Editing Christopher Reeve (section)

==Career==

===Early work===
In 1974, Reeve auditioned for the soap opera ''[[Love of Life]]'' to pay tuition fees at Juilliard. Initially, he was promised a schedule that would not interfere with his studies. However, his character quickly gained popularity, leading to increased screen time. When Reeve reminded the producers of their agreement, they responded that it wasn't set in writing. The following year, Reeve had to leave Juilliard to fulfill his contract with [[CBS]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 174–177</ref> He received an honorary [[Doctor of Fine Arts]] degree from Juilliard in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 24, 1997 |title=Trust Audiences, Christopher Reeve Tells Juilliard Graduates |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/24/nyregion/trust-audiences-christopher-reeve-tells-juilliard-graduates.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119004118/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/24/nyregion/trust-audiences-christopher-reeve-tells-juilliard-graduates.html |archive-date=January 19, 2023 |access-date=November 25, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

In between filming for the soap opera, Reeve took acting classes at the [[HB Studio]] and appeared in an [[Off-off-Broadway]] production of ''Berchtesgaden'' at the [[Theater for the New City]]. The play was directed by [[Barbara Loden]], who became Reeve's mentor. She coached him not to play "on the nose", and he often followed that advice over the years. After that, he starred in a limited run of ''[[Berkeley Square (play)|Berkeley Square]]'' at the [[Manhattan Theatre Club]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 177–179</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Marisa |date=February 4, 2024 |title=Inside Christopher Reeve's Early Days as a Theater Actor in N.Y.C.: He 'Definitely' Had Star Power (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/christopher-reeve-early-days-as-theater-actor-in-nyc-exclusive-8557214 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502184907/https://people.com/christopher-reeve-early-days-as-theater-actor-in-nyc-exclusive-8557214 |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |access-date=January 4, 2025 |website=People}}</ref>

In late 1975, Reeve auditioned for the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] play ''[[A Matter of Gravity]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Matter of Gravity |url=https://playbill.com/production/a-matter-of-gravity-broadhurst-theatre-vault-0000002026#carousel-cell137295 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722171735/https://playbill.com/production/a-matter-of-gravity-broadhurst-theatre-vault-0000002026#carousel-cell137295 |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |access-date=January 5, 2025 |website=Playbill}}</ref> [[Katharine Hepburn]] watched his audition and cast him as her character's grandson. With Hepburn's influence over CBS, Reeve worked out the schedules of the soap opera and the play so he would be able to do both. Because of his busy schedule, he ate candy bars and drank coffee in place of meals and experienced exhaustion and [[malnutrition]]. At one of the performances, Reeve entered the stage, said his first line, and then promptly fainted. Hepburn turned to the audience and said, "This boy's a goddamn fool. He doesn't eat enough red meat." The [[understudy]] finished the play for Reeve, and a doctor treated him. The doctor advised Reeve to eat a healthier diet. He stayed with the play for nine months and was given favorable reviews.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 179–185</ref>

Reeve and Hepburn became very close. Some gossip columns rumored a romance between the two. Reeve said, "She was 67 and I was 22, but I thought that was quite an honor.&nbsp;... I believe I was fairly close to what a child or grandchild might have been to her." She told him, "You're going to be a big star, Christopher, and support me in my old age." He replied, "I can't wait {{em|that}} long." Reeve said his father, who was a professor of literature and came to many of the performances, was the man who most captivated Hepburn. When the play moved to Los Angeles in June 1976, Reeve—to Hepburn's disappointment—dropped out. They stayed in touch for years after the play's run. Reeve later regretted not staying closer and just sending messages back and forth.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 182–186</ref>

Reeve's first role in a Hollywood film was a small part as a junior officer in the 1978 naval submarine disaster movie ''[[Gray Lady Down]]'', starring [[Charlton Heston]]. He then acted in the play ''My Life'' at the [[Circle Repertory Company]] with friend [[William Hurt]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 187–188</ref>

===''Superman'' films===
[[File:Superman (Christopher Reeve - 1980).jpg|thumb|Reeve as [[Superman (1978 film series character)|Superman]]]]
During the [[Off-Broadway]] production of ''My Life'', Stark Hesseltine told Reeve he had been asked to audition for the leading role as [[Clark Kent]]/[[Superman]] in the big-budget film ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' (1978). [[Lynn Stalmaster]], the casting director, put Reeve's picture and résumé on the top of the pile three separate times, only to have the producers throw it out each time. Through Stalmaster's persistent pleading, a meeting between director [[Richard Donner]], producer [[Ilya Salkind]], and Reeve was arranged.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 188–189</ref> The morning after the meeting, Reeve was sent a 300-page script. He was thrilled that the script took the subject matter seriously, and that Donner's motto was ''[[verisimilitude]]''. Hesseltine also told him that [[Marlon Brando]] was going to play [[Jor-El]] and [[Gene Hackman]] was going to play [[Lex Luthor]]. Reeve flew to London for a [[screen test]], but he still did not believe he had much of a chance. On the plane ride, he imagined his approach to the role. He later said, "By the late 1970s, the masculine image had changed.&nbsp;... Now it was acceptable for a man to show gentleness and vulnerability.&nbsp;... I felt that the new Superman ought to reflect that contemporary male image." He based his portrayal of Clark Kent on [[Cary Grant]] in his role in ''[[Bringing Up Baby]]''. After the screen test, his driver said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you've got the part."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 195–197</ref>

Portraying Superman would be a stretch for the 24-year-old actor. He was {{convert|6|ft|4|in|cm|abbr=on}} tall, but his physique was slim. Reeve went through an intense two-month training regimen with former British weightlifting champion [[David Prowse]] supervising. The training regimen consisted of running in the morning, followed by two hours of [[Weight training|weightlifting]] and 90 minutes on the [[trampoline]]. He added {{convert|30|lb|kg|adj=on}} of muscle to his "thin" {{convert|188|lb|adj=on}} frame.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harrington |first1=Wallace |last2=O'Connor |first2=Michael George |last3=Kavitsky |first3=Joyce |title=Superman (1978) |url=https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-movie1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225090944/https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-movie1.html |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref> He later made even higher gains for ''[[Superman III]]'' (1983), though for ''[[Superman IV: The Quest for Peace]]'' (1987), he decided it would be healthier to focus more on [[cardiovascular]] workouts.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harrington |first1=Wallace |last2=O'Connor |first2=Michael George |last3=Thomas |first3=Judy |last4=Kavitsky |first4=Joyce |title=Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) |url=https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-movie4.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123185403/https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-movie4.html |archive-date=January 23, 2025 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref> One of the reasons Reeve could not work out as much for ''Superman IV'' was an emergency [[appendectomy]] that he had in June 1986.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossen |first=Jake |date=February 1, 2008 |title=Superman Vs. Hollywood: How Fiendish Producers, Devious Directors, and Warring Writers Grounded an American Icon |location=Chicago |publisher=Chicago Review Press |pages=166 |isbn=978-1-55652-731-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Susan Heller |last2=Dunlap |first2=David W. |date=June 26, 1986 |title=NEW YORK DAY BY DAY; Appendectomy Centenary |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/26/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-appendectomy-centenary.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220074720/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/26/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-appendectomy-centenary.html |archive-date=December 20, 2024 |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Reeve was never a Superman or comic book fan, though he had watched ''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]'' starring [[George Reeves]]. Reeve found the role offered a suitable challenge because it was a dual role. He said, "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise, you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character."<ref>{{cite web |last=Bergan |first=Ronald |date=October 12, 2024 |title=Christopher Reeve |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/oct/12/health.film |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006111607/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2004/oct/12/health.film |archive-date=October 6, 2024 |access-date=November 20, 2006 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 200</ref> Remembering Loden's earlier advice, Reeve also decided to "underplay" Superman: "I was six feet four, strong, and physically imposing; so I played against that, making him as casual as possible, letting the audience sense an implied power."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 179</ref>

On the commentary track for the director's edition of ''[[Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut]]'', creative consultant [[Tom Mankiewicz]] spoke of how Reeve had talked to him about playing Superman and then playing Clark Kent. Mankiewicz then corrected Reeve, telling him he was "always, ''always'' playing Superman" and when he was Clark Kent, he was "playing Superman who was playing Clark Kent." Mankiewicz described it to Reeve as a role within a role.

The film, made without the use of computers for special effects, was the first attempt to realistically show a person flying. Roy Field, the film's optical supervisor, said, "There were many techniques used to make Superman fly, but the best special effect of all was Christopher Reeve himself. We discovered very early on he, being a [[Gliding|glider pilot]], could hold his body aerodynamically. So when he got into the harness, the whole shot began to come alive."<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/tNFAFBhh1cU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130815231925/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNFAFBhh1cU&guid=&hl=en&client=mv-google&gl=US Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media |people= Thau, Michael (director)|year= 2001|title=The Magic Behind the Cape |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNFAFBhh1cU|time= 13:25 minutes in}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The film grossed $300.2 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation).<ref>{{cite web |title=Superman |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4050814465/weekend/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121135156/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4050814465/weekend/ |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=October 23, 2006 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> Reeve received positive reviews for his performance:
* "Christopher Reeve's entire performance is a delight. Ridiculously good-looking, with a face as sharp and strong as an ax blade, his bumbling, fumbling Clark Kent and omnipotent Superman are simply two styles of gallantry and innocence."&nbsp;– ''[[Newsweek]]''
* "Christopher Reeve has become an instant international star on the basis of his first major movie role, of Clark Kent/Superman. Film reviewers—regardless of their opinion of the film—have been almost unanimous in their praise of Reeve's dual portrayal. He is utterly convincing as he switches back and forth between personae."&nbsp;– ''[[Starlog]]''

For his performance, Reeve won a [[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles]]. Reeve described Superman as "the closest opportunity I've had to playing a classical role on film, the closest expression to something of mythical dimension."<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Loretan|first1=Kyle|last2=Speck|first2=Gregory|date=October 9, 2012|title=New Again: Remembering Christopher Reeve|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/remembering-christopher-reeve|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606183901/https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/remembering-christopher-reeve|archive-date=June 6, 2024|access-date=October 16, 2020|website=[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]]}}</ref> His co-star [[Margot Kidder]] said after his death that, with the ''Superman'' films, Reeve "knew he'd done something meaningful. He was very aware of that and very happy with that role."<ref>{{Cite web|author=Dakss, Brian|date=October 12, 2004|title=Reeve Tributes Keep Pouring In|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/reeve-tributes-keep-pouring-in/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241231025926/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reeve-tributes-keep-pouring-in/|archive-date=December 31, 2024|access-date=January 29, 2025|publisher=[[CBS]]}}</ref>

Much of ''[[Superman II]]'' was filmed at the same time as the first film. In fact, the original plan had been for the film to be a single three-hour epic comprising both parts. After most of the footage had been shot, the producers had a disagreement with Donner over various matters, including money and special effects, and Donner was fired. Director [[Richard Lester]], who had worked with the producers previously on the two-parter ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (1973) and ''[[The Four Musketeers (1974 film)|The Four Musketeers]]'' (1974), replaced Donner. Lester had the script changed and re-shot some footage. The cast was unhappy, but Reeve later said he liked Lester and considered ''Superman II'' to be his favorite of the series.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 201–203</ref> Donner's version of ''Superman II'', titled ''Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut'', was released on [[DVD-Video|DVD]] in November 2006 and was dedicated in memory of Reeve.

Lester directed ''Superman III'', released in 1983, solo. Reeve believed the producers [[Alexander Salkind]], his son Ilya Salkind, and [[Pierre Spengler]] had decreased the credibility of ''Superman III'' by turning it into a [[Richard Pryor]] comedy rather than a proper Superman film. He missed Donner and believed ''Superman III''{{'s}} only really good element was the automobile [[wrecking yard|junkyard]] scene in which Evil Superman fights Good Clark Kent in an internal battle.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 202–203</ref> Reeve's portrayal of the Evil Superman was highly praised, though the film was critically panned. Any negative review for ''Superman III'', however, was nothing compared to the totally negative reception its successor would receive.

''Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' was released in 1987. After ''Superman III'', Reeve vowed he was done with Superman.<ref>Cosford, Bill. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB35CC479B535BE&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D After One Final Fling, Reeve Hangs Up His Cape.] ''[[Miami Herald]]'', June 19, 1983, pg 1L. Retrieved November 19, 2006</ref> However, he agreed to continue the role in a fourth film on the condition he would have partial creative control over the script. The [[nuclear disarmament]] plot was his idea. [[Cannon Films]] purchased the production rights to the character of Superman from the Salkinds in the mid-1980s.<ref>Harper, Oliver. "Superman IV (1987) Retrospective / Review". YouTube. June 6, 2013. Web. August 16, 2018.</ref> Cannon Films were known for low-budget, poorly acted, poorly scripted action films.<ref>Lamble, Ryan. "10 Remarkable Things About Superman IV: The Quest for Peace". ''Den of Geek!''. Dennis Publishing, November 15, 2012. Web. August 16, 2018.</ref> They cut the budget of ''Superman IV'' in half to $17 million. The film was both a critical failure and a [[Box-office bomb|box-office disappointment]], becoming the lowest-grossing ''Superman'' film to date. Reeve later said, "the less said about ''Superman IV'' the better."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 203</ref> Both of Reeve's children from his relationship with Gae Exton had uncredited appearances in a deleted scene in which Superman rescues a girl, played by his daughter Alexandra, and reunites her with her brother, played by his son Matthew, after Nuclear Man creates a tornado in [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]].

Reeve would have made a fifth ''Superman'' film after the rights to the character reverted to the Salkinds and Spengler if the film had a budget of the same size as ''Superman: The Movie''. Although there was potential for such a film in the late 1980s after Cannon Films went bankrupt, Reeve never received a script.<ref>capedwonder.superman. "Christopher Reeve at Dixie Trek – Part Two". YouTube. July 24, 2012. Web. August 20, 2018.</ref>

In 1993, two years before Reeve's accident, the Salkinds sold the rights to the character of Superman again, this time to [[Warner Bros.]] "There was supposed to be a fifth ''Superman'' movie titled ''[[Superman Reborn]]'', but because of studio shifts, the terrible box office [''Superman IV''] got, and&nbsp;... Reeves's {{sic}} accident, it never saw the light of day."<ref>Adam Does Movies. "The Best & Worst Superman Movies Ranked: Movie Feuds ep156". YouTube. November 17, 2015. Web. August 20, 2018.</ref>

===1980s===
Reeve's first role after 1978's ''Superman'' was in the 1980 time-travel mystery/romantic fantasy ''[[Somewhere in Time (film)|Somewhere in Time]]''. Reeve as playwright Richard Collier romanced Elise McKenna, a popular stage actress from the early 20th century, played by [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]]. The film was shot on [[Mackinac Island]] using the [[Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island)|Grand Hotel]] in mid-1979, and was Reeve's favorite film to shoot.

The original plan was for a limited release and to build word of mouth, but early test screenings were favorable and the studio decided on a wide release, which proved to be the wrong strategy. Early reviews savaged the film as unduly sentimental and melodramatic, and an [[1980 actors strike|actors' strike]] prevented Reeve and Seymour from doing publicity. The film quickly closed, although [[Jean-Pierre Dorléac]] was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design]] in 1980. However, thanks to screenings on cable networks and [[video rentals]], the film became a [[cult film|cult classic]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 204–207</ref> INSITE (International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts) did fundraising to sponsor a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for Reeve in 1997, and raised over $20,000 for the [[Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Addie |first=Jo |title=INSITE Honors Christopher Reeve With Walk of Fame Star |url=https://www.somewhereintime.tv/events_walkoffame.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018024543/https://www.somewhereintime.tv/events_walkoffame.htm |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |access-date=November 16, 2024 |website=INSITE}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=INSITE Accomplishments |url=https://www.somewhereintime.tv/insite_accomplishments.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113130830/https://www.somewhereintime.tv/insite_accomplishments.htm |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=November 18, 2024 |website=INSITE}}</ref> Seymour became a friend of Reeve and in 1995 named one of her twin sons Kristopher in his honor (Reeve also became his godfather).<ref>{{cite web |last=Krug |first=Kurt Anthony |date=October 27, 2020 |title=Jane Seymour looks back on 40 years of "Somewhere in Time," Mackinac Island |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2020/10/27/jane-seymour-looks-back-40-years-somewhere-time-mackinac-island/3742904001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241118154355/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2020/10/27/jane-seymour-looks-back-40-years-somewhere-time-mackinac-island/3742904001/ |archive-date=November 18, 2024 |access-date=November 18, 2024 |website=The Detroit News}}</ref> The Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island has become a popular tourist site for film fans.

In that same year, Reeve made a guest appearance on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', where he performed "[[East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)]]" on a piano for [[Miss Piggy]], who had a crush on him. Reeve denied being Superman but displayed the character's superpowers throughout the episode. He then returned to continue filming on the not yet finished production of ''Superman II''.

After finishing ''Superman II'', Reeve called [[Nikos Psacharopoulos]], the artistic director of the [[Williamstown Theatre Festival]], whom he knew since his apprentice days, and asked if he could join the company. Reeve did two plays that season: ''[[The Front Page]]'' and ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]''. The former, directed by [[Robert Allan Ackerman]], became one of the biggest successes of the summer.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Front Page |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/front-page-the/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113132357/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/front-page-the/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Cherry Orchard |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/cherry-orchard-the-3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113132846/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/cherry-orchard-the-3/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref> From then on, he was a regular at the festival. Later in the year, Reeve played a disabled Vietnam veteran in [[Lanford Wilson]]'s play ''[[Fifth of July (play)|Fifth of July]]'' on Broadway to excellent reviews. To prepare for the role, he was coached by an amputee on how to walk on artificial legs. The production was nominated for five [[Tony Awards]], including [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 208–212</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Franklin |first=Marc J. |date=July 5, 2020 |title=Look Back at Christopher Reeve, Jeff Daniels, and More in Fifth Of July |url=https://playbill.com/article/look-back-at-christopher-reeve-jeff-daniels-and-more-in-fifth-of-july |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110185150/https://playbill.com/article/look-back-at-christopher-reeve-jeff-daniels-and-more-in-fifth-of-july |archive-date=November 10, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=Playbill}}</ref> In 1981, Reeve returned to Williamstown to play [[Achilles]] in the two-part, six-hour production of ''The Greeks''.<ref>{{cite web |last=King |first=Robert L. |date=July 12, 1981 |title=BRINGING 'THE GREEKS' TO WILLIAMSTOWN |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/12/theater/bringing-the-greeks-to-williamstown.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113131926/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/12/theater/bringing-the-greeks-to-williamstown.html |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

In 1982, Reeve stretched his acting range further and played a devious novice playwright with questionable motives regarding his idol and mentor [[Michael Caine]], in [[Sidney Lumet]]'s suspenseful dark comedy ''[[Deathtrap (film)|Deathtrap]]'', based on the play by [[Ira Levin]]. The film was well received, but a major plot twist was spoiled by the press, affecting its box office performance.<ref>{{cite web |last=Roberts |first=Curtis |date=June 8, 2024 |title='You don't have the right to spill the plot': Christopher Reeve defended queer scene in major film twist amongst anti-gay reviews |url=https://wegotthiscovered.com/celebrities/you-dont-have-the-right-to-spill-the-plot-christopher-reeve-defended-queer-scene-in-major-film-twist-amongst-anti-gay-reviews/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241115155811/https://wegotthiscovered.com/celebrities/you-dont-have-the-right-to-spill-the-plot-christopher-reeve-defended-queer-scene-in-major-film-twist-amongst-anti-gay-reviews/ |archive-date=November 15, 2024 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |website=WGTC}}</ref> The same year, Reeve portrayed corrupt Catholic priest John Flaherty making challenging decisions during [[World War II]] in [[Frank Perry]]'s ''[[Monsignor (film)|Monsignor]]''. Reeve felt this gave him the opportunity to play "a morally ambiguous character who was neither clearly good nor clearly bad, someone to whom life is much more complex than the characters I've played previously." Reeve blamed the failure of the film on poor editing. He said, "the movie is sort of a series of outrageous incidents that you find hard to believe. Since they don't have a focus, and since they aren't justified and explained, they become laughable."<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Judy|url=http://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-monsignor.html|title=Monsignor (1982)|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025095039/http://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-monsignor.html|archive-date=October 25, 2023|access-date=January 12, 2025|website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref>

[[File:Ronald Reagan Christopher Reeve.jpg|left|thumb|Reeve, [[Frank Gifford]] and [[Ronald Reagan]] at a reception and picnic marking the 15th anniversary of the [[Special Olympics]] program in the Diplomatic Reception room, May 1983]]
In 1983, Reeve appeared in ''[[Faerie Tale Theatre|Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre]]'', playing the dual roles of Prince Charming and the cowardly prince in ''[[Sleeping Beauty]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Judy |title=FAERIE TALE THEATRE: "Sleeping Beauty" (1983) |url=https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-faerietale.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617002027/https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-faerietale.html |archive-date=June 17, 2024 |access-date=December 25, 2024 |website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref> In Williamstown, he acted in the play ''[[Holiday (play)|Holiday]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shewey |first=Don |date=June 19, 1983 |title=PLAYING IT SERIOUSLY IN SUMMER STOCK |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/19/theater/playing-it-seriously-in-summer-stock.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113133626/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/19/theater/playing-it-seriously-in-summer-stock.html |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> Later that year, Reeve went to [[Kranjska Gora]], Slovenia, to work on the film ''[[The Aviator (1985 film)|The Aviator]]''. The producers approached him without knowing he could fly a [[Stearman Aircraft|Stearman]], the vintage biplane used in the film. He readily accepted the role and volunteered to do his own piloting to achieve a more realistic look.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 217–219</ref> The film was released in March 1985.

Reeve was then offered the role of Basil Ransom in 1984's ''[[The Bostonians (film)|The Bostonians]]'' alongside [[Vanessa Redgrave]]. Though Reeve ordinarily commanded over one million dollars per film, [[Ismail Merchant]] could only afford to pay him one-tenth of that. Reeve had no complaints, as this was exactly the kind of film he wanted to do. In a 2005 interview, [[James Ivory]] said that [[Merchant Ivory Productions]] didn't have good representatives at the time, so Reeve "brokered" the arrangements with the [[Creative Artists Agency|CAA]] to get them into the agency.<ref>{{cite book |title=James Ivory in Conversation: How Merchant Ivory Makes Its Movies |author=Long, Robert Emmet |date=April 21, 2005 |publisher=University of California Press |pages=18 |isbn=0-520-23415-4}}</ref> The film exceeded expectations and performed well at the box office for what was considered to be an [[art film|art house film]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 212–216</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' ranked it "among the finest film adaptations of a classic novel that anyone has yet made."<ref>{{cite web |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=August 5, 1984 |title=FILM; 'BOSTONIANS': A PROPER JAMESIAN ADAPTATION |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/05/movies/film-bostonians-a-proper-jamesian-adaptation.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205215914/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/05/movies/film-bostonians-a-proper-jamesian-adaptation.html |archive-date=February 5, 2024 |access-date=February 12, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Ivory thought that Reeve was "wonderful" in ''The Bostonians'', but that he was "really undervalued by the critics and even the awards" because "they were so used to thinking of him as Superman."<ref>{{cite web |last=Dunaway |first=Michael |date=August 28, 2016 |title=In Conversation with James Ivory |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/in-conversation-with-james-ivory |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219183753/https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/in-conversation-with-james-ivory |archive-date=December 19, 2024 |access-date=December 19, 2024 |website=Paste Magazine}}</ref> Hepburn called Reeve to tell him he was "absolutely marvelous" and "captivating" in the film. When he told her he was currently shooting the 1985 version of ''[[Anna Karenina (1985 film)|Anna Karenina]]'', she said, "Oh, that's a terrible mistake."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 183</ref> Reeve reunited with Redgrave in the play ''[[The Aspern Papers]]'' during its 1984 run in [[West End of London|London's West End]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Jensen |first=Gregory |date=April 10, 1984 |title=Christopher Reeve, Vanessa Redgrave in London revival of 'Aspen Papers' |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/04/10/Christopher-Reeve-Vanessa-Redgrave-in-London-revival-of-Aspen-Papers/9284450421200/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113134335/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/04/10/Christopher-Reeve-Vanessa-Redgrave-in-London-revival-of-Aspen-Papers/9284450421200/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=December 22, 2024 |website=UPI}}</ref> In Williamstown, he played the title role in ''[[Richard Cory]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Cory |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/richard-cory/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113134624/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/richard-cory/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref>

In March 1985, Reeve starred as Count Vronsky in the television film ''Anna Karenina'', opposite [[Jacqueline Bisset]]. Reeve's daughter, Alexandra, also appeared in the film as his character's 10-month-old daughter, taking her first steps. It was for this film that Reeve learned to ride horses and decided to take up the sport seriously upon returning home.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Judy |title=Anna Karenina (1985) |url=https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-anna.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529091933/https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-anna.html |archive-date=May 29, 2024 |access-date=December 30, 2024 |website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref> In April, Reeve hosted an episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=April 6, 1985 |url=http://snlarchives.net/Episodes/?19850406 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241003101151/http://snlarchives.net/Episodes/?19850406 |archive-date=October 3, 2024 |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=SNL Archives}}</ref> He then returned to the stage, playing Tony in ''[[The Royal Family (play)|The Royal Family]]'' in Williamstown<ref>{{cite web |title=The Royal Family |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/royal-family-the/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113135638/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/royal-family-the/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=December 22, 2024 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref> and the Count in a modern adaptation of ''[[The Marriage of Figaro (play)|The Marriage of Figaro]]'' on Broadway.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Marriage of Figaro |url=https://playbill.com/production/the-marriage-of-figaro-circle-in-the-square-theatre-vault-0000003261 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717223035/https://playbill.com/production/the-marriage-of-figaro-circle-in-the-square-theatre-vault-0000003261 |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=December 1, 2024 |website=Playbill}}</ref> Reeve also hosted the television documentary ''[[Dinosaur! (1985 film)|Dinosaur!]]'', which was filmed at the [[American Museum of Natural History]]. It was one of the earliest prime-time specials on prehistoric life and won the [[Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects|Outstanding Special Visual Effects]]. Also in 1985, [[DC Comics]] named Reeve as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication, ''[[Fifty Who Made DC Great]]'', for his work on the [[Superman in film|''Superman'' film series]].<ref>{{Cite comic| writer = Marx, Barry| cowriters = [[Joey Cavalieri|Cavalieri, Joey]] and Hill, Thomas| artist = Petruccio, Steven | editor = Marx, Barry| story = Christopher Reeve Superman Becomes a Blockbuster| title = Fifty Who Made DC Great|date = 1985| publisher = DC Comics| page = 44| panel = }}</ref>

In 1986, he was still struggling to find scripts he liked. A script named ''[[Street Smart (film)|Street Smart]]'' had been lying in his house for years, and after re-reading it, he took it to Cannon Films. They agreed to produce it on the condition that he play Superman in at least one more sequel for them. Reeve starred opposite [[Morgan Freeman]], who was nominated for his first Academy Award for the film. It received excellent reviews but performed poorly at the box office, possibly because Cannon Films had failed to properly advertise it.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 222–224, 228</ref> Back in Williamstown, he began building a house and starred in ''[[Summer and Smoke]]'' alongside [[Laila Robins]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Summer and Smoke |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/summer-and-smoke-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113142304/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/summer-and-smoke-2/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Freeman |first=Paul |date=1988 |title=CHRISTOPHER REEVE: In This Vintage Interview, the Late Actor Talks About "Superman" and More |url=https://www.popcultureclassics.com/christopher_reeve.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113104706/https://www.popcultureclassics.com/christopher_reeve.html |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=Pop Culture Classics}}</ref>

After the filming of ''Superman IV'' in February 1987, Reeve and Exton separated and Reeve returned to New York.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (2002), p. 142</ref> In a depression over his personal life, he thought doing a comedy might be good for him and agreed to appear in ''[[Switching Channels]]''. However, [[Burt Reynolds]] and [[Kathleen Turner]] had a feud during filming, which made the time even more unbearable for Reeve. He later stated that he made a fool of himself in the film and most of his time was spent refereeing between Reynolds and Turner. In her 2008 memoir, Turner wrote, "Burt and I were sworn enemies.&nbsp;... It was not happy shooting at all. I was absolutely miserable. If the crew hadn't been so kind, and Chris Reeve, who was so very nice, hadn't been there in the cast, it might have been impossible."<ref>{{cite book|title=Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles|author=Turner, Kathleen |date=February 7, 2008 |publisher=Headline |pages=124 |isbn=978-0-446-58 112-7}}</ref> The film did poorly, and Reeve believed it marked the end of his movie star career. In June, he appeared in the British television special charity event ''[[The Grand Knockout Tournament]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Shufflebotham|first=Bethan|date=March 25, 2021|title=Sir Tom Jones among the celebrities at the It's A Royal Knockout event at Alton Towers in 1987|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/gallery/21-photos-celebrities-alton-towers-5175217|work=[[The Sentinel (Staffordshire)|The Sentinel]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127165452/https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/gallery/21-photos-celebrities-alton-towers-5175217|archive-date=November 27, 2021 |access-date=October 21, 2021}}</ref> and then went to Williamstown to rehearse for the play ''[[The Rover (play)|The Rover]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Rover |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/rover-the/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113141825/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/rover-the/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 2, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref> On June 30, Reeve met his future wife [[Dana Reeve|Dana Morosini]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 228–230</ref>

In 1988, Reeve played Major [[Johnnie Dodge]] in the two-part television film ''[[The Great Escape II: The Untold Story]]''. Like the [[The Great Escape (film)|1963 film]], the first part tells the story of the mass escape of Allied POWs from a German camp in 1944. The second part depicts the search and prosecution of those responsible for the [[Stalag Luft III murders|murder of 50 escapees]], which was not covered in the 1963 film.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hanauer |first=Joan |date=November 5, 1988 |title=UNTOLD STORY TOLD: 'THE GREAT ESCAPE II' |url=https://www.deseret.com/1988/11/5/18782949/untold-story-told-the-great-escape-ii/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204222457/https://www.deseret.com/1988/11/5/18782949/untold-story-told-the-great-escape-ii/ |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |access-date=January 6, 2025 |website=DesertNews}}</ref> But for most of 1988 and 1989, Reeve worked onstage. He starred in another production of ''Summer and Smoke'', this time with [[Christine Lahti]], at the [[Ahmanson Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1988–1997 |url=https://www.centertheatregroup.org/about/timeline/1988-1997/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617082007/https://www.centertheatregroup.org/about/timeline/1988-1997/ |archive-date=June 17, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=Center Theatre Group}}</ref> In Williamstown, he reunited with [[Madeleine Potter]] in Joel Gross' new play, ''Mesmer'', and performed in a [[stage reading]] of the same play on Broadway.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mesmer |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/mesmer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113142707/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/mesmer/ |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 10, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Nemy |first=Enid |date=November 6, 1987 |title=Broadway |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/06/theater/broadway.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113105524/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/06/theater/broadway.html |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

In 1989, Reeve played Polixenes in an Off-Broadway production of ''[[The Winter's Tale]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rich |first=Frank |date=March 22, 1989 |title=Review/Theater; A 2d Drama in a Shakespeare Play |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/22/theater/review-theater-a-2d-drama-in-a-shakespeare-play.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114143120/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/22/theater/review-theater-a-2d-drama-in-a-shakespeare-play.html |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> In Williamstown, he played the lead in ''John Brown's Body'', in which Dana also had a small role.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gussow |first=Mel |date=June 27, 1989 |title=Review/Theater; A Civil War Panorama In 'John Brown's Body' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/27/theater/review-theater-a-civil-war-panorama-in-john-brown-s-body.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012055124/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/27/theater/review-theater-a-civil-war-panorama-in-john-brown-s-body.html |archive-date=October 12, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bush |first=Susan |date=March 7, 2006 |title=Dana Reeve Remembered |url=https://www.iberkshires.com/story/19329/Dana-Reeve-Remembered.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250113103528/https://www.iberkshires.com/story/19329/Dana-Reeve-Remembered.html |archive-date=January 13, 2025 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=iBerkshires.com}}</ref> Reeve was part of a rotating cast in [[John Tillinger]]'s production of ''[[Love Letters (play)|Love Letters]]'' at the Promenade Theatre;<ref>{{cite web |last=Evans |first=Suzy |date=August 1, 2014 |title=Carol Burnett, Candice Bergen, Anjelica Huston, Martin Sheen Set for 'Love Letters' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/carol-burnett-candice-bergen-anjelica-722624/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206073940/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/carol-burnett-candice-bergen-anjelica-722624/ |archive-date=February 6, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> with [[Julie Hagerty]], he also performed in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston in 1989 and 1990. He auditioned for the [[Richard Gere]] role in ''[[Pretty Woman]]'' but walked out on the audition because they had a half-hearted casting director fill in for [[Julia Roberts]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Reimann |first=Tom |date=April 25, 2019 |title=Surprising Behind-the-Scenes Facts about Pretty Woman |url=https://collider.com/galleries/pretty-woman-behind-the-scenes-facts/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923015858/https://collider.com/galleries/pretty-woman-behind-the-scenes-facts/ |archive-date=September 23, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |website=Collider}}</ref>

===1990s===
In 1990, Reeve starred in the American Civil War film ''[[The Rose and the Jackal]]'', in which he played [[Allan Pinkerton]], the head of [[President Lincoln]]'s new Secret Service. In Williamstown, he played Death/Prince Nikolai Sirki in the play ''[[Death Takes a Holiday (musical)|Death Takes a Holiday]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gussow |first=Mel |date=August 13, 1990 |title=Review/Theater; Reeve Resurrects Death as a Charming Stranger |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/13/theater/review-theater-reeve-resurrects-death-as-a-charming-stranger.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250116184946/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/13/theater/review-theater-reeve-resurrects-death-as-a-charming-stranger.html |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

In the early 1990s, Reeve was cast as a villain in three television films almost in a row: ''[[Bump in the Night (novel)|Bump in the Night]]'' (1991), ''Death Dreams'' (1991), and ''[[Nightmare in the Daylight]]'' (1992). The most notable of these was ''Bump in the Night'', in which Reeve played a child molester who abducts a young boy. The movie received fair to positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news |last=Weiskind |first=Ron |date=January 4, 1991 |title='Bump' Stars Go Against Type |page=24 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Loynd |first=Ray |date=January 5, 1991 |title=Suspense Tale of Two Evils in 'Bump in the Night' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-05-ca-6785-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225050905/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-05-ca-6785-story.html |archive-date=December 25, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Reeve felt it was important for parents of young children to see the film.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kavitsky |first=Joyce |url=https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-bumpnight.html |title=Bump in the Night (1991) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112001539/https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-bumpnight.html |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref>

In 1992, Reeve played one of the leads in [[Peter Bogdanovich]]'s comedy ''[[Noises Off (film)|Noises Off]]''. In a 2020 book ''Picturing Peter Bogdanovich: My Conversations with the New Hollywood Director'', Bogdanovich said, "[Reeve] was very good in that. He was good at comedy. I could tell that from the first ''Superman''. He was my only choice for that part."<ref>{{cite book|title=Picturing Peter Bogdanovich: My Conversations with the New Hollywood Director|author=Tonguette, Peter|date=July 21, 2020|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=978-0813147314}}</ref> In another television film, ''Mortal Sins'', Reeve for the second time played a Catholic priest, this time hearing the confessions of a serial murderer in a role reminiscent of [[Montgomery Clift]] in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[I Confess (film)|I Confess]]''. He also acted in the short film ''Last Ferry Home''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Last Ferry Home |url=https://collection.oldfilm.org/Detail/occurrences/57621 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116184541/https://collection.oldfilm.org/Detail/occurrences/57621 |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Northeast Historic Film}}</ref> His last performance in a proper stage production was ''The Guardsman'' in Williamstown that year.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Guardsman |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/guardsman-the/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250116191219/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/guardsman-the/ |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref>

In the spring of 1992, Reeve attended the US premiere of ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'' where he met Ivory again. The next day Ivory called him and offered him a role in his new film, ''[[The Remains of the Day (film)|The Remains of the Day]]'' (1993). The script was one of the best he had read, and he unhesitatingly took the part. The film was deemed an instant classic and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 232–235</ref> At the 2024 screening of the film, Ivory praised Reeve's performance, saying, "He was a great guy... a very, very good actor who got trapped in Superman."<ref>{{cite web |last=Hacsek |first=Sophie |date=September 19, 2024 |title=An Evening with James Ivory: The Witty Maestro of Cinematic Elegance |url=https://arthereartnow.com/2024/09/29/james-ivory-witty-maestro-cinematic-elegance/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930195336/https://arthereartnow.com/2024/09/29/james-ivory-witty-maestro-cinematic-elegance/ |archive-date=September 30, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=arthereartnow}}</ref> According to Reeve's son Will, ''The Remains of the Day'' is the film that his father was most proud of.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=January 20, 2024 |title=Christopher Reeve's Children Never Watched That 'Flash' CGI Cameo, Say He'd Choose 'Remains of the Day' Over 'Superman' as the Film He's Proud of Most |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/christopher-reeves-children-the-flash-cameo-1235880290/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214060338/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/christopher-reeves-children-the-flash-cameo-1235880290/ |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Variety}}</ref>

In 1993, Reeve starred opposite [[Charles Bronson]] in the television film ''[[The Sea Wolf (1993 film)|The Sea Wolf]]'', based on [[Jack London]]'s novel of the [[The Sea-Wolf|same name]].<ref name="Sea Wolf">{{cite web |last=King |first=Susan |date=April 18, 1993 |title=Tossed at Sea : JACK LONDON'S 'SEA WOLF' IS A NATURAL SETTING FOR REEVE |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-18-tv-24112-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203222202/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-18-tv-24112-story.html |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |access-date=December 1, 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> After that, he traveled to Canada to shoot a miniseries, ''[[Black Fox (miniseries)|Black Fox]]'', co-starring [[Tony Todd]]. CBS released it as three films two months after Reeve's accident in 1995. Scenes of Reeve riding are featured heavily in the story. Reeve's children, Matthew and Alexandra, appear briefly in the background in the first film.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 232</ref>

During this period, Superman's grip on Reeve's career gradually began to loosen. In a review for ''[[Morning Glory (1993 film)|Morning Glory]]'' (1993), one critic wrote: "Those who can't take Reeve seriously unless he's wearing a blue suit and a red cape will find themselves pleasantly surprised by the heft and subtlety he brings to his [role].&nbsp;... This movie isn't big enough to make Reeve a star again. But the impression he makes here is good enough to suggest that a reversal of perception—and fortune—won't be long in coming."<ref>{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Judy |url=https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-morningglory.html |title=Morning Glory (1993) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529093806/https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/m-morningglory.html |archive-date=May 29, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref> Another critic said in a review for ''[[Speechless (1994 film)|Speechless]]'' (1994): "Mr. Reeve has quietly evolved into a versatile character actor... It's only a matter of time before he is 'officially' rediscovered and celebrated, like John Travolta in ''Pulp Fiction''."<ref name="Ability"/> Reeve considered ''The Rose and the Jackal'', ''Morning Glory'', and ''The Sea Wolf'' some of his best work.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 231</ref>

In 1994, Reeve did a reading of ''Love Letters'' in Williamstown, and also appeared as a narrator in a concert version of the musical ''[[Allegro (musical) |Allegro]]'' at the [[New York City Center]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Love Letters |url=https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/love-letters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250116182152/https://archive.wtfestival.org/main-events/love-letters/ |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Williamstown Theatre Festival}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=March 5, 1994 |title=Review/Theater: Allegro; Revival of a Famous Pair's First Flop |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/05/theater/review-theater-allegro-revival-of-a-famous-pair-s-first-flop.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227232144/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/05/theater/review-theater-allegro-revival-of-a-famous-pair-s-first-flop.html |archive-date=December 27, 2023 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> These became his last performances onstage.

In 1995, Reeve starred in [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Village of the Damned (1995 film)|Village of the Damned]]'', a remake of the 1960 British movie of the same name. Both films were based on the 1957 novel ''[[The Midwich Cuckoos]]'' by [[John Wyndham]]. For Carpenter, the film was a contractual obligation, but "it has a very good performance from Christopher Reeve, so there's some value in it."<ref>{{cite web |last=Abrams |first=Simon |date=July 6, 2011 |title=The Soft-Spoken John Carpenter on How He Chooses Projects and His Box-Office Failures |url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/john_carpenter.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911222239/https://www.vulture.com/2011/07/john_carpenter.html |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Vulture}}</ref> ''Village of the Damned'' was Reeve's final feature film to be released in theaters. Shortly before his accident, Reeve played a paralyzed police officer in the [[HBO]] movie ''[[Above Suspicion (1995 film)|Above Suspicion]]''. He did research at a [[Physical medicine and rehabilitation|rehabilitation]] hospital in [[Van Nuys]] "on what it would be like to be a paraplegic."<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 297</ref> His injury occurred less than a week after the premiere of the film.

Reeve also made several guest appearances in television shows: ''[[Carol & Company]]'' in 1991, ''[[Road to Avonlea]]'' and ''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' in 1992. He accepted an offer to appear in ''Road to Avonlea'' without reading the script because [[Colleen Dewhurst]], with whom he was close, spoke highly of the show.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zekas |first=Rita |date=December 15, 1991 |title=Superman on horseback wears black hat in Avonlea |page=C.2 |newspaper=Toronto Star}}</ref> His episode in ''Tales from the Crypt'', [[List of Tales from the Crypt episodes#Season_4_(1992)|"What's Cookin'"]], is considered one of the best in the series.<ref>{{cite web |last=Presnell |first=Riley |date=January 9, 2023 |title=Best Episodes of 'Tales From the Crypt' |url=https://collider.com/tales-from-the-crypt-best-episodes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009220202/https://collider.com/tales-from-the-crypt-best-episodes/ |archive-date=October 9, 2024 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=Collider}}</ref> He was also one of the celebrity guest callers on ''[[Frasier]]'' in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 9, 2012 |title=Frasier's Celebrity Callers (VIDEO) |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/frasiers-celebrity-caller_n_1412019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208163833/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/frasiers-celebrity-caller_n_1412019 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |website=HuffPost}}</ref>

Before his injury, Reeve was offered the lead in the 1995 film ''[[Kidnapped (1995 film)|Kidnapped]]''. He also planned to direct his first film for the big screen, a romantic comedy entitled ''Tell Me True''.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 242</ref> Both plans were cancelled as a result of a horse riding accident that left him paralyzed.

In 1996, Reeve narrated the HBO documentary ''[[Without Pity: A Film About Abilities]]''. The film won the Emmy Award for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special|Outstanding Informational Special]]. He then acted in a small role in the film ''[[A Step Toward Tomorrow]]''.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 10, 1996 |title=A Step Toward Tomorrow |url=https://variety.com/1996/tv/reviews/a-step-toward-tomorrow-1200447766/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114095520/https://variety.com/1996/tv/reviews/a-step-toward-tomorrow-1200447766/ |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |access-date=January 8, 2025 |website=Variety}}</ref>

In 1997, Reeve made his directorial debut with the HBO film ''[[In the Gloaming (film)|In the Gloaming]]'' with [[Robert Sean Leonard]], [[Glenn Close]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Bridget Fonda]], and [[David Strathairn]]. The film was nominated for five Emmy Awards, including [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special]], and won four awards out of the six it was nominated for at the [[CableACE Award]]s. Dana said, "There's such a difference in his outlook, his health, his overall sense of well-being when he's working at what he loves, which is creative work."<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography |url=https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/biography.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330205724/https://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/biography.html |archive-date=March 30, 2024 |access-date=February 25, 2025 |website=Christopher Reeve Homepage}}</ref>

In early 1998, Reeve persuaded [[Michael Eisner]], the CEO of [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] at the time, to give a two-hour prime-time slot on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] to a spinal cord research fundraiser. The special focused on inspiring stories of people with disabilities, as well as performances by disabled artists. Reeve said, "To put two hours about spinal cord injury on prime-time TV is unheard of. We wanted to make it a celebration of life. Show the triumphs that can happen."<ref>{{cite web |last=Deggans |first=Eric |date=March 1, 1998 |title=Christopher Reeve's high-flying hope |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/03/01/christopher-reeve-s-high-flying-hope/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250306102821/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/03/01/christopher-reeve-s-high-flying-hope/ |archive-date=March 6, 2025 |access-date=March 6, 2025 |website=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> Numerous celebrities lent their support, including [[Robin Williams]], [[Tom Hanks]], [[Meryl Streep]], Glenn Close, [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Gloria Estefan]], and many others. ''A Celebration of Hope'' received an Emmy nomination for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)|Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Shales |first=Tom |date=February 28, 1998 |title=THREE CHEERS FOR 'CHRISTOPHER REEVE' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/02/28/three-cheers-for-christopher-reeve/65ec46bc-bb35-4b05-b730-9e9e92af8981/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250306111559/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/02/28/three-cheers-for-christopher-reeve/65ec46bc-bb35-4b05-b730-9e9e92af8981/ |archive-date=March 6, 2025 |access-date=March 6, 2025 |website=The Washington Post}}</ref> 

On April 25, 1998, [[Random House]] published Reeve's autobiography, ''[[Still Me]]''. The book spent 11 weeks on the [[New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]]. Reeve narrated the abridged audiobook, which won him the [[Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album]],<ref>{{cite press release |date=October 23, 2001 |title=Christopher Reeve to give Parents Weekend keynote lecture |url=https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2001-02/01-047.html |publisher=[[Brown University]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924211615/http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2001-02/01-047.html |archive-date=September 24, 2022 |access-date=November 24, 2006}}</ref> the [[Audie Award for Solo Narration by the Author]],<ref name="Audie">{{cite web |title=1999 Audie Awards |url=https://www.audiopub.org/1999-audies-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123123636/https://www.audiopub.org/1999-audies-1 |archive-date=January 23, 2025 |access-date=January 24, 2025 |website=Audio Publishers Association}}</ref> and the Earphones Award from ''[[AudioFile (magazine)|AudioFile]]''.<ref name="AudioFile">{{cite web |title=Still Me |url=https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/6412/still-me-by-christopher-reeve-read-by-christopher-reeve/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127060316/https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/6412/still-me-by-christopher-reeve-read-by-christopher-reeve/ |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |access-date=November 18, 2024 |website=AudioFile}}</ref> The paperback edition with a new afterword was released the following year and spent an additional two weeks on the Best Seller list.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 4, 1999 |title=PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: July 4, 1999 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/04/books/paperback-best-sellers-july-4-1999.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204030709/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/04/books/paperback-best-sellers-july-4-1999.html |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |access-date=November 26, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Also in 1998, Reeve starred in and served as executive producer of ''[[Rear Window (1998 film)|Rear Window]]'', a remake of Hitchcock's [[Rear Window|1954 film]]. He was nominated for a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] and won a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] for his performance.

=== 2000s ===
In 2000, Reeve made guest appearances on the [[PBS]] series ''[[Sesame Street]]''. In September 2002, Random House published Reeve's second book, ''Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life''. This book is shorter than ''Still Me'' and focuses on Reeve's world views and the life experiences which helped shape them. The book spent three weeks on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 27, 2002 |title=BEST SELLERS: October 27, 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/27/books/best-sellers-october-27-2002.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205150408/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/27/books/best-sellers-october-27-2002.html |archive-date=December 5, 2024 |access-date=November 26, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> Reeve narrated an unabridged audiobook for which he received his second Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album.<ref name="Grammy">{{cite web |title=Christopher Reeve |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/christopher-reeve/12221 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101222024/https://www.grammy.com/artists/christopher-reeve/12221 |archive-date=January 1, 2025 |access-date=November 26, 2024 |website=Grammy Awards}}</ref>

In 2001, Reeve's son Matthew began filming a three-part series detailing Reeve's recovery process and advocacy for spinal cord injury research. The first film, ''Hope in Motion'', aired on ABC in September 2002 under the title ''Courageous Steps''. It received an Emmy nomination for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special|Outstanding Nonfiction Special]]. In February 2003, it was broadcast on [[BBC One]] under its original title. Following Reeve's death in 2004, a third film was never made, while ''Hope in Motion'' and its follow-up, ''Choosing Hope'', were released on DVD in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spielvogel |first=Cindy |date=August 27, 2007 |title=Arts Alliance America to release Reeve documentary |url=https://spinalcordinjuryzone.com/news/2191/arts-alliance-america-to-release-reeve-documentary |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613034231/https://spinalcordinjuryzone.com/news/2191/arts-alliance-america-to-release-reeve-documentary |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=February 14, 2025 |work=Video Business}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=An Interview With Christopher Reeve |url=https://www.christopherreeve.org/community/about-us/christopher-reeve-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425152625/https://www.christopherreeve.org/community/about-us/christopher-reeve-interview/ |archive-date=April 25, 2024 |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Reeve Foundation}}</ref>

In 2003, Reeve guest-starred in an episode of ''[[The Practice]]''. He submitted a story treatment to the show's creator, [[David E. Kelley]], that addresses the issues of health insurance policy and [[Caregiver stress|caregiver burnout]]. Kelley liked the idea and wrote an episode based on it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Christopher Reeve on The Practice |url=https://abilitymagazine.com/christopher-reeve-the-practice/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422054306/https://abilitymagazine.com/christopher-reeve-the-practice/ |archive-date=April 22, 2024 |access-date=February 4, 2025 |website=Ability}}</ref>

Reeve's final acting role was in the television series ''[[Smallville]]'' portraying [[List of Smallville characters#Dr. Virgil Swann|Dr. Virgil Swann]]. On February 25, 2003, he made an appearance in the episode "[[Smallville (Season 2)|Rosetta]]", in which Dr. Swann informs Clark Kent ([[Tom Welling]]) about his origins. The scenes of Reeve and Welling feature music cues from 1978's ''Superman'', composed by [[John Williams]] and arranged by [[Mark Snow]]. At the end of the episode, Reeve and Welling appeared in a short spot inviting people to support the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.{{refn|group=note|Short spots in support of the foundation were also shown at the end of: "Legacy" (Reeve and Welling), "[[Smallville season 5|Aqua]]" ([[Annette O'Toole]]), "[[Smallville season 6|Progeny]]" ([[Erica Durance]]), and "[[Smallville season 7|Cure]]" ([[Dean Cain]]).}} "Rosetta" set ratings history for [[The WB]].<ref>[http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/archive/2-8.shtml The Zocalo Today.] ISN News, February 8, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2006 "Smallville set ratings highs Tuesday, hitting an all-time high for any program on the WB in the key 18–34 [[Demography|demographic]], with a 6.1 rating/15 share. According to [[Significant figures|figures]] from [[Nielsen Media Research]], Smallville attracted 8.1 million total viewers."</ref> The [[fandom|fan community]] met the episode with rave reviews and praised it as being among the series' best to this day.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bailey|first=Neal|title=Superman on Television|url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/tv/tv.php?topic=reviews/smallville2-ep17|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130212531/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/tv/tv.php?topic=reviews/smallville2-ep17|archive-date=November 30, 2022|access-date=October 10, 2012|publisher=Superman Homepage}}</ref> Reeve also appeared in the episode "[[Smallville (season 3)|Legacy]]", in which he reunited with fellow stage actor [[John Glover (actor)|John Glover]], who played [[Lionel Luthor]] in the show.

In 2004, Reeve directed the [[A&E Network|A&E]] film ''[[Brooke Ellison#The Brooke Ellison Story|The Brooke Ellison Story]]''. The film is based on the true story of [[Brooke Ellison]], the first [[quadriplegic]] to graduate from [[Harvard University]].<ref>Le, Van. [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=515190 Paralyzed Alum Invigorates N.Y. Race]. ''[[The Harvard Crimson]]'', October 24, 2006. Retrieved November 3, 2006</ref> Reeve during this time was directing the animated film ''[[Everyone's Hero]]''. It was one of his dream projects and he died during the middle of production for the film. His wife Dana helped out, and his son Will was a cast member in the film. Dana and Will also had small roles in ''The Brooke Ellison Story''.<ref>''The Brooke Ellison Story''. Dir. Christopher Reeve. Perf. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, John Slattery, Lacey Chabert, and Vanessa Marano. A&E Television Networks, 2004.</ref>

===Roles turned down by Reeve===
Following the first ''Superman'' movie, Reeve realized Hollywood producers wanted him to be an action star. He later said, "I found most of the scripts of the genre poorly constructed, and I felt the starring roles could easily be played by anyone with a strong physique." In addition, he did not feel he was right for the other films he was offered and turned down the lead roles in ''[[American Gigolo]]'', ''[[The World According to Garp (film)|The World According to Garp]]'', ''[[Splash (film)|Splash]]'', ''[[Fatal Attraction]]'', ''[[Romancing the Stone]]'', ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'', and ''[[Body Heat]]''. Hepburn recommended Reeve to [[David Lean]] for the role of [[Fletcher Christian]] in ''[[The Bounty (1984 film)|The Bounty]]'', starring [[Anthony Hopkins]]. After considering it, Reeve decided he would be miscast, and the film was eventually made with [[Mel Gibson]].<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp. 203–204</ref> In the 1990s, Reeve received scripts for ''[[Picket Fences]]'' and ''[[Chicago Hope]]'' and was asked by CBS if he wanted to start his own television series. This would have meant moving to Los Angeles, which he did not want to do. He declined the offers.<ref>Reeve, Christopher (1998), p. 241</ref> After his accident, Reeve was offered the role of [[Mason Verger]] in [[Ridley Scott]]'s ''[[Hannibal (2001 film)|Hannibal]]''. He turned it down upon learning that the character was a paralyzed and facially disfigured child molester. The role went to [[Gary Oldman]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Michael |date=November 4, 2020 |title=The Hannibal Movie Almost Starred Christopher Reeve: Why He Quit |url=https://screenrant.com/hannibal-movie-christopher-reeve-mason-verger-almost-casting/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016135013/https://screenrant.com/hannibal-movie-christopher-reeve-mason-verger-almost-casting/ |archive-date=October 16, 2022 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |website=Screen Rant}}</ref>