Twenty years after his demise: the tragic story of Christopher Reeve

To talk about Christopher Reeve is to talk about the best Clark Kent ever seen on film. But the actor was also a superhero behind the cameras.

On May 27, 1995, an unfortunate fall from a horse changed Christopher Reeve's life forever.

The actor had been a huge horse-riding enthusiast ever since he prepared for the 1985 film 'Anna Karenina'.

During a show jumping competition in Culpeper, Virginia in May 1995, his horse stopped abruptly and threw the famous actor off his feet. The result was a fracture in two cervical vertebrae and a section of his spinal cord.

Reeve was left a quadriplegic, unable to move his feet and hands, and unable to breathe on his own. The horse in question (the one in the picture) was a beautiful brown thoroughbred named Eastern Express, nicknamed Buck.

Health services had to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, after which, in the ambulance that took him to the University Medical Center in Charlottesville, he regained consciousness.

The actor underwent a risky surgery that allowed him to regain movement in the fingers of his left hand. He survived, but from that moment on, and for the rest of his days, he had to remain in a wheelchair with respiratory assistance and constant care.

Even after spending six months at the Kessler Rehabilitation Institute in New Jersey, Reeve learned that his injury was permanent and that there was little that could be done.

However, less than a year later, in March 1996, Christopher Reeve courageously faced his difficult situation and became an inspiring example. He reappeared at the Oscars ceremony and drew an emotional applause from the entire audience.

Reeve delivered a moving speech in which he emphasized how the impact of the film industry could be channeled for various social causes. He spoke with a touch of humor: "What you may not know is that I left New York in September and just arrived in Los Angeles this morning."

From then on, Christopher Reeve dedicated himself to giving visibility to situations like his own. His foundation aimed to support research to find new ways to recover the ability to walk.

Reeve won recognition from the public and the industry for bringing to life the best Superman of all time. A role for which, in addition to already having obvious physical qualities, he prepared meticulously. At the time, Reeve even gained enough muscle mass to not need to use prosthetics in his costume.

Additionally, he dyed his hair black (his natural shade was blonde) and donned rimmed glasses to look even more like the iconic Clark Kent from the original DC comics.

Although renowned actors were considered for the role, the producers opted to cast a new face. The decision to cast Reeve was a good one. The public responded positively, making the films in the saga in which he appeared a success.

The actor's career is also remembered for other roles, such as the character of Richard Collier in the film 'Somewhere in Time' (1980).

Christopher Reeve had begun acting on theater stages during his student years, making his Broadway debut in 1976 in the play 'A Matter of Gravity'.

Reeve enjoyed his work on Broadway, but he wasn't making much money, so he thought about quitting and going to work with his father. It was then that he heard about the casting call for the role of Superman and decided to apply. The rest is history.

His professional life did not stop after the accident. In 1997, he made his directorial debut in the television film 'The Wild Ones'.

In addition, in 1998, he participated in 'Rear Window', an adaptation of the Hitchcock classic directed by Jeff Bleckner. We could also see him in other series such as 'The Practice' and 'Smallville'.

In 2004, he ventured again as a director with 'The Brooke Ellison Story'. Finally, in 2006, two years after his death, 'Everyone's Hero' was released. It was an animated film he directed in collaboration with Colin Brady and Daniel St. Pierre.

Christopher Reeve wrote part of the chapters in his autobiography 'Still Me' (1998). He also narrated the audiobook version, which won the Grammy for best-narrated album of the year in 1999.

One of the most distressing moments in his memoirs was when he confessed to his wife that he was thinking about leaving her and taking his own life.

"I'll tell you one thing," his wife Dana said. "I'll support you in whatever you decide to do because it's your life and your decision. But I want you to know that I'll be with you forever, throughout your life, until the end. You're still you, and I love you."

As time went by, Reeve's health deteriorated, with muscle atrophy and the appearance of ulcers. In an attempt to treat one of these open ulcers on his skin, he received a course of antibiotics, which resulted in a heart attack on October 9, 2004.

That day, he fell into a coma and was transferred to North Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. On October 10, he died at the age of 52.

Christopher Reeve's story is one of overcoming in addition to a remarkable cinematographic career. It should serve as inspiration for new generations.

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