Christopher Reeve's Son Reveals Superman Star Was Anything But a Super Dad: 'It Was Hard on My Mom — He Wouldn’t Commit'
Movie legend Christopher Reeve was a hero to millions for his portrayal of the globe-saving good guy Superman but in private he wasn't a great dad or husband.
Nov. 19 2024, Published 11:06 a.m. ET
Movie legend Christopher Reeve was a hero to millions for his portrayal of the globe-saving good guy Superman but in private he wasn't a great dad or husband.
A new film shows that he wasn't always that super at home and was just as human as the rest of us, RadarOnline can reveal.
The tragic star's life is unpicked in the tell-all documentary which launched 20 years after the actor’s death at just 52 and reveals how he preferred skiing to fatherhood.
His eldest son, Matthew, says in Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story that he was effectively abandoned by his father from a young age.
Movie ico Reeve became a global superstar thanks to the movie role.
"The day after I was born, he flew to his friends and went skiing," said Matthew in the film. "For most of my childhood, [my mother] was effectively a single mum. We weren’t that close. Relationships come down to small moments, not just big events."
Matthew, a 44-year-old film producer who lives in Stockholm, Sweden, said that the breakdown of Reeve’s relationship with his mother, Gae, after ten years in 1987 coincided with his career stalling after the success of the four Superman films.
"When I was young, the only cooler movie-star father would have been Luke Skywalker — Mark Hamill — and maybe Indiana Jones —. He was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, but by the time I was ten, he was kind of doing TV movies of the week to pay the bills," he said.
"It was hard on my mum. He was like, 'I don’t want to do this anymore'. My dad had a big issue. He would not commit."
Matthew, the actor’s 44-year-old film producer son, said that the breakdown of his father’s relationship with his mother after ten years in 1987 coincided with his career stalling after the success of the four ‘Superman’ films.
The film, produced by Passion Pictures, explores Reeve’s challenging relationship with his own demanding father. The pair did not speak for years but were reconciled after Reeve was paralyzed when he fell off a horse in 1995.
Matthew said that the aim of the film was to offer a "flaws and all" portrait of his father.
"The goal was never to put him on a pedestal because that’s not who he was, and it wouldn’t have been what he wanted," he said.
"He was always incredibly honest, both before and after the accident — whether it was about the reality of playing Superman, or the challenges that came with fame, or what it was like living with a severe spinal cord injury and being completely dependent on others.
Matthew said that the aim of the film was to offer a 'flaws and all' portrait of his father.
Reeve went on to have another son with Dana Morosini, an actress whom he married in 1992 and remained with until his death in 2004.
The film uses archive material and interviews with his family to follow Reeve as he becomes a more present father. His evolution is encapsulated by his determination to teach his second son, Will, to ride a bike despite being a wheelchair user.
"It was quite remarkable considering he wasn’t able to move," said Will, who is a correspondent for ABC News.
In the film, Reeve reflects that the "catastrophic" accident changed his perspective. "I needed to break my neck to learn some of this stuff," he added.
In the film, Reeve reflects that the 'catastrophic' accident changed his perspective.
"Everybody’s looking for a hero. Not just five-year-olds. [Superman] was a part. I played the part. I’m not that man. It’s an image that is created by other people, but it’s pretty far away from me."
The actress, Glenn Close, who is a supporter of Reeve’s charitable foundation, said that his bravery in "going public" with his disability helped change people’s perceptions. She added that she believed that comedian Robin Williams, an old friend of Reeve’s, would not have committed suicide in 2014, had he still been alive.
"He and Robin were such good friends because they could match each other. He could keep up with [Robin] and not many people could do that," Close said. "I’ve always felt if Chris was still around, Robin would still be alive. I believe that."
Reeve admitted that his view on what made someone a hero changed during his lifetime.
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Glenn Close said that Reeve’s bravery in 'going public' with his disability helped change people's perceptions.
"When the first movie came out my answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences," he said.
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