(Left to right:) Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams at the People’s Choice Awards, March 1979.Photo:Fotos International/Frank Edwards/Getty Images
Fotos International/Frank Edwards/Getty Images
The lateRobin WilliamsandChristopher Reevehad a special friendship that lasted decades.
The New York City-born Reeve studied theater at Cornell University before being selected from thousands of applicants for the elite acting program. The Chicago-born Williams had dropped out of Claremont Men’s College to pursue acting at California’s College of Marin, and went on to attain a scholarship to Juilliard. They would go on to join the school’s Advanced Program in 1973.
In his 1998 memoirStill Me, Reeve recalled a first impression of his futureOscar-winningclassmate: Williams, hewrote, “wore tie-dyed shirts with tracksuit bottoms and talked a mile a minute. I’d never seen so much energy contained in one person. He was like an untied balloon that had been inflated and immediately released. I watched in awe as he virtually caromed off the walls of the classrooms and hallways. To say that he was ‘on’ would be a major understatement."
The two actors remained friends as their respective Hollywood careers took off; Reeve broke out as Clark Kent a.k.a.Supermanon the big screen beginning in 1978, while Williams worked his way from stand-up comedy success to hit roles in television.
(Left to right:) Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve.Steve Sands/AP
According toWilliams’ son, Zak, the pair’s relationship strengthened in the aftermath of Reeve’s accident.
“It was then that Chris and Dad became family, brothers from another mother,” hesaid in a 2014 speechat the annual gala for theChristopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which remains dedicated to researching a cure for spinal cord injuries.
“The amazing thing about their relationship was their incredible drive to take the time to love, to help and to appreciate others even while they found themselves in great pain,” added Zak, now 40. “They always found time to give their all to those in need.”
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(Left to right:) Will Reeve, Dana Reeve, Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams in 2004.Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
In aTodayinterviewwithKatie Couric, Reeve recalled that theMrs. Doubtfirestar appeared at his side soon after the life-changing accident. “He was the first one to show up down in Virginia when I was really in trouble,” he said. “Thank God I wear a seatbelt in this chair because I would have fallen out laughing. In the middle of a tragedy like this… you can still experience genuine joy and laughter and love.”
In Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s new documentarySuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which had its world premiere at this year’sSundance Film FestivalJan. 21 in Park City, Utah, Williams recounts the time he visited a hospitalized Reeve — in his distinctly humorous way, disguised as a Russian proctologist administering an exam.
Christopher Reeve in “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”.Herb Ritts / AUGUST
Herb Ritts / AUGUST
In a 1996interview onThe Oprah Winfrey Show, theDead Poets Societyactor recalled forWinfreythe story: “They had just taken him off heavy sedation… I was either the Russian gynecologist or proctologist,” he said.
Super/Manincludes other anecdotes from Reeve’s friends, includingWhoopi Goldberg,Susan SarandonandJeff Daniels.Glenn Close, who starred with Williams in 1982’sThe World According to Garp,reflects on their friendship, stating, “I always felt that if Chris was still around, Robin would still be alive.”
source: people.com
