What a beautiful interview. Accepted his fate with incredible dignity, grace, and even humor. Refused to feel sorry for himself and instead told us to feel bad for those who were less privileged than him. An even bigger Superman in real life than he was on screen. He will never be forgotten.
I just stumbled onto this interview. I wanted to check on how old he was on Somewhere In Time (My Favorite Movie) and I found this. Anyone that loves Christopher should watch this movie. It is great.
@@kathy5828 I saw it for the first time just a few months ago and loved it as well. Jane Seymour still goes back to Mackinac island every year to meet all the super fans of the film dressed in full costume. It’s too bad Chris isn’t around to do so as well.
Thank you Mr. Letterman for sharing this. I have a brain deformity and been in a wheel chair for years. Christopher Reeve has always been a hero of mine on and off the screen. You sharing this brought a tear to my eye. He was so hopeful and a good example on how a disabled person should view themself and the world around them.
tell you Dustin , i too get tears in my eyes watching this video with Christopher Reeve , may he rest in peace . and you keep fighting Dustin , regards from sweden .
The reception he got at the beginning brought a tear to my eye. He was such a truly special human being. Not only was he Superman on the silver screen, with the way he inspired hope in so many people he was also Superman in real life. RIP Chris, we all love and miss you so much.
I think this was the best interview Letterman ever did. Normally Letterman was funny and sarcastic but he was so thoughtful and kind here. I think Reeve really appreciated it.
My brother was paralyzed the same month as Christopher Reeves and the y both passed away the same month as well, it's sad to see how optimistic he is here, not to say he isn't a hero, but it sucks to see someone try with all they have and still make no progress. But they are the toughest people, never being down and still trying. I can't say enough
@@Pr0ud4ng3l you got me, and I fully agree with you, as a matter of fact most people who end up in situations like this have an amazing spirit. I meant, I felt sad to see it, and it's only because of the end result. I always thought how strong he and my brother were, if I could have took the blow like they did, truly the real heroes.
Christopher Reeve is the most amazing person ever. He has such a positive attitude. Most people would just give up. David did a wonderful job taking with him.
This guy‘s mind was so quick he had to wait for the machine to breathe so he could speak. The guy was truly one of the best standup Hollywood actors because his self image didn’t overshadow his character. Not only do I miss Christopher reeves but I miss people who had self-respect and a drive to see the best in humanity and not only fight for it but sacrifice his own bodily autonomy for that venture. Bless this man and bless those who fight for the same cause even though they are not in the limelight anymore their work still is so important.
He presented an award at the Oscars, and you could tell that he was still learning to wait for the machine to give him a breath. It seems like he got better with it as time went on.
Most beautiful smile in the HISTORY OF HUMANITY ! Christopher Reeve is a real hero he saved millions of lifes out the screen there is noone else like him
I attended one Letterman show in my life and this was the one! Incredibly inspiring. Hanson was the musical guest my right arm was featured early in the show.
I don't see any hope as you are not responding to above comments but still let me express myself here I am dying to see your arms appearance in this close p
He was so hopeful 😢… I cant began to imagine how he dealt with it after those 3 years and so… but he was an extraordinary example of bravery and optimism.
Christopher Reeve did so much good and moved so many people’s hearts. It was truly a heartbreaking day when we lost him. He will ALWAYS be our Man of Steel. ❤
Superman,Supermen.Dave was so unselfish with his approach and letting a star shine and have his moment.proves he is a genuine professional. Christopher Reeve is a real life inspirational hero. Humble ,brave,intelligent and spiritually connected..Respect 💫 🙏🏿
I met Mr. Reeve when I worked @ Paramount since his college roommate was the head of the TV dept & they lunched together often. Christopher was the most elegant, refined & polite "movie star' you could possibly imagine. He was truly adored. His accident horrified & broke the hearts of all who ever met him. The fact that he took up the charge to raise money for handicapped people & research into spinal cord injury for the remainder of his life made him a real life hero. RIP beautiful spirit 🙏
I just watched Mr. Reeve's previous "Letterman" interview at age 29, where he mentioned Marlon Brando's apparent apathy for acting in the role of "Jor-El"... He's as charming, charismatic, and witty as he was then! His humor still delivered with the sly smile of someone who seems too earnest to be such a kidder. Amazing...
This was a real Superman on and off the screen a real fighter. He took what life gave him and ran with it. I still do my Superman marathons every year; been watching him since I was 4 years old.
I remember seeing this interview so vividly when it first aired. Back then for a guest to command that much air time was extremely rare. Thanks for showing this again.
What a man, what a journey, truly inspirational!! Eternally optimistic even in the face of stiff adversity!! Sign of a man with real character and philosophy!!
Crying the entire time. I was a huge Christopher Reeve fan before his accident and an awestruck admirer forever after his accident. This is one of the best interviews I've seen with Christopher. Not mawkish or fixated on the downside of his catastrophic injury but still touching on the important aspects, but also talking of his work - both acting, directing and advocacy - as well as allowing Christopher's beautiful humour to shine through whilst Dave not forgetting his own. Thank you so much for uploading, especially as Christopher and his family are getting a proper light shone on them through the upcoming documentary. This is wonderful x
The book is absolutely incredible, the bravery the inner strength his determination to find a cure and the difference he made to the development of science to treat spinal chord damage is incredible. As Oprah said " To millions around the world your superman, but after reading the book, you really are Superman " We truly lost a great man when Christopher sadly died. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is doing incredible research in to spinal chord damage, and led by Will Reeve
What a great perspective. He had every right to feel like the unluckiest man in the world for losing what he did, but he is thankful for his circumstances. Love this guy, RIP
Christopher Reeve was such an inspiration and a very talented actor. He didn’t get the chance to walk again but maybe his foundation will help others to do so. RIP
Chris was my hollywood hero, the ultimate superhero, and then I met him. I can genuinely say he was a truly incredible guy, I was so lucky to call Robin Williams a friend, and through him I came to know Chris. I myself have a spinal injury but nothing in comparison to Chris, but I remember Chris saying to me hey it could be worse you could be me. I was humbled by his bravery and his drive to find cures for spinal injury, through scientific research. I've fought for better help for the disabled and in days of pain I experience, I here Chris voice in my head, as if he was still in the room, and he says, what ever you do my friend, never give up the fight and never silence your voice, take the negative and turn it to a positive. I miss you my dear friends but you definitely live on in my memories.
I find myself sad looking at the man that made my childhood magical.... Filled it with hope and optimism. The older I get the more my opinion changes, I am no longer sad because I realise the man in the movies.... Is actually This man, an absolutely incredible human who was everything superman was morally. He will always be superman to me and a big part of my childhood, I am sure if heaven is real he will be there without doubt...if heaven isn't well, he made millions experience something utterly unique and awe inspiring.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Chris Reeve was such a noble and talented man. My best friend in college was a quadriplegic (from an accident in the air force on his 21st birthday). Paul was a genius... I learned so much from him, and only wish he'd lived long enough to discover what AI is only now on the verge of offering a promising treatment to those suffering from paralysis. I truly believe that one day there will be a way to heal those suffering from spinal cord injuries --at the intersection of technology, AI and neuroscience. ❤
Life is mean and cruel it's not fair that Robin and Chris, are not here with us. We can keep them together with us by watching there interviews and movies. Rest in peace Chris and Robin.
Christopher Reeve. The fact that you seen how you were when you were able to walk and how your perspective was changed and what an inspiration you had become.... Is a miracle in yourself. You are missed. And your foundation is still running so others will soon be able to walk again. Thank you for this interview Dave Letterman and thank you for sharing this
@@Gemmarose9012 all I meant was he's released into paradise, free of all pain. He's probably in a dimension of sublime bliss that most won't pass over into the afterlife as he has...
Very inspirational guy with a great attitude. So sad in retrospect that he seemed to be very misled/misinformed about how close they were to a regenerative cure. Rest in peace Christopher Reeve.
He wasn't misinformed, congress were blocking the human trials. He attended congress to put his and millions of other's cases forward. If not read yet, read Still Me - just amazing guy
I have been a fan of Christopher Reeve since the age of 9. My admiration for him has only grown exponentially over the decades. Facing such adversity as he did with courage, resilience, eloquence and poise makes him heroic and even more memorable than his incredible roles on the screen. His brilliant mind was not impacted by the accident, so thankfully. He is missed terribly but what a legacy that he and his incredible wife Dana left for the world. His children are precious.
Can't imagine having such a disability. I'm blind in one eye, was assaulted when I was 21 and it's been challenging but this is on another scale. I still thank my lucky stars that my 'disability' is not as severe.
@@chaelodoul9401 instead of wasting your energy on irony, do yourself f a favor for once and try to listen carefully to what is being said, make an effort to fully comprehend what you just heard and then draw a better conclusion. It works miracles when you manage to.'Read between the lines'.
@@chaelodoul9401 I truly believe that he truly believed he could walk again, and that the possibility of him doing that was so far in the future it wasn't really conceivable that he would survive to see the day. However, by "keeping the faith" in that regard, he was able to engage people and bring them into the cause in a way that saying "I'll be here for life" would not have done. So it's possible that he maintained that posture against his better judgement so as to attract the widest possible audience to his goal. He had to believe he'd walk again, if he was to get the most interest in his plight and raise the most funds for research and innovation. Having said that, I too felt that it was like a broken record after five years of him saying it, because it seemed further and further out of reach the more he said it was getting nearer and near.
Oh, Chris, I love you! I prayed soooo hard for you to be cured and walk again. I could only tell you that I cried when you died, and then again when Dana died. What a wonderful person! RIP, both of you.❤❤❤❤❤
