Profile of the Day: Christopher Reeve

Posted September 25, 2018 by Amanda | No Comment

Christopher Reeve

Remember watching Superman? Today we remember star Christopher Reeve on what would have been his 66th birthday.

Reeve was born on September 25, 1952 in New York City, New York to Barbara Pitney Lamb and Franklin D’Olier Reeve. He grew up in a wealthy and well-educated family. His mother worked as a journalist and his father was a prominent writer, poet, and academic. His great grandfather, Franklin D’Olier, was a businessman and one of the original 20 men who formed The American Legion in France. He would serve as the first National Commander of the U.S. war veterans organization from 1919-1920.

Reeve caught the acting bug at a young age and would go on to study acting at Juilliard. It was there at the prestigious school that he met his close friend and future star, Robin Williams.

Although he would star in a wide variety of roles, Reeve is best remembered for his iconic portrayal of the red-caped superhero, Superman, in four feature films.

In 1995, Reeve was involved in a horse riding accident that left him as a quadriplegic. He spent the later years of his life as a vocal advocate of stem cell research and founded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to finding treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders.

Reeve died of cardiac arrest on October 10, 2004 at the age of 52.

Explore Christopher Reeve’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the Man of Steel.