Christopher Reeve | |
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 Reeve after the opening of The Marriage of Figaro in 1985 | |
| Born | Christopher D'Olier Reeve September 25, 1952 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 10, 2004 (aged 52) Mount Kisco, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Ferncliff Cemetery, Greenburgh, New York |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1970–2004 |
| Works | Full list |
| Board member of | Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Gae Exton (1978–1987) |
| Children | 3, including Matthew |
| Parents |
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| Family |
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| Website | christopherreeve |
Christopher D'Olier Reeve[1] (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playing the title character in the Superman film series (1978–1987). He won a British Academy Film Award, an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also known for his activism.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School, making his Broadway debut in 1976. His breakthrough came with playing the title character in Superman (1978) and its three sequels (1980–1987). Afterwards, Reeve turned down multiple roles in big-budget movies, focusing instead on independent films and plays with complex characters. He appeared in critically successful films such as Somewhere in Time (1980), The Bostonians (1984), Street Smart (1987), and The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays Fifth of July on Broadway and The Aspern Papers in London's West End.
Beginning in the 1980s, Reeve was an activist for environmental and human-rights causes and for artistic freedom of expression. In 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia. He used a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. After his accident, he lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities. His advocacy work included leading the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and co-founding the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.[2]
Reeve later directed In the Gloaming (1997), acted in the television remake of Rear Window (1998), and made two appearances in the Superman-themed television series Smallville (2003). He also wrote two autobiographical books: Still Me and Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life. He died in 2004 from heart failure at a hospital near his home in Westchester County, New York.
- ^ Roberts, Gary Boyd. "#77 Royal Descents, Notable Kin, and Printed Sources: An Assortment of Famous Actors". New England Historic Genealogical Society. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
- ^ "Christopher Reeve dies at 52". CNN. Atlanta, Georgia. October 11, 2004. Archived from the original on December 7, 2006. Retrieved November 3, 2006.