Description

This poignant 1993 episode features Christopher Reeve, the beloved Superman actor, just two years before the tragic horseback riding accident that would leave him paralyzed from the neck down. Reeve, who became an international icon playing the Man of Steel in Superman (1978) and its sequels, discusses his diverse post-Superman career and continued work in film and theater. His portrayal of Superman defined the modern superhero film genre and remains one of cinema’s most influential performances. At this point in his career, Reeve was actively working as an accomplished stage and screen actor, demonstrating his range beyond the cape and tights. Unknown to him or the audience, his life would Dr.amatically change on May 27, 1995, when a horseback riding accident during an equestrian competition in Virginia would fracture his top two cervical vertebrae, leaving him unable to move or breathe without assistance. Following the accident, Reeve would transform into a real-life hero, advocating for spinal cord injury research through the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (later the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation), making his directing debut with the Emmy-nominated In the Gloaming (1997), and winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for his return to acting in an adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1998). This episode serves as a bittersweet time capsule, capturing Reeve in his final years of physical health before becoming an inspiration to millions through his advocacy work and refusal to surrender to his condition. Also featuring Canadian actor Tom McCamus and fitness trainer John Bandy.