Christopher Reeve: Superman Actor and Spinal Cord Advocate Dies at 52

Christopher Reeve was an American actor who starred as Superman in four films. Born on September 25, 1952, in New York City, he studied at Cornell and Juilliard, where Robin Williams was a classmate.

Reeve played the Man of Steel in Superman (1978) and its sequels through 1987. He was paralyzed from the neck down in 1995 after being thrown from a horse in a riding competition in Virginia. He became a leading advocate for spinal cord research through the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

Reeve was married to Dana Reeve, who died of lung cancer in 2006, and had three children. He died at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, on October 10, 2004, at age 52, of heart failure from a systemic infection.

Achievements: Star of Superman (1978-1987), Christopher Reeve Foundation, Screen Actors Guild Award for Rear Window (1998).

Birth: September 25, 1952 - New York City.

Profession: Actor and activist.

Interesting Facts: He was a licensed pilot and an accomplished sailor.