend Vanessa Redgrave in The Aspen Papers which was an adaptation of a Henry James novel. Critics were astounded by his performance and headlines blurted "Superman can act!"

Related Topics:
1984 - 19th century - The Bostonians - Vanessa Redgrave - The Aspen Papers

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In 1987 he travelled to Chile, at that time under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, to stand in solidarity with several dozen actors and writers who had been threatened with death for their left wing views. Aboard his aircraft, he piloted them to safety and was widely praised as a humanitarian hero. In the same year, the fourth Superman sequel was released. Reeve helped write the screenplay because he wanted to send a powerful message about world peace. The plot focused on Superman ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Also in 1987, Reeve starred in the gritty Street Smart as a reporter who falsified a story about a pimp. Morgan Freeman won an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his role as the pimp "Fast Black". Reeve's performance was dismissed by the critics; one even mocked, "Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane... it's Newsman!". In 1988, Reeve co-starred with friends, Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner, in the comedy Switching Channels. This was a modern day remake of the 1930s stageplay "The Front Page" and also provided the first comical role for Reeve. The movie flopped and Reeve was unable to land a major film role for the next four years.

Related Topics:
1987 - Chile - Dictator - Augusto Pinochet - Nuclear weapons - Street Smart - Morgan Freeman - Academy Award - 1988 - Burt Reynolds - Kathleen Turner - Switching Channels - 1930s - The Front Page

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Reeve had a great love for the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He served as an apprentice and on its Board of Directors. Despite becoming famous as Superman, he returned each summer until his accident. Reeve often faulted fellow actors for shunning stagework claiming they were dishonoring their craft. Reeve appeared in over 150 plays during his career.

Related Topics:
Williamstown Theatre Festival - Williamstown, Massachusetts

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