This page will contain external links about Christopher Reeve, as they become available.Christopher ReeveChristopher Reeve (September 25, 1952–October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer renowned for his film portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent. Reeve was born in New York City to writer Franklin Reeve and journalist Barbara Johnson. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Cornell University in 1974, after which he was selected to study at Juilliard School of Performing Arts under John Houseman. While at Juilliard, he became friends with a wildly improvisational classmate named Robin Williams. In 1995 Reeve was paralyzed in a riding accident and spent the rest of his life wheelchair-bound, becoming a spokesperson for the disabled and for stem cell research. Acting careerReeve's first big break as an actor came in 1975 when he was selected to co-star opposite Katharine Hepburn in the Broadway play A Matter Of Gravity. Reeve stayed with the play throughout its year long run and was given very favorable reviews. He and Hepburn became very close. Reeve credited the legendary actress with giving him many valuable lessons on acting. Hepburn in turn praised her young co-star. She predicted great things for him and joked that he would "support me in my old age". Reeve joked back "I don't think I'll live that long Miss Hepburn". Reeve continued to work on the stage, as well as on the soap opera Love of Life His first role in a Hollywood film was a small part as a submarine officer in the disaster movie Grey Lady Down in 1977. In 1978, he was selected to portray the international icon Superman in the 1978 film directed by Richard Donner. This film was an enormous success and inspired three sequels. Coincidentally, Christopher Reeve's good friend Robin Williams also became a star that same year with the television show Mork & Mindy. Superman was the kind of part Reeve usually disdained. He was a stage actor at heart who preferred doing classical period plays and films that really required him to "act". He once said, "I want to challenge myself in my roles, not run around on screen with a machine gun". In 1980, Reeve co-starred with Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time, a time travel romance. Although this film was not popular at the time it was released, it has since inspired a wide "cult" following. Seymour thought so highly of Reeve that she named one of her children after him. In 1984, Reeve won critical acclaim for his role as a 19th century southern lawyer in The Bostonians. He often said this was the best movie role of his career. It was immediately afterwards that he scored another triumph on the stage. This time it was on a London stage. Reeve had always been fond of England and jumped at the chance to co-star with his friend Vanessa Redgrave in The Aspen Papers which was an adaptation of a Henry James novel. Critics were astounded by his performance and headlines blurted "Superman can act!" In 1987 he travelled to Chile, at that time under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, to stand in solidarity with several dozen actors and writers who had been threatened with death for their left wing views. Aboard his aircraft, he piloted them to safety and was widely praised as a humanitarian hero. In the same year, the third Superman sequel was released. Reeve helped write the screenplay because he wanted to send a powerful message about world peace. The plot focused on Superman ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Also in 1987, Reeve starred in the gritty Street Smart as a reporter who falsified a story about a pimp. Morgan Freeman won an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his role as the pimp "Fast Black". Reeve's performance was dismissed by the critics; one even mocked, "Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane... it's Newsman!". In 1988, Reeve co-starred with friends, Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner, in the comedy Switching Channels. This was a modern day remake of the 1930s stageplay "The Front Page" and also provided the first comical role for Reeve. The movie flopped and Reeve was unable to land a major film role for the next four years. Reeve had a great love for the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He served as an apprentice and on its Board of Directors. Despite becoming famous as Superman, he returned each summer until his accident. Reeve often faulted fellow actors for shunning stagework claiming they were dishonoring their craft. Reeve appeared in over 150 plays during his career. Later lifeOn May 27, 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from his horse, "Eastern Express", in a cross country riding competition at Culpeper, Virginia. Reeve later admitted that he briefly thought of suicide after realizing the extent of his disability. He credits his wife with pulling him out of his depression. She told him, "I still love you no matter what. You are still you". Reeve has often said that these were the words that literally saved his life. He largely retired from the production of films after his paralysis, instead devoting his time to rehabilitation therapy. With his wife Dana, he opened the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, a facility in Short Hills, New Jersey devoted to teaching paralyzed people to live more independently. He also lobbied against the U.S. government's restrictions on stem cell research. [1] (http://www.accessibility.com.au/news/internat/reeve_vs_biggies.htm) Reeve also appeared in television movies after his accident, in his wheelchair. As an example, in 1998 he appeared in a re-make for TV of the famous film Rear Window, originally by Alfred Hitchcock. This re-make is set in the time in which it was made and is characterized by its depiction of (useful) gadgets for wheelchair users. This distinguishes the film clearly from the original. For example, in the new film he sends emails by using speech recognition software (instead of the telephone used in the original). On April 25, 1998 Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. On February 25, 2003, he appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Swann, who provides young Clark Kent with insightful clues as to his origins. The episode, "Rosetta", was warmly received by critics and the viewing public as a fitting connection from one generation's Superman to the next. Reeve appeared in the role again in the April 14, 2004 episode "Legacy". Shortly following Reeve's death, Smallville announced that Dr. Swann will die in a 2004-05 season episode. Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in the Superman films will continue the plot as Swann's assistant. Reeve died of heart failure on October 10, 2004 after suffering cardiac arrest and falling into a coma the previous day. He was only 52 years old. In the week prior to his death, Reeve was being treated at Northern Westchester Hospital for a pressure ulcer, a common ailment for paralytics, that had subsequently become seriously infected. Patients with the type of paralysis Reeve had, live an average of 7 years, he lived over 9 years. Selected quotes"I was worried that only acting with my voice and my face, I might not be able to communicate effectively enough to tell the story, but I was surprised to find that if I really concentrated, and just let the thoughts happen, that they would read on my face. With so many close-ups, I knew that my every thought would count." "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." Selected filmographyAn autographed photo of Reeve as Superman.
This page about Christopher Reeve includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Christopher Reeve News stories about Christopher Reeve External links for Christopher Reeve Videos for Christopher Reeve Wikis about Christopher Reeve Discussion Groups about Christopher Reeve Blogs about Christopher Reeve Images of Christopher Reeve |
|
"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.". Many of Sellers' comedy records were produced by George Martin. With so many close-ups, I knew that my every thought would count.". In some of above titles, Sellers appears only by his voice. "I was worried that only acting with my voice and my face, I might not be able to communicate effectively enough to tell the story, but I was surprised to find that if I really concentrated, and just let the thoughts happen, that they would read on my face. Lewis' biography was adapted for the HBO movie, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), with Geoffrey Rush in the title role. Patients with the type of paralysis Reeve had, live an average of 7 years, he lived over 9 years. Roger Lewis wrote about the "madness" and bizarre behavior of Sellers in his biography, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (Applause Books, 1997). In the week prior to his death, Reeve was being treated at Northern Westchester Hospital for a pressure ulcer, a common ailment for paralytics, that had subsequently become seriously infected. In his will he had explicitly requested that Glenn Miller's song "In The Mood" be played for his funeral; it is considered his last touch of humour, since he deeply hated that tune. He was only 52 years old. His premature death was perhaps hastened by his belief in so called "quack medicine", including psychic surgery. Reeve died of heart failure on October 10, 2004 after suffering cardiac arrest and falling into a coma the previous day. Sellers died of a heart attack on July 24, 1980, in London, England and was cremated. Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in the Superman films will continue the plot as Swann's assistant. Another interesting trait of his character was his love for cars; he was believed to have owned and sold a few tens of different cars by the late sixties. Swann will die in a 2004-05 season episode. His wife at the time of his death was Lynne Frederick, who later married Sir David Frost. Shortly following Reeve's death, Smallville announced that Dr. Sellers was married four times, his second marriage was to the Swedish actress Britt Ekland. Reeve appeared in the role again in the April 14, 2004 episode "Legacy". He was nominated twice for an Academy Award, but was unsuccessful on both occasions although he won a British Academy Award (BAFTA) for I'm Alright Jack. On February 25, 2003, he appeared in the television series Smallville as Dr. Swann, who provides young Clark Kent with insightful clues as to his origins. The episode, "Rosetta", was warmly received by critics and the viewing public as a fitting connection from one generation's Superman to the next. He appeared with many stars, among them Shirley MacLaine, Sophia Loren, Maggie Smith, Goldie Hawn, Shelley Winters, Elke Sommer, Claudine Longet, and even Ringo Starr (The Beatles' drummer). On April 25, 1998 Random House published Reeve's autobiography, Still Me. Other directors Sellers worked under include Roman Polanski, Paul Mazursky, and Billy Wilder. For example, in the new film he sends emails by using speech recognition software (instead of the telephone used in the original). Commonly considered a master actor, sometimes described as an "obsessive perfectionist", Sellers found in Blake Edwards a devoted director who could delicately underline and follow his comic rhythms; Edwards defined Sellers as a "mercurial clown" who could turn comedy into drama, and vice-versa, in an instant. This distinguishes the film clearly from the original. A late masterpiece for Sellers was the film Being There. As an example, in 1998 he appeared in a re-make for TV of the famous film Rear Window, originally by Alfred Hitchcock. This re-make is set in the time in which it was made and is characterized by its depiction of (useful) gadgets for wheelchair users. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, easily varying from brilliant themes as in The Party, to more intense performances as in Lolita (from Vladimir Nabokov's notorious masterpiece). Reeve also appeared in television movies after his accident, in his wheelchair. Strangelove, and an officer of the RAF (the first two appearing in the same room throughout the film) in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. [1] (http://www.accessibility.com.au/news/internat/reeve_vs_biggies.htm). He played many other more challenging parts, notably the triple role consisting of the president of the United States, Dr. He also lobbied against the U.S. government's restrictions on stem cell research. The movie The Trail of the Pink Panther was released posthumously in 1982, containing previously unused footage of Sellers. With his wife Dana, he opened the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, a facility in Short Hills, New Jersey devoted to teaching paralyzed people to live more independently. Sellers' first film successes were in 1959 in the British Ealing comedies, such as The Ladykillers, I'm All Right Jack and The Mouse That Roared; however, he is most famous for his role as the bungling Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies, which gave him a worldwide audience. He largely retired from the production of films after his paralysis, instead devoting his time to rehabilitation therapy. Success came as one of the goons on the radio programme The Goon Show with fellow comedians Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine and was followed by early television work. Reeve has often said that these were the words that literally saved his life. He phoned up a television producer pretending to be Kenneth Horne, who was currently in the show Much Binding in the Marsh, in order to get them on the phone. You are still you". His success was quite slow in coming. She told him, "I still love you no matter what. Strangelove. He credits his wife with pulling him out of his depression. This helped Sellers in his later film Dr. Reeve later admitted that he briefly thought of suicide after realizing the extent of his disability. During his leisure periods, he did impersonations of his superior officers, which could have gotten him a court-martial. On May 27, 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from his horse, "Eastern Express", in a cross country riding competition at Culpeper, Virginia. During World War II, Sellers was an officer in the Royal Air Force. Reeve appeared in over 150 plays during his career. He is known to have performed at the Windmill Theatre. Reeve often faulted fellow actors for shunning stagework claiming they were dishonoring their craft. He was an incredibly versatile artist: an excellent dancer, a skillful player of the ukulele and banjo, and a drummer good enough to tour with several jazz bands. Despite becoming famous as Superman, he returned each summer until his accident. Probably following his family in the vaudeville circuit, Sellers learnt this popular yet difficult art and the immediate instinct of the "gag". He served as an apprentice and on its Board of Directors. Sellers was born in Southsea, Hampshire, England, to a family of vaudeville entertainers. Reeve had a great love for the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Richard Henry Sellers (September 8, 1925 - July 24, 1980), better known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian, talented comic actor, and performer on The Goon Show (a long-running BBC radio show, 1951-1960). The movie flopped and Reeve was unable to land a major film role for the next four years. Goodness Gracious Me (1960) with Sophia Loren. This was a modern day remake of the 1930s stageplay "The Front Page" and also provided the first comical role for Reeve. A Hard Day's Night (1965) (1993). In 1988, Reeve co-starred with friends, Burt Reynolds and Kathleen Turner, in the comedy Switching Channels. Bangers and Mash (1961). it's Newsman!". Any Old Iron (1957). Reeve's performance was dismissed by the critics; one even mocked, "Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane.. Trail of the Pink Panther - posthumously (1982). Also in 1987, Reeve starred in the gritty Street Smart as a reporter who falsified a story about a pimp. Morgan Freeman won an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his role as the pimp "Fast Black". The Great Pram Race (1980). The plot focused on Superman ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Fu Manchu (1980). Reeve helped write the screenplay because he wanted to send a powerful message about world peace. The Fiendish Plot of Dr. In the same year, the third Superman sequel was released. Being There (1979), second nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Aboard his aircraft, he piloted them to safety and was widely praised as a humanitarian hero. The Prisoner of Zenda (1979). In 1987 he travelled to Chile, at that time under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, to stand in solidarity with several dozen actors and writers who had been threatened with death for their left wing views. The Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). Critics were astounded by his performance and headlines blurted "Superman can act!". The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976). Reeve had always been fond of England and jumped at the chance to co-star with his friend Vanessa Redgrave in The Aspen Papers which was an adaptation of a Henry James novel. Murder by Death (1976). This time it was on a London stage. The Return of the Pink Panther (1975). It was immediately afterwards that he scored another triumph on the stage. The Great McGonagall (1975), in which he plays Queen Victoria. He often said this was the best movie role of his career. Ghost In The Noonday Sun (1974). In 1984, Reeve won critical acclaim for his role as a 19th century southern lawyer in The Bostonians. The Optimists of Nine Elms (1974). Seymour thought so highly of Reeve that she named one of her children after him. Soft Beds, Hard Battles aka Undercovers Heroes (1973). In 1980, Reeve co-starred with Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time, a time travel romance. Although this film was not popular at the time it was released, it has since inspired a wide "cult" following. The Blockhouse (1973). He once said, "I want to challenge myself in my roles, not run around on screen with a machine gun". Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972). He was a stage actor at heart who preferred doing classical period plays and films that really required him to "act". Where Does It Hurt? (1972). Superman was the kind of part Reeve usually disdained. There's a Girl in My Soup (1971). Coincidentally, Christopher Reeve's good friend Robin Williams also became a star that same year with the television show Mork & Mindy. Simon, Simon (1970). This film was an enormous success and inspired three sequels. A Day at the Beach (1970). In 1978, he was selected to portray the international icon Superman in the 1978 film directed by Richard Donner. Hoffman (1970). Reeve continued to work on the stage, as well as on the soap opera Love of Life His first role in a Hollywood film was a small part as a submarine officer in the disaster movie Grey Lady Down in 1977. The Magic Christian (1970). Reeve joked back "I don't think I'll live that long Miss Hepburn". Toklas (1968). Hepburn in turn praised her young co-star. She predicted great things for him and joked that he would "support me in my old age". I Love You, Alice B. He and Hepburn became very close. Reeve credited the legendary actress with giving him many valuable lessons on acting. The Party aka Hollywood Party (1968). Reeve's first big break as an actor came in 1975 when he was selected to co-star opposite Katharine Hepburn in the Broadway play A Matter Of Gravity. Reeve stayed with the play throughout its year long run and was given very favorable reviews. Woman Times Seven (1967). In 1995 Reeve was paralyzed in a riding accident and spent the rest of his life wheelchair-bound, becoming a spokesperson for the disabled and for stem cell research. The Bobo (1967). While at Juilliard, he became friends with a wildly improvisational classmate named Robin Williams. Casino Royale (1967). He received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Cornell University in 1974, after
which he was selected to study at Juilliard School of Performing Arts under John Houseman. After the Fox (1966). Reeve was born in New York City to writer Franklin Reeve
and journalist Barbara
Johnson. The Wrong Box
(1965). Christopher Reeve (September 25, 1952–October 10, 2004)
was an American actor, director, producer and
writer renowned for his film portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent. What's New
Pussycat? (1965). Love of Life (1974-1976) TV Series. Carol For Another Christmas (1964). Superman (1978). A Shot in the Dark (1964, sequel to The Pink Panther). Superman II (1980). The World of Henry Orient (1964). Somewhere in Time (1980). Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964 - first Oscar nomination). Deathtrap (1982). Dr. Monsignor (1982). The Pink Panther (1964). Superman III (1983). Light of Day (1963). The Bostonians (1984). Heavens Above! (1963). Anna Karenina (1985) (TV). The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963). Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987). Trial and Error aka The Dock Brief (1962). Switching Channels (1988). Lolita (1962). Noises Off (1992). Waltz of the Toreadors (1962). The Sea Wolf (1993) (TV). The Road to Hong Kong (1962). The Remains of the Day (1993). Only Two Can Play (1962). Earth Journeys with Christopher Reeve (1994)(TV). Topaze aka I Like Money (1961). Village of the damned (1995). Mr. Rear Window (1998) (TV). Climb Up the Wall (1960). The Millionairess (1960). Never Let Go (1960). Two-Way Stretch (1960). The Battle of the Sexes (1960). The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film (1960). I'm All Right, Jack (1959). The Mouse That Roared (1959). Carlton-Browne of the F.O. aka Man in a Cocked Hat (1959). Up the Creek (1958). Tom Thumb (1958). The Naked Truth aka Your Past Is Showing (1958). Dearth of a Salesman (1957). Insomnia Is Good For You (1957). Cold Comfort (1957). The Smallest Show on Earth (1957). The Case of the Mukkineese Battlehorn (1956). The Ladykillers (1956). The Man Who Never Was (1956). John and Julie (1955). Orders are Orders (1954). Malaga (voice of 14 characters) (1954). Our Girl Friday aka The Adventures of Sadie (1954). The Super Secret Service (1953). Beat the Devil (Humphrey Bogart's voice) (1953). Down Among the Z Men (1952). Penny Points to Paradise (1951). Burlesque of Carmen (1951). Let's Go Crazy (1951). London Entertains (1951). The Black Rose (1950). |