Christopher Reeve Biography

Christopher Reeve became an overnight star when 'Superman' was released in 1978 and he returned for its three sequels.

But the well-built actor met with mixed results when he tried to throw out the red and blue costume.

Having made a brief appearance in 'Gray Lady Down' before 'Superman', he went on to appear in 'Somewhere In Time', 'Deathtrap' and 'Monsignor' before being outshone in the gritty 'Street Smart'.

Reeve turned down the lead roles in 'American Gigolo' and 'The Running Man' and instead found success in TV movies and on stage, with farcical roles in 'Switching Channels' and 'Noises Off'.

Tragically, he was paralysed after a horse-riding accident in 1995 - one of the last characters he had played before the accident was a paralysed man in 'Above Suspicion'.

In an ongoing fight to walk again, at a cost of nearly £300,000 a year in medical bills, he announced just before his 50th birthday that he could move some of his fingers and toes.

However, on the 10th October 2004, the Superman star died from an infection as a result of a pressure wound. He suffered a heart attack at his New York home and slipped into a coma.