Christopher Reeve’s youngest son, Will Reeve, has revealed the powerful promise he made to his father just before his death.
The iconic Superman actor died unexpectedly in 2004 from heart failure at the age of 52, nine years after being paralyzed in a horse riding accident.
Now the screen legend’s three children, Matthew (44), Alexandra (40) and Will (32), have teamed up to bring his life to the big screen in the revealing new documentary film Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
Will recalled the moment they all had to say goodbye, saying in a clip shown on Good Morning America on Tuesday, “I told him I loved him. I would do anything I could to make him proud.”
Alexandra spoke candidly about their heartbreaking farewell: ‘[Dana] comes flying in and she just screamed, “I love you, I love you!” Over and over again. She made sure he could hear. She was going to get to him.’
Christopher Reeve’s youngest son, Will Reeve, has revealed the powerful promise he made to his father in the moments before his death
He shares the moving memory in the new, revealing documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, about his father’s life and legacy
Will added: ‘Certainly, part of her died at that moment too.
ABC Correspondent Will was only three years old in 1995 when his father injured himself in the accident. He was 12 when his father died.
His mother Dana sadly passed away in 2006 from lung cancer, despite never having smoked and only 17 months after Christopher passed away.
Before her death, Dana had made sure that Will was cared for, arranging for him to live with his best friend’s family while she underwent cancer treatments.
His older siblings also dropped everything to help him. Matthew worked as a producer, while Alexandra Reeve studied law.
Will opens up about the heartbreaking loss he suffered as a young teenager. In the documentary, he admits, “Despite the love and security that my siblings, my family, my adoptive family gave me, that was the moment: March 6, 2006… I’ve been alone ever since.”
Since the loss of their father, Will and his siblings have done everything they can to celebrate his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars.
Just a few years after Julliard, where he studied with others, Robin Williams – Christopher landed the role of Superman with only a few credits to his name, which made him famous worldwide.
Although he was famous for his role as a superhero on the silver screen, he also exuded heroism in the way he handled himself after his own tragedy.
Will said in a clip shown on Good Morning America on Tuesday: “I told him I loved him. I would do anything I could to make him proud.”
Superman star (left) Christopher was a real-life superhero before and after his paralysis in 1995. He died of heart failure in 2004 (pictured circa 1977)
All three of his children work for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which aims to cure spinal cord injuries by advancing innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families dealing with paralysis.
The documentary subsequently had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it was acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery for $15 million.
Now, the film will be released in a special two-night theatrical screening via Fathom Events. The first night is on September 21st and the second on September 25th, which would have been Reeve’s 72nd birthday.
Will shared his pride in the project, telling his GMA colleague Robin Roberts, “There’s a universal story to it. It’s not about a famous person. It’s about a family. It’s a human story. We had human parents who did superhuman things.”
The new film offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of his life, including his complicated relationship with his professor father and his leaving his partner Gae Exton, with whom he had his first two children, Matthew and Alexandra.
The film also highlights how Dana helped her husband and family through the challenges they faced after his accident.
During a previous appearance on Good Morning America, Will read an excerpt from one of his mother’s journals.
The screen legend’s three children, Matthew, 44, Alexandra, 40, and Will, 32, have teamed up to bring his life to the big screen
Her story reveals how deeply she grieved when she lost Christopher in 2004.
“I found this in one of her journals — ‘I have studied the difference between loneliness and solitude. I tell the story of my life to the clean white towels, warm from the dye-house and held to my breast, a sad substitute for a body drawn to me,’” Will read, explaining that his mother sought comfort in warm towels after they came out of the dryer.
He continued: ‘What I still miss most are his hands, their expressive grace and weight. The warmth of his hands on my skin, the embrace of his arms, two becoming one.
‘I carry the stack of towels upstairs, holding them carefully to keep them from falling over. Except for one, still damp, the top one I had pressed to my face, which needs more time to dry.’
“That’s what she was going through,” Will said after reading the piece.