Reeve's rise to becoming a film star, follows with a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After which he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Everybody's looking for a hero.
00:09I am not a hero.
00:11That was a part.
00:12I played the part.
00:13I'm not that man.
00:18Hands down, he was Superman from day one.
00:21I realized that if I could pull off this part, it would change my life.
00:25John Houseman said, Mr. Reeve, it is very important to become a serious classical actor.
00:29Unless, of course, they offer you a load of money to do something else.
00:36He convinced me when I first met him that he would fly.
00:40Doing things with my dad, it was all about activity and action.
00:44Riding bikes, playing soccer, skiing.
00:47Perfect DML!
00:50My dad was very competitive and he didn't necessarily slow down.
00:54We said goodbye and he gave this wave.
00:57That was the last time I saw him on his feet.
01:06Mr. Reeve currently has no movement or spontaneous respiration.
01:10Superman, crazy.
01:12Just that simple little thing over the horse.
01:14I ruined my life and everybody else's.
01:18I won't be able to ski, sail, throw a ball to Will, won't be able to make love to Dana.
01:25Maybe we should let me go.
01:27She came flying in and she just yelled, I love you, I love you.
01:32And then she said, the words saved my life, you're still you and I love you.
01:42He and Robin were such good friends because they could match each other.
01:45Robin also had struggles that he dealt with his whole life and I think that they both
01:50were aware of darkness.
01:53Brother Chris is fighting like crazy.
01:55When you find people who fight like that but still keep their humanity, that gives you
01:58great hope.
01:59That is tough because I can feel him but he can't feel me.
02:03It must have been hell for my mom too, knowing what she had lost.
02:08I felt I needed to do something, not just for myself, but for everyone else in the same
02:15condition.
02:16The fact that Superman was in a wheelchair and was willing to go public with it was huge.
02:24Hope is on the way.
02:32The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act.
02:37People are literally walking because of him.
02:45What is a hero?
02:47My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering
02:57the consequences.
02:59Now my definition is completely different.
03:02I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure
03:08in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
03:14I wouldn't have missed this for the world.
03:17I wouldn't have missed this for the world.