quote: The Drudge Report

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Nikki Finke in Los Angeles is reporting that actor Christopher Reeve is dead, according to sources close to the actor. He died suddenly Sunday. News of his death has not been reported publicly yet. His family will make an announcement Monday at the earliest. Reeve was just mentioned Friday in the second live presidential debate by John Kerry. Noting he was a friend of the paralysed Reeve, Kerry said he was in favor of further stem cell research because Reeve could walk again one day thanks to such science....

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Wow. Sad news.

RIP, Superman. You will be missed.


 

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Posted by Ron Yost (Member # 1850) on 10-11-2004, 12:43 AM:
 
Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' Star, Dies at 52
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 11, 2004

NEW YORK -- Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died Sunday, his publicist said. He was 52.

Reeve fell into a coma Saturday after going into cardiac arrest while at his New York home, his publicist, Wesley Combs told The Associated Press by phone from Washington, D.C., on Sunday night.

Ron Yost
 

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Posted by Ben Holley (Member # 2247) on 10-11-2004, 12:46 AM:
 
Yeah I saw the post on drudgereport as well but was waiting for something more credible like CNN to report it untill I decided if it was for real. But now that I see that its for real, i am saddened.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/11/obit.reeve.ap/index.html

quote:

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'Superman' star Christopher Reeve dead at 52
Paralyzed actor was advocate for spinal cord research
Monday, October 11, 2004 Posted: 1:44 AM EDT (0544 GMT)

BEDFORD, New York (AP) -- Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died Sunday of heart failure, his publicist said. He was 52.

Reeve fell into a coma Saturday after going into cardiac arrest while at his New York home, his publicist, Wesley Combs, told The Associated Press by phone from Washington, D.C., on Sunday night.

Reeve was being treated at Northern Westchester Hospital for a pressure wound that he developed, a common complication for people living with paralysis. In the past week, the wound had become severely infected, resulting in a serious systemic infection.

"On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Northern Westchester Hospital for the excellent care they provided to my husband," Dana Reeve, Christopher's wife, said in a statement. "I also want to thank his personal staff of nurses and aides, as well as the millions of fans from around the world who have supported and loved my husband over the years."

Reeve broke his neck in May 1995 when he was thrown from his horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia.

Enduring months of therapy to allow him to breathe for longer and longer periods without a respirator, Reeve emerged to lobby Congress for better insurance protection against catastrophic injury and to move an Academy Award audience to tears with a call for more films about social issues.

He returned to directing, and even returned to acting in a 1998 production of "Rear Window," a modern update of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller about a man in a wheelchair who becomes convinced a neighbor has been murdered. Reeve won a Screen Actors Guild award for best actor in a television movie or miniseries.

"I was worried that only acting with my voice and my face, I might not be able to communicate effectively enough to tell the story," Reeve said. "But I was surprised to find that if I really concentrated, and just let the thoughts happen, that they would read on my face. With so many close-ups, I knew that my every thought would count."

In his public appearances, he was as handsome as ever, his blue eyes bright and his voice clear.

"Hollywood needs to do more," he said in the March 1996 Oscar awards appearance. "Let's continue to take risks. Let's tackle the issues. In many ways our film community can do it better than anyone else. There is no challenge, artistic or otherwise, that we can't meet."

In 2000, Reeve was able to move his index finger, and a specialized workout regimen has made his legs and arms stronger. He has also regained sensation in other parts of his body.

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 10-11-2004, 02:21 AM:
 
"Superman: The Movie" made me want to be a filmmaker.

"Somewhere in Time" is one of my favorite movies of all time.
 

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Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 10-11-2004, 02:28 AM:
 
Woo... This is really sad news. And a surprise to me, he seemed to be doing better and now this. He will always be Superman to me.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-11-2004, 08:48 AM:
 
I was really shocked by the news when first hearing about it last night. The news is really sad considering just how hard Christopher Reeve fought to get better and further advances on repairing spinal cord injuries.
 

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Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 10-11-2004, 10:56 AM:
 
I was shocked as well, he did so much to raise money too....RIP
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 10-11-2004, 09:58 PM:
 
He was a courageous man, who hoped and believed that medical science will eventually find ways to help those with spinal cord injuries, and DID something about it. His smile lives on in our hearts.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-11-2004, 10:53 PM:
 
I think all the positive work Reeve did, along with the battle he fought to overcome his paralysis, made most people root for him. We've seen lots of fluffy public interest pieces regarding celebrities. But I really did hope Reeve would walk again someday. Maybe that's why it is so sad and disappointing that he didn't quite make it there.

One thing is certain, whenever medical science does allow things that spinal cord injuries to be repaired, Christopher Reeve will certainly be remembered for his contributions to make it happen.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 10-11-2004, 11:10 PM:
 
I seriously had really high hopes that he would walk again, and honestly believed that one day he would. This is so sad to me for that very reason. He just seemed like "the guy" to champion the cause of spinal cord research to the point where they might actually find a cure for paralysis. I know he encouraged others with his determination, and I hope the researchers continue their amazing work in his honor.

When they do eventually find a cure, he will undoubtedly be remembered as someone who had a big influence in making it happen.
 

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 10-12-2004, 07:41 AM:
 
I was not going to reply to this thread, but, after thinking about it, I will.

After his accident, all the references to his being Superman surfaced, and I thought that folks were just keeping him in the news.

Then, I started seeing how MUCH this man did from that wheelchair. He did so much to encourage stem cell research, and spinal cord injuries research. Recently, he amazed me by breathing on his own with an interviewer! It sure looked like he was making improvements.

He really was a super man. He has done more from that chair than 99 percent of the rest of us will do in our entire lives. And through it all, he maintained his dignity.

Rest In Peace, Mr. Reeve. You dont need that chair anymore. You will always have a special place in my heart.
 

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