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Christopher Reeve, Star of Superman Movies, Dies at 52 Juilliard-trained actor Christopher Reeve, who first captured the public's imagination as the high-flying Superman and later became a real-life hero through his courageous struggle to overcome paralysis, died on October 10 at his home in Pound Ridge, N.Y. While being treated for an infection, he went into cardiac arrest and lapsed into a coma. He was 52.
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| Christopher Reeve (third from left) in a Juilliard production of Congreve's The Way of the World in 1974.
(Photo by Diane Gorodnitzki) |
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"One of Juilliard's most distinguished graduates, Christopher transcended the severe challenges he faced and brought extraordinary courage and determination to all that he addressed," said Juilliard's president, Joseph W. Polisi. "He stood as a role model for all of us at the School and showed us how his exceptional artistry and creativity could be used to make a positive impact on our entire society. His legacy will live on at Juilliard for many years to come."Born in Manhattan on September 25, 1952, Reeve began appearing in school plays around the age of 8. He was 9 when he was cast in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, N.J. By the time he was 15, he had already joined Actors Equity and had apprenticed at the Williamstown Theater Festival.After graduating from Cornell University, Reeve entered Juilliard's Drama Division in 1973. Faculty member Moni Yakim remembers him as a quiet and hard-working young man, very generous of spirit, who was nevertheless "a bit prankish in a sweet way—his imitations of Cary Grant were absolutely hilarious." While at Juilliard, Reeve began his two-year run in the soap opera Love of Life as the bigamist Ben Harper, and made his Broadway debut playing the grandson of Katherine Hepburn's character in Bagnold's A Matter of Gravity.The cinematic role of the comic-book hero with which he was to be forever identified fell to Reeve, still a relative unknown, in 1978. Three sequels followed (in 1980, 1983, and 1987). Other roles, which enabled him to avoid action-hero typecasting, included those in the 1980 Broadway play Fifth of July and film Somewhere in Time, and the 1982 Deathtrap. Later film credits included The Remains of the Day (1993), Morning Glory (1993), Above Suspicion (1995), and a 1998 remake of the Hitchcock classic Rear Window for TV. He directed In the Gloaming for HBO in 1997.An avid sportsman, Reeve performed his own stunts for the Superman movies. He owned several horses and regularly competed in equestrian events until the May 1995 accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Months of therapy eventually enabled him to breathe for longer and longer periods without a respirator, and he found new purpose as an advocate for research into spinal cord injuries. He lobbied Congress for better health insurance for those who suffered catastrophic injury, and frequently called upon those in Hollywood to put more of their efforts into films about social issues.
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| The honorary doctorate recipients in 1997 included Reeve (center) with (left to right) President Joseph W. Polisi and fellow honorees Kurt Masur, Jiri Kylian, Howard Gilman, and Mary Rodgers Guettel. (Photo by Peter Schaaf) |
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Reeve was determined to walk again, through intensive exercise and iron will. In 2000 he had regained sensation in some parts of his body and was able to move his index finger. In 2003 he underwent groundbreaking surgery to have electrodes implanted in his diaphragm, regulating his breathing electronically and freeing him from his respirator.Reeve's boundless courage made him an inspiration for people around the world. While working tirelessly on his own recovery and speaking on public health issues, he also wrote two books and returned to acting and directing. His extensive lobbying efforts on behalf of quality-of-life issues for victims of disability, as well as scientific research toward a cure for paralysis, earned him a 2003 public service award from the Lasker Foundation.Christopher Reeve is survived by his wife, Dana Morosini, and their son, Will, 12; two children from a previous relationship, Matthew, 25, and Alexandra, 21; and by his mother, father, and brother.
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