Google Doodle honors Christopher Reeve, Superman actor, and humanitarian.
Christopher Reeve is most known for flying across the screen while dressed in a crimson cloak and wearing a big S across his chest.
But it was his subsequent off-screen efforts, which he did while attempting to regain his ability to walk, that cemented his status as a hero.
His sympathetic depiction of Superman contributed to the film’s success in 1978, paving the way for a wave of superhero films.
Years later, after being crippled in a horseback riding accident, he’d utilize his celebrity to raise awareness for the handicapped.
From whatever perspective, he was a hero to millions.
On what would have been Reeve’s 69th birthday, Google will devote Saturday’s Doodle to the actor, director, and philanthropist.
Reeve was born on September 25, 1952, in New York City,
and received a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell before being accepted into an advanced acting program at the Juilliard School,
where he studied under actor and director John Houseman.
Reeve auditioned for the part of Superman after two years of performing in plays and soap operas,
beating out over 200 other performers.
The 6-foot-4 Reeve was the epitome of Superman in the big-budget film, with his coal-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and chiseled features.
During the 1980s, he’d repeat the role in three sequels, demonstrating that there was a market for superhero films and paving the way for the major Batman film starring Michael Keaton in that decade, as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Though he appeared in scores of other films, he is most known for his Superman roles,
and he was Superman to millions of moviegoers.
After a 1995 horseback riding accident left Reeve paralyzed from the neck down,
this became the situation for millions more.
Despite the fact that physicians described his injuries as one of the worst imaginable,
Reeve displayed courage, redefining what a quadriplegic might do,
and promising that he would walk again one day.
Reeve reacted angrily to a tabloid story that he had pleaded with his wife to let him die.
He wrote, “I have not given up.” “I’m not going to give up.”
Reeve became a strong champion for individuals with disabilities and boosted funding for medical research after his tragedy.
ALSO, YOU CAN READ:
Billie Eilish and Nike collaborate on “100% vegan” Air Jordans.
He and his wife established the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which is committed to promoting research in order to find a cure for spinal cord damage.
He pushed Congress to extend embryonic stem cell research,
claiming it was the only way to save his life and the lives of those like him.
“I believe that setting challenges is a wonderful motivation because too many people with disabilities allow it to become the dominant element in their lives,
and I refuse to let a handicap dictate how I live my life,” Reeve said a year after his injury to the Los Angeles Times.
“I don’t want to sound rash, but establishing a lofty goal that appears impossible to achieve is really extremely beneficial to rehabilitation.”
Following his injury, Reeve returned to Hollywood and made his directorial debut in 1997 with the highly praised television film In the Gloaming, starring Glenn Close.
An emotional Close recounted her memory of Reeve’s character at a 2017 fundraising event for his charity.
“Chris is someone I miss. He was a magnificent individual.
He had more moral and mental fortitude than anybody I have ever met “According to an E Online report of the speech, she added.
“It affected me deeply, and there were moments when it took my breath away. He was also brave.
Despite the odds, he had the strength to aspire for his goal, which has now become our dream: a world without wheelchairs.”
Reeve died in 2004 after suffering a heart attack and falling into a coma following a nearly decade-long struggle. He was 52 years old at the time.
MORE, ALSO, AS WELL AS:
Billie Eilish and Nike collaborate on “100% vegan” Air Jordans.
SOURCE:
Google Doodle honors Christopher Reeve, Superman actor, and humanitarian
