Christopher Our Reeve Real-Life Superman

He cemented his place in Hollywood history with his iconic portrayal of the superhero, but Christopher Reeve continues to inspire 20 years after his death

- JOANNA POWELL

Despite playing the Man of Steel in four movies, Christopher Reeve never considered himself a hero. The strikingly handsome, larger-than-life actor believed he was simply doing work that needed to be done, living with purpose and passion, both before and after a horrific equestrian accident left him paralyzed.

But as we mark the 20th anniversary of his death at 52 on Oct. 10, 2004, Reeve now stands as a touchstone of courage and the power of optimism, proving nothing is impossible, there is no problem too big, and we are all capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable hardships.

“People close to Chris said that from the beginning, even before the accident, there was something bigger than being an actor, something bigger than Superman,” an insider tells Us. “He was on some larger human mission from the start.”

With the release of a riveting new documentary, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, playing in select theaters on Sept. 21 and Sept. 25, the star’s stunning impact — along with the story of his unstoppable wife, Dana — lights up the big screen once again. Their son, Will, 32, and Christopher’s two older children with partner Gae Exton, Matthew, 44, and Alexandra, 40, contribute intimate memories and insights into their father’s legacy, intercut with home movies and repurposed film footage that is, according to Variety, “a moving, wrenching, compellingly well-made documentary.”

Christopher Andersen, the author of Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve, tells Us: “It was an epic tragedy, but also an epic love story. Here was this chiseled-from-granite star who is paralyzed in a freak horseback-riding accident and becomes a symbol of hope for millions.”

His Rise — and Brutal Fall