Christopher Douglas Reed

A native New Yorker, Christopher Reeve was a tall, handsome actor renowned for his role in 1978's "Superman" and its sequels. Born into a family of academic and aristocratic background, Reeve got involved in the arts early, acting in numerous plays during his teens and continuing his theater training while studying at Cornell University and the Juilliard School. In the mid-'70s, Reeve debuted on Broadway and made his first forays into television and film. However, Reeve's big break was landing the title role in "Superman," where the dashing actor not only made a fitting Man of Steel, but also charmed audiences as his bumbling alter ego, Clark Kent. Although Reeve was eager to branch out after his success, and notably appeared in the unconventional romance "Somewhere in Time," the movies in the Superman series proved to be the actor's only major films. The '90s found Reeve largely relegated to TV movies and guest appearances, with his role in "The Remains of the Day" standing out as a fine turn in an exceptional drama. In 1995, Reeve was in an accident while horseback riding and suffered a massive spinal injury, leaving him paralyzed below the neck. Although he made progress in recovery, and continued to work as a director, producer, and, occasionally, an actor (even playing a character on the Superman TV show, "Smallville"), Reeve primarily focused on calling attention to stem cell research and was a strong advocate of the cause until his death in 2004.