
Christopher Reeve (25 September 1952-10 October 2004) was an American actor. Born in New York City, New York in 1952, he was a stage actor before making his film debut in 1978. That same year, he starred in Superman, and he would go on to play the title superhero in a total of four movies, the last one coming out in 1987. In 1994, the Democratic Party even suggested that Reeve should run for the US Congress, as his work with the Creative Coalition had gained him nationwide recognition. In 1995, Reeve was left quadriplegic after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia, and he became a lobbyist for people with spinal cord injuries and for stem cell research. In 1996, he spoke at the Democratic National Convention, spoke at the Academy Awards, and hosted the Paralympics in Atlanta, being placed on the cover of TIME for his efforts. He died in Mount Kisco, New York in 2004 from cardiac arrest at the age of 52.