18. Christopher Reeve helped bring Superman back to the fore after a decade of waning interest
When little-known actor Christopher Reeve auditioned for the role of Superman in 1978 he was not a fan of the character and had little knowledge of the comics. He had watched the 1950s Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, and had some idea of how he wanted to play the role. He was told to play only Superman, and when portraying Clark Kent to perceive of it as a role within the lead role. The filming was difficult, all of the flying sequences were done with wires and harnesses. CGI was not yet a major factor in making action movies. Reeve won mostly rave reviews for his performance as Superman, and the initial film of the series grossed over $300 million worldwide, making him a major box office draw. Unfortunately for both Reeve and the character, the three sequels which followed did not perform as well.
Reeve’s tragic horseback riding accident in 1995 left him paralyzed from the neck down, confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Coupled with the tragic loss of George Reeves after his association with Superman, gossip surfaced the role was cursed. Reeve and his costar as Lois Lane Margot Kidder dismissed the idea of a curse affecting performers in Superman productions, and Reeve recognized his role as the making of his sadly shortened career. Reeve’s performances as Superman and Clark Kent changed the way the dual part was perceived by actors in live action films and television productions, and remained true to the Superman of the original comics. Christopher Reeve died from complications as a result of his accident on October 10, 2004.