Christopher Reeves, star of Superman films, dead at 52

[sd2416]

Christopher Reeve, the star of the Superman movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died Sunday of heart failure, his publicist said. He was 52.

Reeve suffered cardiac arrest on Saturday, before lapsing into a coma. He died Sunday at 52.
AP file photo

Reeve fell into a coma Saturday after going into cardiac arrest while at his New York home, his publicist, Wesley Combs told The Associated Press by phone from Washington, D.C., on Sunday night.

Reeve was being treated at Northern Westchester Hospital for a pressure wound that he developed, a common complication for people living with paralysis. In the past week, the wound had become severely infected, resulting in a serious systemic infection.

"On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Northern Westchester Hospital for the excellent care they provided to my husband," Dana Reeve, Christopher's wife, said in a statement. "I also want to thank his personal staff of nurses and aides, as well as the millions of fans from around the world who have supported and loved my husband over the years."

Reeve broke his neck in May 1995 when he was thrown from his horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Va.

Enduring months of therapy to allow him to breathe for longer and longer periods without a respirator, Reeve emerged to lobby Congress for better insurance protection against catastrophic injury and to move an Academy Award audience to tears with a call for more films about social issues.

He returned to directing, and even returned to acting in a 1998 production of Rear Window, a modern update of the Hitchcock thriller about a man in a wheelchair who becomes convinced a neighbor has been murdered. Reeve won a Screen Actors Guild award for best actor in a television movie or miniseries.

"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," Reeve said. "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."

In his public appearances, he was as handsome as ever, his blue eyes bright and his voice clear.

"Hollywood needs to do more," he said in the March 1996 Oscar awards appearance. "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else. There is no challenge, artistic or otherwise, that we can't meet."

In 2000, Reeve was able to move his index finger, and a specialized workout regimen has made his legs and arms stronger. He has also regained sensation in other parts of his body.



Im my opinion, he was the greatest lead in probably the two best comic related movies, Superman 1 and 2. They were done over 20 years ago and are still good movies to watch.

[dino]

I hate that he's dead. It sucks soo much that he never walked again. Reeves was and always will be Superman. He made that character his forever. So much so that many forget that half a dozen others played the role too. He was a hero on and off the screen to everyone. He was never involved in scandal and even managed great work with the weight of his superman role on his shoulders (Somewhere in Time). I wish he was given the opportunity to do more acting, I always thought he was a great character actor. It sucks that he never walked again.

[Daniel Jackson]

I have been a big fan of Christopher Reeve since the first Superman movie. He always seemed liked a genuine person who did not let the Hollywood glitz go to his head, he had a very likable quality that made people care for the characters he played. I was very surprised and delighted when he started doing appearances on Smallville. Even though he was paralyzed he still did a great acting job and you could still see the inner "Superman" that he always carried inside him. He will be greatly missed.

[Wizard of Utopia]

Do you want to make Superman proud? Then vote for John Kerry. He supports stem cell research. I'm sure Chris would say "Thanks!" In the meantime, Bush has added to the number of severly maimed or crippled by 5,000+....not to mention the already 1,000+ dead. We shouldn't be trying to force Democracy on a nation of three opposed groups that don't even want to be a nation anymore. Saddam held Iraq together like Tito held Yugoslavia together. When Tito died, Civil War & ethnic cleansing began. There's no way we can stop it from happening in Iraq. It's already happening in Sudan. And just think...we haven't even invaded Iran or Korea, yet....

[myron]

Do you want to make Superman proud? Then vote for John Kerry. He supports stem cell research. I'm sure Chris would say "Thanks!" In the meantime, Bush has added to the number of severly maimed or crippled by 5,000+....not to mention the already 1,000+ dead. We shouldn't be trying to force Democracy on a nation of three opposed groups that don't even want to be a nation anymore. Saddam held Iraq together like Tito held Yugoslavia together. When Tito died, Civil War & ethnic cleansing began. There's no way we can stop it from happening in Iraq. It's already happening in Sudan. And just think...we haven't even invaded Iran or Korea, yet....

quit hijacking threads and post causes somewhere else...we already went through the dem/repub name calling and bulls**t last month...don't need it again... I personally come here to get away from all that crap and I don't appreciate someone taking over what was a nice little tribute thread(s) to spew for their political slant :x

[Wizard of Utopia]

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Do you want to make Superman proud? Then vote for John Kerry. He supports stem cell research. I'm sure Chris would say "Thanks!" In the meantime, Bush has added to the number of severly maimed or crippled by 5,000+....not to mention the already 1,000+ dead. We shouldn't be trying to force Democracy on a nation of three opposed groups that don't even want to be a nation anymore. Saddam held Iraq together like Tito held Yugoslavia together. When Tito died, Civil War & ethnic cleansing began. There's no way we can stop it from happening in Iraq. It's already happening in Sudan. And just think...we haven't even invaded Iran or Korea, yet....

This is not a politics thread. I'll refrain from responding further. Thanks.