Christopher Reeve

Reeve died Oct. 10 at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, after suffering cardiac arrest at his home Oct. 9.

Reeve achieved superstardom playing the title character in four Superman films in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His life and legacy took a dramatic turn when he broke his neck after being thrown by a horse during a riding competition in 1995.

The resulting paralysis left him unable to breathe without a respirator and unable to move without a wheelchair.

Emerging from a suicidal depression that followed his accident, he went on to become a forceful and beloved advocate for those suffering from spinal-cord injuries, founding and chairing charitable organizations in support of medical research.

Reeve spoke passionately in support of embryonic stem cell research, one of the hot-button issues in this year's presidential race after President George W. Bush severely curtailed it on ethical grounds.

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 16, 2004
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