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Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 - October 10, 2004) was an American actor and activist, best known for playing Superman in the 1978 film and its first three sequels.

Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, Reeve began his acting career on Broadway and would later rise to fame after playing Superman in the original film series. Later, Reeve would act in smaller films and began his career as an activist. In 1995, he broke his neck after being thrown from a horse, which left him paralyzed from the shoulders down and in a state of disability for the rest of his life. Following this, Reeve dedicated himself to supporting spinal injury research and helping the disabled. He died in 2004 at the age of 52.

Heroism[]

Christopher Reeve was known for his activism in many causes, especially environmental ones, helping to promote environmentally safe technologies and spreading awareness of environmental damage. Reeve was also noted for his support of artistic freedom of expression.

In 1987, when Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet threatened to execute 77 actors, Reeve personally traveled to Chile to lead protests against the dictatorship. Later, Reeve was one of the celebrities who appeared in the "No" campaign in the 1988 Chilean national plebiscite to determine whether Pinochet should remain in power. Due to these facts, Reeve was awarded the Grand Cross of the Bernardo O'Higgins Order, the highest Chilean distinction for foreigners.

Following his accident, Reeve began lobbied for spinal injury research, including human embryonic stem cell research, and for better insurance coverage for people with disabilities.

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