00:00Everybody's looking for a hero.
00:09I am not a hero.
00:11That was a part.
00:12I played the part.
00:13I'm not that man.
00:18Hands down, he was Superman from day one.
00:21I realized that if I could pull off this part, it would change my life.
00:25John Houseman said, Mr. Reeve, it is very important to become a serious classical actor.
00:30Unless, of course, they offer you a load of money to do something else.
00:36He convinced me when I first met him that he would fly.
00:40I'm lucky enough to say he was just dad.
00:44He was all of those things that you described, but he was just a dad.
00:50He was a goofy, silly, fun guy who also made us eat our vegetables and sit up straight.
01:00It also taught us to play the piano, throw a ball, catch a ball, ride a bike.
01:06He taught my brother Will how to ride a bicycle after he was paralyzed just with his words,
01:12which is remarkable to me as I try to teach my son how to ride a bike, very able-bodied
01:17and struggling.
01:20He was an actor, he was an icon, he was an advocate, and a hero to many, and all of those
01:28things to me, but I'm very lucky that I get to say he was also just dad.
01:33That was the last time I saw him on his feet.
01:40Mr. Reeve currently has no movement or spontaneous respiration.
01:44Superman, crazy.
01:45Just that simple little thing over the horse.
01:48I'd ruined my life and everybody else's.
01:52I won't be able to ski, sail, throw a ball to Will, won't be able to make love to Dana.
01:58Maybe we should let me go.
02:01She came flying in, and she just yelled, I love you, I love you.
02:06And then she said the words saved my life, you're still you, and I love you.
02:15He and Robin were such good friends because they could match each other.
02:19Robin also had struggles that he dealt with his whole life, and I think that they both
02:24were aware of darkness.
02:26Brother Chris is fighting like crazy.
02:28When you find people who fight like that but still keep their humanity, that gives you
02:32great hope.
02:33Actually, I think one of the main, I mean the word amazing is wrong, but the fact that
02:38exactly what you said, many people think superheroes are untouchable, indestructible, they will
02:44never be broken.
02:46And back in the days, in the 70s and the 80s, the fact that Chris managed to make people
02:50believe he could fly, that he impersonated Superman so well on screen, huge amount of
02:58people kind of identify him as the real Superman in his real life.
03:03So when he had the accident, for many, many people, and even the most intelligent people,
03:08you still had this very strong image, but Chris can't be in a wheelchair.
03:13He should be able to move around.
03:15He shouldn't feel so weak and frail.
03:18And I think the fact that weak and frail, many people might want to hide and become
03:24a recluse, where he just said, I'm going to be up front, I'm going to be out there, and
03:30I'm going to be the voice and the heart and the mind of a lot of people, and I'll take
03:35the hit as well, and I'm going to try to move people.
03:37I felt I needed to do something, not just for myself, but for everyone else in the same
03:45condition.
03:46The fact that Superman was in a wheelchair and was willing to go public with it was huge.
03:53Help is on the way.
04:01Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act.
04:04People are literally walking because of him.
04:10I remember vividly this feeling of panic and anxiety when Superman was, his powers were
04:18taken away by Kryptonite, and then the relief when he would get them back again.
04:24But that moment of struggle for me, that was Superman.
04:27That was this person who seemed invincible, who was there to save the world, and suddenly
04:34that wasn't the case anymore.
04:35And it's a bit of a parallel with Christopher's life, that he represented so much more than
04:42Superman on screen.
04:43He was already, before his accident, a profoundly positive influence on the world.
04:51And to see all his power apparently taken away from him, but then how he came back and
04:57used his heart and his mind and his voice to have an impact on the world and change
05:05it for the better.
05:06I think, yeah, that's the true superhero story.
05:09The world does need heroes.
05:11I think not all heroes and not all superheroes are created equal.
05:16I think the world needs real heroes, real leaders, real people who show, by example,
05:29values and a sense of responsibility and strive to elevate the wider public discourse.
05:46What is a hero?
05:50My answer was that a hero is someone who commits a courageous action without considering the
05:59consequences.
06:01Now my definition is completely different.
06:04I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure
06:10in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
06:16I wouldn't have missed this for the world.
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