Christopher Reeve
Reeve discussing stem cell research at a conference at MIT, March 2, 2003
Born	Christopher D'Olier Reeve September 25, 1952(1952-09-25) New York, New York, U.S.A.
Died	October 10, 2004 (aged 52) Mount Kisco, New York, U.S.A.
Years active	1973 — 2004
Spouse(s)	Dana Reeve (1992-2004)
Official website

Christopher D'Olier Reeve^[1] (September 25, 1952 — October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer, and writer. Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Mount Kisco is both a village and a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Dana Reeve ( March 17 1961 – March 6 2006) was an American actress, Singer, and activist for disability Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made He established himself early as a Juilliard-trained stage actor before portraying Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent in four films, from 1978 to 1987. The Juilliard School, located in New York City, is a world renowned Performing arts conservatory. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. The year 1978 in film involved some significant events Top grossing films (U Events January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago Illinois, to In the 1980s, he starred in several films, including Somewhere in Time (1980), Deathtrap (1982), The Bostonians (1984), and Street Smart (1987). Events The 1980s saw the continued rise of the blockbuster, an increased amount of Nudity in film and the increasing emphasis in the American industry on film Somewhere in Time is a 1980 Time travel Romance film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, written by Richard Matheson Deathtrap is a 1982 Thriller film. It is based on Ira Levin 's play of the same name. The Bostonians.JPG see image description page at http//enwikipedia He also starred in many plays, including the Broadway plays Fifth of July (1980 - 1982) and The Marriage of Figaro (1985). Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Fifth of July is a 1979 play by American playwright Lanford Wilson. Le nozze di Figaro ossia la folle giornata (Trans The Marriage of Figaro or the Day of Madness) K In 1987, he led a public rally in support of 77 Chilean actors, directors, and playwrights who had been sentenced to death by the dictator Augusto Pinochet for criticizing his regime in their works. Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November Pinochet canceled the sentence after the ensuing media coverage, and Reeve was awarded with three national distinctions from Chile for his actions. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the In the 1990s, Reeve acted in such films as Noises Off (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993), and Village of the Damned (1995). Events Thousands of full-length Films were produced during the 1990s Noises Off is a 1982 play by Michael Frayn. The idea for it was born in 1970 when Frayn was standing in the wings watching a performance of Chinamen The Remains of the Day ( 1993) is a Merchant Ivory Film adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro John Carpenter's Village of the Damned is an English language 1995 science fiction &ndash Horror film directed by John Carpenter

In May 27 1995, Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in an accident during the cross country portion of an Eventing competition. Eventing is an equestrian event which comprises Dressage, cross-country and Show-jumping. He was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He lobbied on behalf of people with spinal cord injuries, and for human embryonic stem cell research after this accident. Spinal cord injury causes myelopathy or damage to white matter or myelinated fiber tracts that carry sensation and motor signals to and from the brain Stem cells are cells found in most if not all multi-cellular Organisms. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation and co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (CDRF is a charitable organization headquartered in Short Hills New Jersey and dedicated to finding treatments and cures for Reeve died at age 52 on October 10, 2004 from cardiac arrest caused by a systemic infection. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiorespiratory arrest, cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of Systemic infection is a generic term for Infection caused by Microorganisms in animals or plants where the Causal agent (the Microbe) has spread ^[2]

Reeve married Dana Morosini in April 1992, and they had a son, Will. Dana Reeve ( March 17 1961 – March 6 2006) was an American actress, Singer, and activist for disability Reeve also had two children, Matthew and Alexandra, from a previous relationship with Gae Exton. Dana Reeve died of lung cancer in March 2006. ^[3]

Early life

Reeve was born in New York City on September 25, 1952. The City of New York Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. His father, Franklin D'Olier Reeve, was a teacher, novelist, poet and scholar. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Scholarly method &mdash or as it is more commonly called scholarship &mdash is the body of principles and practices used by scholars to make their claims about the world as ^[4] He was a Princeton University graduate and, when Christopher was born, was studying for a master's degree in Russian language at Columbia University. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Franklin's father, Colonel Richard Henry Reeve, had been the CEO of Prudential Financial for over twenty-five years. A chief executive officer ( CEO) or chief executive is typically the highest-ranking corporate officer ( executive) or administrator Prudential Financial, Inc ( is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide Insurance, Investment management, and Despite being born wealthy, Franklin Reeve spent summers working at the docks with longshoremen. Reeve's mother, Barbara Pitney (née Lamb), a journalist, had been a student at Vassar College, but transferred to Barnard College to be closer to Franklin, whom she had met through a family connection. A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends Vassar College is a private Coeducational, liberal arts college situated in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. Barnard College is a women's liberal arts college founded in 1889 They had another son, Benjamin, born on October 6, 1953. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[5] Reeve's father was descended from a sister of Elias Boudinot, as well as from Massachusetts governors Thomas Dudley and John Winthrop, Pennsylania deputy governor Thomas Lloyd, and Henry Baldwin, a US Supreme Court Justice. Elias Boudinot Jr (1740 1821 was an early American lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a Thomas Dudley ( October 12, 1576 July 31, 1653) was a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts John Winthrop ( 12 January 1587/8 26 March 1649) led a group of English Puritans to the New World, joined Henry Baldwin ( January 14, 1780 - April 21, 1844) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from ^[6] Reeve's mother was the granddaughter of Mahlon Pitney, another US Supreme Court Justice, and was also a descendant of William Bradford, a Mayflower passenger. Mahlon Pitney ( February 5, 1858 &ndash December 9, 1924) was an American Jurist and Republican Party Politician William Bradford ( March 19, 1590 – May 9, 1657) was a leader of the separatist settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts

Franklin Reeve's interests in socialism and English language and literature became increasingly important to him, and he and Barbara divorced in 1956. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution She moved with her two sons to Princeton, New Jersey, where they attended Nassau Street School. See also Princeton Township New Jersey, Borough of Princeton New Jersey Princeton Borough New Jersey Princeton Township New Jersey this Franklin Reeve married Helen Schmidinger in 1956, a Columbia University graduate student. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Barbara Pitney Lamb married Tristam B. Johnson, a stockbroker, in 1959. A stock broker or stockbroker is a qualified and regulated professional who buys and sells shares and other securities through Market makers or Johnson had Christopher and his brother, Benjamin, enroll in Princeton Country Day, a private school. For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered Reeve was one of the few kids to excel in both academics and sports; he was on the honor roll and played soccer, baseball, tennis and hockey. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Hockey is any of a family of Sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a Ball, or a hard round rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck Reeve later admitted that he put pressure on himself to act older than he actually was in order to gain his father's approval. ^[7]

Reeve found his true passion in 1962 at age nine when an amateur group held tryouts for the play The Yeomen of the Guard, and he was cast; it was the first of many student plays that he would act in. The Yeomen of the Guard, or The Merryman and his Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W ^[8] In the summer of 1968, at age fifteen, Reeve was accepted as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Apprenticeship is a system of Training a new generation of practitioners of a skill Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. The other apprentices were mostly college students, but Reeve's older appearance and maturity helped him fit in. In a workshop, he played a scene from A View From The Bridge that was chosen to be presented in front of an audience. After the performance, actress Olympia Dukakis said to him, "I'm surprised. Olympia Dukakis (Ολυμπία Δουκάκη born June 20, 1931) is an American actress. You've got a lot of talent. Don't mess it up. "^[9] The next summer, Reeve was hired at the Harvard Summer Repertory Theater Company in Cambridge for $44 per week. Cambridge Massachusetts is a City in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. He played a Russian sailor in The Hostage and Belyayev in A Month in the Country. The Hostage is a 1967 Crown International low-budget motion picture starring Don O'Kelly, James Almanzar and Joanne Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev ( ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈgʲeɪvʲɪtɕ turˈgʲenʲɪf ( &ndash) was a Russian novelist and playwright Famed theater critic Elliot Norton called his performance as Belyayev "startlingly effective. " The 23-year-old lead actress in the play, a Carnegie Mellon graduate, turned out to be Reeve's first romance. Carnegie Mellon University (also known as CMU) is a private Research University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United She was engaged to a fellow Carnegie Mellon graduate at the time; they mutually ended the relationship when he made a surprise visit to her dorm room at seven in the morning and found Reeve with her. Reeve's romance with the actress fizzled a few months later when the age difference became an issue for them. ^[10]

Cornell

After dropping out from Princeton Day School in June 1970, Reeve acted in plays in Boothbay, Maine, and planned to go to New York City to find a career in theater. Princeton Day School is a private Coeducational Day school located in Princeton Township, New Jersey. Boothbay is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2960 at the 2000 census The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Instead, at the advice of his mother, he applied for college. He was accepted into Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, and Cornell. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. Brown University is a highly esteemed private University located in Providence, Rhode Island and is a member of the Ivy League. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Carnegie Mellon University (also known as CMU) is a private Research University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United Reeve claims that he chose Cornell primarily because it is a five-hour drive from New York City, where he planned to start his career as an actor,^[11] although Columbia's location in New York City itself suggests other motives.

Reeve joined the theater department in Cornell and played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot, Segismundo in Life Is a Dream, Hamlet in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Pozzo is a character from Samuel Beckett 's play Waiting for Godot. Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters wait for someone named Godot who never arrives Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existentialist Tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, first published in the First Folio in 1623 ^[12] In the fall of his Freshman year, Reeve received a letter from Stark Hesseltine, a high-powered agent who had discovered Robert Redford and represented actors such as Michael Douglas, Susan Sarandon and Richard Chamberlain. A freshman, fresher, fish, or frosh is a first-year student in an educational institution Charles Robert Redford Jr (born August 18 1936) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, Actor, Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American Actor and producer, primarily in Movies and Television Susan Sarandon (born Susan Abigail Tomalin; October 4 1946 is an American Actress. Hesseltine had seen Reeve in A Month in the Country and wanted to represent him. The two met and decided that instead of dropping out of school, Reeve could come to New York once a month to meet casting agents and producers to find work for the summer vacation. That summer, he toured in a production of Forty Carats with Eleanor Parker. Eleanor Jean Parker (born June 26, 1922) is an American film and television actress ^[13]

The next year, Reeve received a full-season contract with the San Diego Shakespeare Festival, with roles as Edward IV in Richard III, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Dumaine in Love's Labour's Lost at the Old Globe Theatre. Edward IV ( 28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591 The Merry Wives of Windsor is a Comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597 Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare 's early comedies believed to have been written in the mid-1590s and first published in 1598 The Old Globe Theatre, located in San Diego, California, produces about 15 plays and Musicals annually including Shakespeare, in summer and ^[14]

Before his third year of college, Reeve took a three-month leave of absence. He flew to Glasgow and saw theatrical productions throughout Scotland and England. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He was inspired by the actors and often had conversations with them in bars after the performances. He helped actors at the Old Vic with their American accents by reading the newspaper aloud for them. The Old Vic is a Theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. He then flew to Paris, where he spoke fluent French for his entire stay; he had studied it from third grade until his second year in Cornell. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people He watched many performances and immersed himself into the culture before finally going back to New York to reunite with his girlfriend. ^[15]

Juilliard

After coming back from Europe, Reeve decided that he wanted to focus solely on acting. In Cornell, he was still required to take classes such as Intellectual History and Physics. He managed to convince theater director John Clancy and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that, as a theater major, he would achieve more in Juilliard than in Cornell. In Academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit or over a specific area of concern or both The Juilliard School, located in New York City, is a world renowned Performing arts conservatory. They agreed that his first year at Juilliard would be counted as his senior year at Cornell. ^[16]

In 1973, around two thousand students auditioned for twenty places in the freshman class at Juilliard. Reeve's audition was in front of ten faculty members, including John Houseman, who had just won an Academy Award for The Paper Chase. John Houseman ( September 22, 1902 — October 31, 1988) was an Oscar -winning American Actor "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Paper Chase is a 1973 film starring Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay Wagner, and John Houseman and directed by James Bridges. Reeve and Robin Williams were the only students selected for Juilliard's prestigious Advanced Program^[17] They had several classes together in which they were the only students. Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance In their dialects class with Edith Skinner, Williams had no trouble mastering all dialects naturally, whereas Reeve was more meticulous about it. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of Williams and Reeve developed a close friendship; they were able to laugh together, and were also able to confide in each other about their relationship problems. ^[18]

In a meeting with John Houseman, Reeve was told, "Mr. Reeve. It is terribly important that you become a serious classical actor. Unless, of course, they offer you a shitload of money to do something else. "^[19] Houseman then offered him the chance to leave school and join the Acting Company, among actors such as Kevin Kline and David Ogden Stiers. Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24 1947 is an American Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and two time Tony Award -winning stage and film David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American Actor, Voice actor and Musician, noted for his role in the Reeve declined as he had not yet received his Bachelor's degree from Cornell. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and ^[20]

In the spring of 1974, Reeve and other Juilliard students toured the New York City middle school system and performed The Love Cure. In one performance, Reeve, who played the hero, drew his sword out too high and accidentally destroyed a row of lights above him. The students applauded and cheered with approval. Reeve later said that this was the greatest ovation of his career. ^[21] After completing his first year at Juilliard, Reeve graduated from Cornell in the Class of '74.

Soap operas and Broadway

Reeve took a job in the soap opera Love of Life in July 1974. Love of Life is an American Soap opera which was aired on CBS from September 24, 1951 to February 1, He played Ben Harper, an antagonistic character with a polygamist lifestyle and history of criminal behavior. By August, his character had become popular, and ratings for the show improved. Reeve was no longer an anonymous actor; people on buses would give him advice as to which female character to marry. The soap opera schedule eventually forced him to drop out of Juilliard. He took acting classes at HB Studios, performed at the Theater for the New City, and starred in Berkeley Square, which became a hit. Founded in 1971, Theater for the New City (known familiarly as “TNC" is one of New York City ’s leading Off-Off Broadway theaters known for radical Berkeley Square is a play written by John Balderston which tells the story of a young American who is transported back to London in the time of the American He also starred in Berchtesgaden as a Nazi. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German ^[22]

In the fall of 1975, he auditioned for the Broadway play A Matter Of Gravity. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located A Matter of Gravity is a play by Enid Bagnold. At its center is eccentric dowager Mrs Katharine Hepburn watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson in the play. Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12 1907 – June 29 2003 was an American actress of film television and stage With Hepburn's influence over the CBS network, Reeve was able to work out the schedules of Love of Life and the play so that he would be able to do both. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Due to his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals, and suffered from exhaustion and malnutrition. Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. On the first night of the play's run, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat. " The understudy finished the play for him, and Reeve was treated by a doctor who advised him to eat a healthier diet. An understudy is a theatrical term for someone who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a leading actor or actress in a theatrical play. He stayed with the play throughout its year-long run and was given very favorable reviews. He and Hepburn became very close. She said, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age. " He replied, "I can't wait that long. " A romance between the two was rumored in some gossip columns. Reeve said, "She was sixty-seven and I was twenty-two, but I thought that was quite an honor. . . I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her. " Reeve said that his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man that Hepburn was most captivated by. When the play moved to Los Angeles in 1976, Reeve dropped out, to Hepburn's disappointment. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West They stayed in touch for years after the run of the play. Reeve later regretted not staying closer instead of just sending messages back and forth. ^[23]

Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a small part as a submarine officer in the disaster movie Gray Lady Down. Gray Lady Down is a 1978 Disaster film by Universal Studios which starred Charlton Heston, David Carradine, Stacy He then acted in the play My Life with friend William Hurt. My Life is a 1993 film starring Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman and directed by Bruce Joel Rubin. William M Hurt (born March 20, 1950) is an Academy Award - and BAFTA Award -winning American Actor. ^[24]

Superman

After My Life, Stark Hesseltine told Reeve that he had been asked to audition for the leading role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film, Superman: The Movie (1978). Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Superman (also known as Superman The Movie) is a 1978 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the The year 1978 in film involved some significant events Top grossing films (U Lynn Stalmaster, the casting director, put Reeve's picture and resume on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director Richard Donner, producer Ilya Salkind and Reeve was set in January 1977 at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on Fifth Avenue. Richard Donner (born April 24, 1930) is an American Film director, and also a Film producer through the production company Ilya Salkind (born Ilya Juan Salkind Dominguez, July 27, 1947 in Mexico City) is a film and ^[25] The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300 page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Richard Donner's motto was verisimilitude. Verisimilitude in its literary context is defined as the fact or quality of being verisimilar the appearance of being true or real likeness or resemblance of the truth reality or a fact’s Reeve immediately flew to London for a screen test, and on the way was told that Marlon Brando was going to play Jor-El and Gene Hackman was going to play Lex Luthor. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. For the BBC TV series see Screen Test. A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an Actor or actress for Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century Jor-El is a Fictional character from the Superman Comic books, published by DC Comics. Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award -winning American actor and author Lex Luthor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Reeve still did not think he had much of a chance. Though he was 6 ft 4, he was a self-described "skinny WASP. White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, commonly abbreviated to the Acronym WASP, is a sociological and cultural Ethnonym " On the plane ride to London, he imagined how his approach to the role would be. He later said, "By the late 1970s the masculine image had changed. . . Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability. I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image. " He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on Cary Grant in his role in Bringing up Baby. Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 Screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part. "^[26]

Although Reeve was tall enough for the role and had the blue eyes and handsome features, his physique was slim. He refused to wear fake muscles under the suit, and instead went through an intense two-month training regimen supervised by former British weightlifting champion David Prowse, the man under the Darth Vader suit in the Star Wars films. David Prowse, MBE (born 1 July, 1935) is an English bodybuilder weightlifter and actor most widely known for his role as the physical form Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in George Lucas ' Science fiction saga Star Wars. Star Wars is an epic Space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded The training regime consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of weightlifting and ninety minutes on the trampoline. Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell A trampoline is a Gymnastic and Recreational device consisting of a piece of taut strong Fabric stretched over a Steel frame using many coiled In addition, Reeve doubled his food intake and adopted a high protein diet. Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl He put on thirty pounds of muscle to his thin 190 pound frame. He later made even higher gains for Superman III (1983), though for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) he decided it would be healthier to focus more on cardiovascular workouts. Superman III is a 1983 Superhero film that was the third of five movies in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Events February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York Superman IV The Quest for Peace is a 1987 Superhero film, the last of the Superman theatrical movies starring Christopher Reeve as the Events January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago Illinois, to This is an article about the rock music band "Circulatory System" ^[27]

Juxtaposed images of Superman and Clark Kent

Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves. Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Adventures of Superman is an American Television series based on Comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel George Reeves ( January 5, 1914 &ndash June 16, 1959) was an American Actor, best known for his role as Superman in the However, he found that the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character. "^[28][29]

On the commentary track for the director's edition of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Superman II The Richard Donner Cut is a 2006 re-edit of the 1980 Superhero film, Superman II. Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to Screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie Screenplay. Tom Mankiewicz (born June 1, 1942) is an American Screenwriter and director. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him that he was always, always playing Superman and that when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent. " Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within the role.

During the production of the first two films, both Reeve and actor Jack O'Halloran(who played Kryptonian criminal Non in both productions)clashed in a dispute. In a October 2006 interview with Starlog Magazine, O'Halloran stated that Reeve had been polite to some of the crew and rude to others. O'Halloran would later go record as describing Reeve as an egotist. Despite this dispute, O'Halloran would later give high praise to Reeve for his work in spinal cord research and the helping of others with spinal cord injuries.

The film grossed $300,218,018 worldwide (unadjusted for inflation). In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time ^[30] Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:

• "Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence. " - Newsweek
• "Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, that of Clark Kent/Superman. Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City. Film reviewers - regardless of their opinion of the film - have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae. " - Starlog

Reeve used his newfound celebrity for good causes. Starlog is a monthly Science-fiction film Magazine published by Starlog Group Inc Through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, he visited terminally-ill children. He joined the Board of Directors for the worldwide charity Save the Children. Save the Children is a leading international organisation helping children in need around the world In 1979, He served as a track and field coach at the Special Olympics, alongside O.J. Simpson. Special Olympics is an international organization created to help people with Intellectual disabilities develop self-confidence social skills and a sense of personal accomplishment Orenthal James "O J" Simpson (born July 9 1947 who has also been called The Juice, is a retired American football player, ^[31]

Sequels

Much of Superman II was filmed at the same time as the first film. Superman II is the 1980 Sequel to the 1978 Superhero film Superman. Superman (also known as Superman The Movie) is a 1978 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with director Richard Donner about going over budget and fired him. Richard Donner (born April 24, 1930) is an American Film director, and also a Film producer through the production company He was replaced by director Richard Lester, who changed the script and reshot some of the footage. Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932) is a British -based Film director famous for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s The cast was unhappy with this, but Reeve later said that he liked Lester and considered Superman II to be his favorite film of the series. ^[32] Due to fan encouragement, Richard Donner's version of Superman II, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on DVD in 2006 and dedicated to Reeve. Superman II The Richard Donner Cut is a 2006 re-edit of the 1980 Superhero film, Superman II. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Superman III, released in 1983, was filmed entirely by Lester. Superman III is a 1983 Superhero film that was the third of five movies in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Events February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York Reeve believed that the producers ruined it by turning it into a Richard Pryor comedy. Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III ( December 1, 1940 &ndash December 10, 2005) was an American Comedian, Actor He missed Richard Donner and believed that Superman III's only saving grace was the junkyard scene in which evil Superman fights Clark Kent in an internal battle. ^[32]

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, released in 1987, was initially never going to be made; after Superman III, Reeve vowed that he was done with Superman. Superman IV The Quest for Peace is a 1987 Superhero film, the last of the Superman theatrical movies starring Christopher Reeve as the Events January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago Illinois, to ^[33] However, he accepted the role on the condition that he would have partial creative control over the script. The nuclear disarmament plot was his idea. Nuclear disarmament is the proposed dismantling of Nuclear weapons. The production rights were given to Cannon Films, who cut the budget in half to $17 million. The Cannon Group Inc was a group of companies including Cannon Films which produced a distinctive line of low to medium budget films from 1967 to 1993. The film was a major flop and Reeve later said, "the less said about Superman IV the better. "^[32]

Career, family, and political involvement

Roles turned down by Reeve

Following the first Superman movie, Reeve found that Hollywood producers all wanted him to be an action star. A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of that genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique. " In addition, he did not feel that he was right for the other films he was offered, and turned down the lead roles in American Gigolo, The World According to Garp, Splash, Fatal Attraction, and Body Heat. American Gigolo is a 1980 feature film written and directed by Paul Schrader. The World According to Garp is 1982 Comedy-drama film directed by George Roy Hill based on the novel of the same title by Splash is a 1984 Fantasy film and Romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Fatal Attraction is a 1987 thriller about a married man who has a weekend Affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end and who becomes Body Heat is a 1981 Neo-noir film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Katharine Hepburn recommended Reeve to director David Lean for the role of Fletcher Christian in a remake of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins. Sir David Lean KBE ( 25 March, 1908 &ndash 16 April, 1991) was an English Film director and producer Fletcher Christian ( September 25, 1764 &ndash October 3, 1793) was a Master's Mate on board the ''Bounty'' during For the book about the mutiny by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall see Mutiny on the Bounty (novel. Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor. After considering it, Reeve decided that he would be miscast, and Lean went with his second choice, Mel Gibson. Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, AO (born January 3 1956 ^[34]

1980-1986

With Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time (1980)

Reeve's first role after Superman was as Richard Collier in the 1980 romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time. Somewhere in Time is a 1980 Time travel Romance film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, written by Richard Matheson Jane Seymour played Elise McKenna, his love interest. Jane Seymour, OBE (born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg on February 15 1951) is an English actress best known The film was shot on Mackinac Island in May 1979 and was Reeve's favorite film to ever shoot. Mackinac Island (ˈmækɨnɔː) is an island covering in land area belonging to the U Early reviews and screenings were favorable. However, the film did not do well at the box office and was Reeve's first public disappointment. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue He immediately returned to London to shoot Superman II. Since then, Somewhere in Time has developed a wide cult following. A cult film is a Film that has acquired a highly devoted but relatively small group of fans. INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, has thousands of members. Thanks to the activism of these members, Reeve was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island became a much larger tourist actraction. Mackinac Island (ˈmækɨnɔː) is an island covering in land area belonging to the U Jane Seymour remained a life-long friend of Reeve's and named one of her sons after him. ^[35]

Gae Exton, Reeve's girlfriend at the time, gave birth to their son, Matthew Exton Reeve, on December 20, 1979 at Welbeck Hospital in London, England. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. After finishing Superman II, the family left London and rented a house in Hollywood Hills. Soon after, Reeve grew tired of Hollywood and took the family to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he played the lead in the successful play The Front Page, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman. Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. This article refers to the stage play For other adaptations see The Front Page (disambiguation The Front Page was a hit Broadway In the fall, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in the critically-acclaimed play The Fifth of July. Vietnam Era veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. In his research for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs. ^[36]

After The Fifth of July, Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a psychopath opposite Michael Caine in Sydney Lumet's film Deathtrap. Psychopathy ( is a psychological construct that describes chronic immoral and Antisocial behavior Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr, CBE (born 14 March 1933 better known by his screen name Michael Caine, is an Oscar - and BAFTA Sidney Lumet (born June 25 1924) is an Academy Award -receiving American Film director, with over 50 Films to his name Deathtrap is a 1982 Thriller film. It is based on Ira Levin 's play of the same name. The film was well-received. Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in The Bostonians alongside Vanessa Redgrave. The Bostonians.JPG see image description page at http//enwikipedia Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January, 1937) is an English Academy Award, two-time Cannes Best Actress, Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, the producers could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as he was happy to be doing a role that he could be proud of. The film exceeded expectations and did very well at the box office for what was considered to be an art house film. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue An Art film (also called an “art cinema” “art movie” or in the U The New York Times called it "the best adaptation of a literary work yet made for the screen. "^[36] Katharine Hepburn called Reeve to tell him that he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When told that he was currently shooting Anna Karenina, she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake. Anna Karenina is a United States 1985 made-for- TV Movie version of the famous Leo Tolstoy novel Anna Karenina "^[37]

Reeve was a licensed pilot and flew solo across the Atlantic twice. During the filming of Superman III, he raced his sailplane in his free time. Superman III is a 1983 Superhero film that was the third of five movies in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Terminology A "glider" is an unpowered Aircraft. The most common types of glider are today used for sporting purposes He joined The Tiger Club, a group of aviators who had served in the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and They let him participate in mock dogfights in vintage World War I combat planes. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The producers of the film The Aviator approached him without knowing that he was a pilot and that he knew how to fly a Stearman, the plane used in the film. For the 2004 film see The Aviator. The Aviator ( 1985) is an American Adventure film directed by George T Stearman Aircraft Corporation was an Aircraft manufacturer established by Lloyd Stearman at Wichita Kansas in 1927. Reeve readily accepted the role. The film was shot in Kranjska Gora, and Reeve did all of his stunts. Kranjska Gora (German Kronau) population 1605 is a town and a municipality in north-west Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian At this time, Gae Exton gave birth to their second child, Alexandra Exton Reeve, in December 1983 at Welbeck Hospital in London, England. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[38]

In 1984, Reeve appeared in The Aspern Papers with Vanessa Redgrave. The Aspern Papers is a Novella Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January, 1937) is an English Academy Award, two-time Cannes Best Actress, He then played Tony in The Royal Family and the Count in Marriage of Figaro. A play by George S Kaufman and Edna Ferber, The Royal Family lampooned the famous Barrymore family acting clan Le nozze di Figaro ossia la folle giornata (Trans The Marriage of Figaro or the Day of Madness) K In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts that he liked. A script named Street Smart had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he had it green-lit at Cannon Films. The Cannon Group Inc was a group of companies including Cannon Films which produced a distinctive line of low to medium budget films from 1967 to 1993. He starred opposite Morgan Freeman, who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. Morgan Porterfield Freeman Jr (born June 1 1937 is an Academy Award -winning American actor Film director and Narrator. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The film received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue ^[39]

1987-1989

After Superman IV in 1987, Reeve's relationship with Exton fell apart and they separated. He moved to New York without his children. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous He became depressed and decided that doing a comedy might be good for him. He was given a lead in Switching Channels. Switching Channels is a 1988 comedic movie remake of The Front Page (also more famously remade as His Girl Friday Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. Burton Leon Reynolds Jr (born February 11 1936 is an American Actor. Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is a Tony Award - and Academy Award -nominated American actress. The film did not do well, and Reeve believed that it marked the end of his movie star career. He spent the next years mostly doing plays. He tried out for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman, but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for Julia Roberts. Richard Tiffany Gere (born August 31, 1949) is a Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American Actor. Pretty Woman is a 1990 Romantic comedy film. The film centers around the titular character down-on-her-luck Prostitute Vivian Ward ( Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28 1967 is an American - Academy Award winning Film actress and former Fashion model. ^[40]

Although Reeve's career was bottoming-out, these were some of the happiest times of his life. In the summer of 1987, Reeve returned to Williamstown, where he appeared in a production of The Rover at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. One night he attended a performance of WTF's Cabaret Corp at the Williams Inn, where Dana Morosini sang. Dana Reeve ( March 17 1961 – March 6 2006) was an American actress, Singer, and activist for disability Following the performance he attended a company party called "The Zoo". Seeing Morosini at the party, Reeve abandoned the actress who'd accompanied him to the show and after party and stood in rapt conversation with Morosini in the middle of the party for over an hour. His companion eventually just left. In Reeve's book "Still Me" he claimed that his "secret" relationship with Morosini began five months after separating from Gae Exton. However, that summer the National Enquirer carried pictures taken of the pair outside the Williams Inn accusing Reeve of having an affair behind Exton's back. During the course of the WTF Season Reeve made several singing appearances with Morosini in the theatre's Late Night Cabaret Series. By his own admission, Reeve was not much of a singer, but he did manage to talk-sing his way through several duets with Morosini including "You say Tomato. . . "^[41]

Reeve with United States President Ronald Reagan, 1983

In the late 1980s, Reeve became more active than ever. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by He was taking horse riding more seriously, and trained five to six days a week for competition in combined training events. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description He built a sailboat, The Sea Angel, and sailed from the Chesapeake to Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's He campaigned for Senator Patrick Leahy and made speeches throughout the state. Patrick Joseph Leahy (born March 31, 1940) is the senior United States Senator from Vermont. He served as a board member for the Charles Lindbergh Fund, which promotes environmentally safe technologies. He lent support to causes such as Amnesty International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and People for the American Way. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to The Natural Resource Defense Council ( NRDC) is a New York City -based Non-profit, Non-partisan international environmental Advocacy People For the American Way (People For is a progressive, politically liberal Advocacy organization in the United States. He joined the Environmental Air Force, and used his Cheyenne II turboprop plane to take government officials and journalists over areas of environmental damage. A turboprop engine is a type of aircraft powerplant that uses a Gas turbine engine to drive a Propeller. In the fall of 1987, 77 actors in Santiago, Chile were threatened with execution by the dictator Augusto Pinochet. Santiago ( (litteraly in spanish Saint James) is the Capital of Chile, and the center of its largest Conurbation ( Greater Santiago Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November Reeve was asked by Ariel Dorfman to help save their lives. Ariel Dorfman (born May 6 1942 Buenos Aires) is a Chilean Novelist, Playwright, Essayist, Academic Reeve flew to Chile and helped lead a protest march. A cartoon then ran in a newspaper showing him carrying Pinochet by the collar with the caption, "Where will you take him, Superman?" For his heroics, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O’Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners. He also received the Obie Prize and the Annual Walter Brielh Human Rights Foundation award. ^[42] Reeve's friend Ron Silver later started the Creative Coalition, an organization designed to teach celebrities how to speak knowledgeably about political issues. Ronald Silver (born July 2 1946) is an American Actor, director, and producer. The Creative Coalition is a nonprofit ( 501(c(3) nonpartisan politically-active group formed of members of the American film entertainment industry Reeve was an early member of the group, along with Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, and Blythe Danner. Susan Sarandon (born Susan Abigail Tomalin; October 4 1946 is an American Actress. Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III (born April 3 1958 is an Academy Award -nominated and Emmy - and Golden Globe Award -winning American Blythe Katharine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American Emmy - and Tony Award -winning actress. ^[43]

1990s

Dana gave birth to William Elliot "Will" Reeve on June 7, 1992 at North Adams Regional Hospital in North Adams, Massachusetts. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. In October, Reeve was offered the part of Lewis in The Remains of the Day. The Remains of the Day ( 1993) is a Merchant Ivory Film adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. ^[44]

In 1994, Reeve was elected as a co-president of the Creative Coalition. The organization's work was noticed nationwide, and Reeve was asked by the Democratic Party to run for the United States Congress. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses He replied, "Run for Congress? And lose my influence in Washington?" At this time, he had received scripts for Picket Fences and Chicago Hope and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. Picket Fences is a 60-minute television drama centering around the residents of the fictional community of Rome Wisconsin. Chicago Hope is an American Emmy Award -winning CBS Medical drama series created by David E CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U This meant moving to Los Angeles, which would place him even further from Matthew and Alexandra, who lived in London. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West In Massachusetts, Reeve could take a Concorde and see them any time. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout He declined the offers. Reeve did not mind making trips, however; he went to New Mexico to shoot Speechless (which co-starred Michael Keaton, who like Reeve, gained notority with his portrayal of an iconic comic book superhero—in Keaton's case, Batman) and went to Point Reyes to shoot Village of the Damned. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Speechless is a 1994 romantic comedy starring Geena Davis (who also co-produced the film with her then husband director Renny Harlin Michael John Douglas (born September 9 1951 better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American Actor, known for his early comedic roles in Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional Comic book Superhero co-created Point Reyes is a prominent cape on the Pacific coast of northern California. John Carpenter's Village of the Damned is an English language 1995 science fiction &ndash Horror film directed by John Carpenter

Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the HBO special Above Suspicion. Above Suspicion is a 1995 suspense thriller written by William H He did research at a rehabilitation hospital in Van Nuys, and learned how to use a wheelchair to get in and out of cars. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R or physiatry, is a branch of Medicine dealing with functional restoration of a person affected by physical disability Reeve was then offered the lead in Kidnapped, to be shot in Ireland. This article is about the 1995 TV film titled Kidnapped, for other meanings and films see Kidnapped. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world He was excited to be going to Ireland, and he and Dana decided that they would try to conceive a second child there. Reeve also made plans to direct his first big screen film, a romantic comedy entitled Tell Me True. Unfortunately, not long after making these plans, the family went to Culpeper, Virginia for an equestrian competition in which Reeve was severely injured. Culpeper is an Incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. ^[45]

Injury

Reeve took up horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. Anna Karenina is a United States 1985 made-for- TV Movie version of the famous Leo Tolstoy novel Anna Karenina He was initially allergic to horses, so he took antihistamines. A histamine antagonist is an agent which serves to inhibit the release or action of Histamine. He trained at Martha's Vineyard, and by 1989 he began eventing. Martha's Vineyard (adjoining the smaller Chappaquiddick Island) is an Island off the US east coast to the south of Cape Cod, both Eventing is an equestrian event which comprises Dressage, cross-country and Show-jumping. As with every other sport and activity he participated in (sailing, scuba diving, skiing, aviation, windsurfing, cycling, gliding, parasailing, mountain climbing, baseball, tennis), he took horse riding seriously and was intensely competitive with it. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment Aviation refers to activities involving man-made flying devices ( Aircraft) including the people organizations and regulatory bodies involved with them Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail Cycling is the use of Bicycles or - less commonly - Unicycles Tricycles Quadricycles and other similar wheeled Human powered vehicles Gliding is a Recreational activity and competitive Sport in which pilots fly un-powered aircraft known as Gliders or sailplanes Parasailing also known as parascending is a recreational activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat while attached to a specially designed “Alpinist” redirects here See also Alpinist (magazine Mountaineering is the Sport, Hobby or Profession of Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) His allergies soon disappeared. ^[46]

Reeve bought a twelve-year-old American Thoroughbred horse named Eastern Express, nicknamed Buck, while filming Village of the Damned. The Thoroughbred is a horse breed John Carpenter's Village of the Damned is an English language 1995 science fiction &ndash Horror film directed by John Carpenter He trained with Buck in 1994, and planned to do Training Level events in 1995 and move up to Preliminary in 1996. Though Reeve had originally signed up to compete at an event in Vermont, his coach invited him to go to the Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association finals at the Commonwealth Park equestrian center in Culpeper, Virginia. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Culpeper is an Incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. Reeve finished at fourth place out of twenty-seven in the dressage, before walking his cross-country course. He was concerned about jumps sixteen and seventeen, but paid little attention to the third jump, which was a routine three-foot-three fence shaped like the letter 'W'. ^[47]

On May 27, 1995, Reeve became paralyzed from the neck-down, after his horse had a refusal and he fell off, severely damaging his spinal cord. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Paralysed redirects here For other uses see xx Paralysed (disambiguation Paralysis is the complete loss of Muscle function A refusal is a term used in horse riding, when the horse does not jump a fence to which he was presented ^[48] He had no recollection of the incident. Witnesses said that Buck started the jump over the third fence, and then suddenly stopped. Someone said that a rabbit spooked the horse, and another person claimed that it might have been a shadow. Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world Reeve held on and the bridle, the bit, and the reins were pulled off the horse and tied his hands together. A bridle is a piece of equipment used to control a Horse. The bridle fits over a horse's head and has the purpose of controlling the horse Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by Horses in the course of their use as domesticated Animals Saddles stirrups He landed headfirst on the other side of the fence. His helmet prevented any brain damage, but the impact of his 215 pound (98 kg) body hitting the ground shattered his first and second vertebrae. A vertebra (plural vertebrae) is an individual Irregular bone in the spinal or Vertebral column ( aka ischis a flexuous and flexible column Reeve had not been breathing for three minutes before paramedics arrived. He was taken to the local hospital, and then flown by helicopter to the University of Virginia Medical Center. The University of Virginia (also called UVa, UVA, Mr Jefferson's University, or The University) is a highly selective public research ^[49]

Recovery

For the first few days after the accident, Reeve was heavily sedated. He began to suffer from ICU psychosis and would wake up sporadically and mouth words to Dana such as "get the gun" and "they're after us. An intensive care unit (ICU critical care unit (CCU intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU is a specialized department used in Psychosis (from the Greek ψυχή "psyche" for mind or soul and -οσις "-osis" for abnormal condition with adjective psychotic " After five days, he regained full consciousness, and Dr. John Jane explained that he had destroyed his first and second cervical vertebrae, which meant that his head and spine were not connected. His lungs were filling with fluid and were suctioned by entry through the throat; this was said to be the most painful part of Reeve's recovery. ^[50]

After considering his situation, believing that not only would he never walk again, but that he might never move a body part again, Reeve considered suicide. He mouthed to Dana, "maybe we should let me go. " She tearfully replied, "I am only going to say this once: I will support whatever you want to do, because this is your life, and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you. " Reeve never considered suicide as an option again. ^[51][52]

Reeve went through inner anguish in the ICU, particularly when he was alone during the night. As he lay there one day, the door opened and a man with glasses wearing a yellow surgical gown and a blue scrub hat entered. He said that he was a proctologist and was going to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. Proctology is a field in medicine dealing with disorders of the Rectum or Anus. A rectal examination or rectal exam is an internal examination of the Rectum such as by a Physician or other healthcare professional It was Robin Williams. Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance Reeve said, "For the first time since the accident, I laughed. " They had a long conversation and Williams assured Reeve that he would do anything for him. It was this support from family and friends that convinced Reeve that his life was still worth living. ^[53]

Dr. John Jane performed the surgery that reconnected Reeve's head to his body. He put wires underneath both laminae and used bone from Reeve's hip to fit between the C1 and C2 vertebrae. The laminæ are two broad plates directed backward and medially from the pedicles. A vertebra (plural vertebrae) is an individual Irregular bone in the spinal or Vertebral column ( aka ischis a flexuous and flexible column He inserted a titanium pin and fused the wires with the vertebrae, then drilled holes in Reeve's skull and fit the wires through to connect the head to the spinal column. Titanium (taɪˈteɪniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Ti and Atomic number 22 A vertebra (plural vertebrae) is an individual Irregular bone in the spinal or Vertebral column ( aka ischis a flexuous and flexible column ^[54]

Rehabilitation

On June 28, 1995, Reeve was taken to the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, New Jersey. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. He was given several blood transfusions in the first few weeks due to very low hemoglobin and protein levels. Blood transfusion is the process of transferring Blood or blood-based products from one person into the Circulatory system of another Hemoglobin ( also spelled haemoglobin and abbreviated Hb or Hgb) is the Iron -containing Oxygen -transport Metalloprotein Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl Many times his breathing tube would disconnect and he would be at the mercy of nurses to come in and save his life. ^[19] His aid was a Jamaican man named Glenn Miller, nicknamed Juice. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Juice gave him invaluable support in adapting to his new condition. He helped him learn how to get into the shower and how to use a wheelchair, which moved by blowing air through a straw. Juice and Reeve would watch the film Cool Runnings and joke about Reeve directing the sequel, Bobsled Two. Cool Runnings is a 1993 Comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub. ^[55]

In the physical therapy gym, Reeve worked on moving his trapezius muscle. In Human anatomy, the trapezius is a large Superficial Muscle which extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae Electrodes connected to him sent out readings to therapists, and every day he would try to beat his numbers from the day before. The most difficult part of rehabilitation was respiratory therapy. The therapist, Bill Carroll, used a hose to see how much air Reeve could suck in, measured in cubic centimeters as the vital capacity. In order to even consider getting off the artificial respirator, a patient needs a vital capacity of 750 cc's. Initially, Reeve could hardly get above zero. By the end of October, he was able to get around 50 cc's. This inspired him, and he felt his natural competitive edge coming back. The next day, he went up to 450 cc's. He reached 560 cc's the day after. Bill Carroll said, "I've never seen progress like that. You're going to win. You're going to get off this thing. " On December 13, 1995, Reeve was able to breathe without a respirator for 30 minutes. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 ^[56]

Activism

Reeve left Kessler feeling deeply inspired by the other patients he had met. Because he was constantly being covered by the media, he realized that he could use his name to the benefit of everyone with spinal cord injuries. "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" Spinal cord injury causes myelopathy or damage to white matter or myelinated fiber tracts that carry sensation and motor signals to and from the brain In 1996, he appeared at the Academy Awards to a long standing ovation and gave a speech about Hollywood's duty to make movies that face the world's most important issues head-on. The 68th Academy Awards was held on March 25, 1996 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles California. He also hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical and sensorial disabilities The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. He traveled across the country to make speeches, never needing a teleprompter or a script. For these efforts, he was placed on the cover of TIME on August 26, 1996. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) ^[57] In the same year, he narrated the HBO film Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. Without Pity A Film About Abilities is an HBO film narrated by Christopher Reeve. The film won the Emmy award for "Outstanding Informational Special. " He then acted in a small role in the film A Step Towards Tomorrow. ^[58]

Reeve was elected Chairman of the American Paralysis Association and Vice Chairman of the National Organization on Disability. He co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. He created the Christopher Reeve Foundation to speed up research through funding, and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (CDRF is a charitable organization headquartered in Short Hills New Jersey and dedicated to finding treatments and cures for The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million for research, and more than $8. 5 million in quality-of-life grants. ^[59][60] The Foundation has funded a new technology called "Locomotor Training" that uses a treadmill to mimic the movements of walking to help develop neural connections, in effect re-teaching the spinal cord how to send signals to the legs to walk. This technology has helped several paralyzed patients walk again. ^[61]

In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film In the Gloaming with Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Bridget Fonda and David Strathairn. The year 1997 in film involved some significant events Events Summer - Production begins on Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace In the Gloaming is a 1997 HBO film directed by Christopher Reeve based on a story written by Alice Elliott Dark. Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American Singer and Actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson; November 13, 1955) is an American actress, comedienne, and television Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an Emmy - and Golden Globe Award -nominated American actress. David Russell Strathairn (born January 26 1949) is an Academy Award -nominated American Film, Television, and stage The film won four Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for five Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Special. " Dana Reeve said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work. "^[62] In 1998, Reeve produced and starred in Rear Window, a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film. The year 1998 in film involved some significant events Events February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein Rear Window is a 1998 American Television movie directed by Jeff Bleckner. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 Rear Window is a Suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on Cornell Woolrich 's Short story It Had to Be Murder He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG to recognize outstanding performances by members On April 25, 1998, Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. The year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher Still Me is a book written by Christopher Reeve where he writes about his experiences as an Actor and about his horseback riding accident which produced The book spent eleven weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and Reeve won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. The New York Times Best Seller List is widely considered to be the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. The Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album has been awarded since 1959. ^[63]

Throughout this time, Reeve kept his body as physically strong as possible by using specialized exercise machines. He did this both because he believed that the nervous system could be regenerated through intense physical therapy, and because he wanted his body to be strong enough to support itself if a cure was found. The nervous system is a Network of specialized cells that communicate information about an animal's surroundings and itself In 2000, he began to regain some motor function, and was able to sense hot and cold temperatures on his body. His doctor, John MacDonald of Washington University in St. Louis, asked him if anything was new with his recovery. John Macdonald may refer to John MacDonald II or John of Islay Earl of Ross (1434–1503 last Lord of the Isles Scotland John Macdonald Reeve then moved his left index finger on command. "I don't think Dr. MacDonald would have been more surprised if I had just walked on water", said Reeve in an interview. ^[64]

In 2002, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, a federal government facility created through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention non-compete grant,^[65] was opened in Short Hills, New Jersey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services based in unincorporated Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Its mission is to teach paralyzed people to live more independently. Reeve said, "When somebody is first injured or as a disease progresses into paralysis, people don't know where to turn. Dana and I wanted a facility that could give support and information to people. With this new Center, we're off to an amazing start. "^[66]

Reeve lobbied for expanded federal funding on embryonic stem cell research to include all embryonic stem cell lines in existence and for open-ended scientific inquiry of the research by self-governance. Embryonic stem cells (ES cells are Stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage Embryo known as a Blastocyst. ^[67] In an interview with Brian Williams, Reeve responded to the controversy by noting that the research would only use embryos that had already been discarded. Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is the seventh anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the flagship evening Stem cell controversy is the ethical debate centered on research involving the creation usage and destruction of Human embryonic stem cells Some opponents of the research argue He said, "We don't want to create embryos just for research. We want to rescue these cells from the garbage. . . I don't understand how you can be opposed to that. I don't. " President George W. Bush limited the federal funding to research only on human embryonic stem cell lines created on or before August 9, 2001, the day he announced his policy, and allotted approximately $100 million for it. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Reeve initially called this "a step in the right direction", admitting that he did not know about the existing lines and would look into them further. He fought against the limit when scientists revealed that most of the old lines were contaminated by an early research technique that involved mixing the human stem cells with mouse cells. ^[68] In 2002, Reeve lobbied for the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001,^[69] which would allow somatic cell nuclear transfer research, but would ban reproductive cloning. Genetics and Developmental biology, somatic cell nuclear transfer ( SCNT) is a Laboratory technique for creating an Ovum with a donor Cloning in Biology is the process of producing populations of genetically-identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as Bacteria, Insects He argued that stem cell implantation is unsafe unless the stem cells contain the patient's own DNA, and that because somatic cell nuclear transfer is done without fertilizing an egg, it can be fully regulated. ^[70] In June 2004, Reeve provided a videotaped message on behalf of the Genetics Policy Institute to the delegates of the United Nations in defense of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which was under consideration to be banned by world treaty. The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI is a 501(c(3 nonprofit organization that educates the public and promotes supportive public policy for Stem cell research and ^[71] In the final days of his life, Reeve urged California voters to vote yes on Proposition 71,^[72] which would establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and allot $3 billion of state funds to stem cell research. On November 2 2004, Californians approved Proposition 71 (codified as California Constitution Article XXXV) the California Stem Cell Research and Cures The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM was created by California 's Proposition 71 (2004 which authorized it to issue $3 billion in grants funded ^[73] Proposition 71 was approved less than one month after Reeve's death.

On February 25, 2003, Reeve appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor The year 2003 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 2003. Swann in the episode "Rosetta". Season two of Smallville, an American Television series developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, began airing on September In that episode, Dr. Swann brings to Clark Kent (Tom Welling) information about where he comes from and how to use his powers for the good of mankind. Clark Joseph Kent (middle name is also Jerome according to some versions is a Fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. Thomas John Patrick Welling (born April 26 1977) is an American Actor, director and former male fashion model, most famous for The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from the 1978 Superman movie, composed by John Williams and arranged by Mark Snow. John Towner Williams (born February 8 1932) is an American Composer, conductor and Pianist. Mark Snow (born Martin Fulterman on 26 August 1946 in New York City) is a prolific Composer for Film and Television At the end of this episode, Reeve and Welling did a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (CDRF is a charitable organization headquartered in Short Hills New Jersey and dedicated to finding treatments and cures for

Reeve also appeared in the Smallville episode "Legacy", in which he met again with fellow stage actor John Glover who played Lionel Luthor in the show. Season three of Smallville, an American Television series, began airing on October 1, 2003. John Soursby Glover Jr (born August 7, 1944) is an American award-winning actor perhaps best known for a range of Villainous roles in films Appearances Television In 1989 Lionel and his son Lex come to Smallville with Lionel intending to buy the Ross Creamed Corn company "Rosetta" set ratings history for The WB network. ^[74]

Christopher Reeve’s campaign for stem cell research was satirized in South Park episode 702 titled Krazy Kripples which originally aired on March 26, 2003. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human South Park is an animated American television comedy series created and written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Comedy Central "Krazy Kripples" is the 98th episode of the Comedy Central series South Park.

In April 2004, Random House published Reeve's second book, Nothing is Impossible. Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher This book is shorter than Still Me and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences that helped him shape them.

Also in 2004, Reeve directed the A&E film The Brooke Ellison Story. A&E is a cable and Satellite television network with headquarters in Manhattan and offices in Stamford, Atlanta, The Brooke Ellison Story is a 2004 TV movie about the life of Brooke Ellison, the first Quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard. The film is based on the true story of Brooke Ellison, the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Brooke Ellison ( October 20, 1978) is the first Quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is a Symptom in which a human experiences Paralysis affecting all four limbs although not necessarily total paralysis ^[75] Reeve at this time was also directing the animated film Everyone's Hero. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames Everyone's Hero is a 2006 Computer animated Film. It is directed by Colin Brady Christopher Reeve (who was working on this film at ^[76]

Death

Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. Asthma is a chronic Condition involving the Respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict become inflamed, and are Allergy is a disorder of the Immune system often also referred to as Atopy. At age sixteen, he began to suffer from alopecia areata, a condition that causes patches of hair to fall out from an otherwise healthy head of hair. Alopecia areata ( AA) is a condition affecting humans in which hair is lost from areas of the body usually from the Scalp. Generally he was able to comb over it and often the problem disappeared for long periods of time. Later in life, the condition became more noticeable and he shaved his head. ^[77] He had experienced several illnesses, including Infectious mononucleosis and malaria. Infectious mononucleosis, also known as Pfeiffer's disease, mono (in The United States of America) and more commonly known as glandular Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including He suffered from mastocytosis, a blood cell disorder. Mastocytosis is a group of rare disorders of both children and adults caused by the presence of too many Mast cells ( mastocytes) and CD34 + mast More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock and his lungs shut down. Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (multi-system and severe Type I Hypersensitivity allergic reaction in humans and other Mammals He believed he had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now", before it occurred. An out-of-body experience ( OBE or sometimes OOBE) is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and in some cases perceiving In his autobiography, he wrote, "and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling. . . I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were fifteen or twenty people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume. " After receiving a large dose of epinephrine, he woke up and was able to stabilize later that night. ^[78] In 2003 and 2004, Reeve fought off a number of serious infections believed to have originated from the bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal. In early October 2004, he was being treated for a pressure wound that was causing a systemic infection called sepsis, a complication that he had experienced many times before. Bedsores, more properly known as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are Lesions caused by many factors such as unrelieved Pressure; friction Sepsis is a serious medical condition characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state (called a Systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS caused On October 9, Reeve felt well and attended his son Will's hockey game. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiorespiratory arrest, cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa He fell into a coma and was taken to North Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. Mount Kisco is both a village and a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. Eighteen hours later, on October 10, 2004, Reeve died of heart failure at the age of 52. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Heart failure is a Cardiac condition that occurs when a problem with the structure or function of the Heart impairs its ability to supply His doctor, John McDonald, believed that it was an adverse reaction to the antibiotic that caused his death. ^[79] A memorial service for him was held at the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut, where he and his wife had worshipped. ^[80]

Dana Reeve headed the Christopher Reeve Foundation after his death. Dana Reeve ( March 17 1961 – March 6 2006) was an American actress, Singer, and activist for disability The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation (CDRF is a charitable organization headquartered in Short Hills New Jersey and dedicated to finding treatments and cures for She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, and died on March 6, 2006 at age 44. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3]

They are survived by their son, Will, and Christopher's son Matt and daughter Alex. Christopher is also survived by his parents and Dana by her father. Matthew and Alexandra now serve on the board of directors for the Christopher Reeve Foundation. ^[81]

He was cremated after his funeral service. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire His ashes were either given to a friend or family.

Filmography

Main article: Filmography of Christopher Reeve

Further reading

• CapedWonder Superman Imagery, created by Jim Bowers. Television The Brooke Ellison Story (director (A&E (nominated by Directors Guild of America Smallville
• Christopher Reeve Homepage, Accessed December 3, 2006
• Reeve, Christopher. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Still Me, Random House, 1998. ISBN 0-679-45235-4
• Reeve, Christopher Nothing is Impossible, Random House, 2004. ISBN 0-345-47073-7

References

External links

• Christopher Reeve at Yahoo! Movies
• Christopher Reeve at the Internet Movie Database
• Christopher Reeve at the Internet Broadway Database
• Christopher Reeve Foundation
• Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center : Home
• Ancestry of Christopher Reeve
• Political Cartoons Honoring Reeve
• Christopher Reeve at TV.com
• Christopher Reeve at Find A Grave