Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, author, and activist, best known for playing the title character in the film
Superman (1978) and its three sequels. Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Reeve discovered a passion for acting and theater at the age of nine. He studied at Cornell University and the Juilliard School, making his Broadway debut in 1976. After his acclaimed performances in
Superman and
Superman II, Reeve declined many roles in action movies, choosing instead to work in small films and plays with more complex characters. He later appeared in critically successful films such as Somewhere In Time (1980),
The Bostonians (1984),
Street Smart (1987), and
The Remains of the Day (1993), and in the plays
Fifth of July on Broadway and
The Aspern Papers in London's West End.