THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE MEMORIAL

Christopher Reeve's leading role in Superman (1978) made him a star, but it was his recuperation after a 1995 horse riding accident that made him a symbol of persistence and courage. Reeve was a little known stage actor from New York when he was chosen out of 200 candidates to star in a big-budget movie version of the comic book hero Superman. He appeared in three sequels, Superman II (1980, with Gene Hackman), Superman III (1983, with Richard Pryor) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), and starred in several other films, stage plays and TV movies. In May of 1995 Reeve was thrown from his horse in a jumping competition and sustained a near-fatal injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Confined to a wheelchair, he went on to make public appearances and eventually resumed his career, doing mostly voice work and some directing. He also wrote about his recovery in the book Still Me (1999).I edited my profile with'Soul and courage'Reeve was a virtual unknown before he shot to superstardom in the 1978 blockbuster Superman. Thanks to meticulous preparation and close physical resemblance to the comic-strip hero, producers gave him the part.The film and its three sequels turned Reeve into a worldwide star and grossed $300m in the US alone.Actress Susannah York, who played Superman's mother, told BBC Radio Five Live Reeve had "enormous goodness of soul and courage"."I felt terribly proud to play his mother. When I was doing the film I thought 'Wow, this guy is terrific'."He was a very real contender for a Superman hero figure, because of his courage and generosity of spirit. He was fun."I think he was great... what he set out to do since his accident... I admired him incredibly."His publicist, Wesley Combs, told the BBC: "He inspired people in ways I think were surprising to some, but obvious to others, but he was a courageous individual who lived by the mantra 'nothing is impossible'"He had a unique optimism, he had a true belief at looking at the best part of a situation. He did not look at is as being an obstacle, he looked at is as a challenge."