Actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Superman in four movies. He was born in New York City on September 25, 1952. When he was four, his parents divorced, and his mother moved with sons Christopher and 'Benjamin' to Princeton, New Jersey. He began acting at the age of ten, in a stage production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Yeoman of the Guard" at McCarter Theater in Princeton, and joined the Actors' Union when he was sixteen. After graduating from high school, Reeve studied at Cornell University, while he was working at the same time as a professional actor. In his final year at Cornell, he was one of two students selected (Robin Williams was the other) to study at New York's famous Juilliard School of Performing Arts, under the renowned John Houseman. Although Christopher is most well known for his role as Superman (1978), he starred in many other movies, such as "Deathtrap," "Somewhere in Time," "Village of the Damned," and "The Remains of the Day." He also made his Broadway debut in "A Matter of Gravity," which also starred Katharine Hepburn. In May of 1995, he was competing in an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia, when he was thrown from his horse. He fractured the top two vertebrae in his neck and damaged his spinal cord. After undergoing many months of therapy, he was able to breathe without a respirator, and move his index finger, as well as regain sensation in other parts of his body. He became a major advocate for stem cell research. He also authored two books, "Still Me" and "Anything Is Possible." He returned to acting as well, appearing in the television movie production "Rear Window," for which he won a Screen Actor's Guild Award. Before his death, he had appeared on the television series "Smallville" as well. He died at age 52 in 2004 at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York. His remains were cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery.