Most of us remember Christopher Reeve from his career-making role as Superman. We tend to identify him with the same virtues as this iconic character - strength, goodness, and courage. Reeve showed all those attributes when he had a horseback-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed. A new documentary about him marking the 20th anniversary of his death in 2004 reveals that Reeve wanted to turn off life support following his injury.
With the help and love of his family, especially his wife, Dana, his close friend, Robin Williams, and Gae Exton, who is the mom of Reeve's two oldest children, however, Reeve found the impetus to keep going and find a new path forward.
The Documentary's Co-Director Peter Ettedgui, Speaks Out About Christopher Reeve
He Says That 'Ground Zero' For Telling Reeve's Story Was A Dangerous Operation He Had After The Accident
Peter Ettedgui, the co-director of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, told Fox News Digital via foxnews.com that Reeve had doubts about wanting to go on living at that juncture.
"It was touch and go to whether he was going to come out of that operation alive. For us, that was ground zero for the entire story, because obviously, when he then finally did come round, you know, his first thought was just 'Please just switch off life support.'"
The Depth Of Christopher Reeve's Relationship With Fellow Actor Robin Williams Came As A Surprise
They Roomed Together At Juilliard
Christopher Reeve acknowledged that Robin Williams "was the 'first one to show up down in Virginia when I was really in trouble.'" (Virginia was where Reeve had the accident.) He made that statement on Today to Katie Couric. The two men were indeed very close for many years.
Reeve said, ""It's funny, in the middle of a tragedy like this, in the middle of a recuperation, you can still experience genuine joy and laughter and love, and anybody who says life is not worth living is totally wrong."
Williams spoke at Reeve's funeral twenty years ago. (He died on October 10, 2004.) Williams referred to Reeve as his "brother." Their inspiring bond had endured through unimaginable tragedy and turmoil.
