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Christopher Reeve said: These 7 words from his wife Dana saved his life.


Christopher Reeve said: These 7 words from his wife Dana saved his life.

Christopher Reeve was unable to move on with his life after realising what it would be like following the horse riding accident that left him paralyzed.

But in old footage featured in a new trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryThe late actor revealed the seven words his wife Dana Reeve said that changed his mind.

Reeve remembered what he thought at the time: “I’ve ruined my life and everyone else’s. I won’t be able to ski, sail or throw a ball to Will. I won’t be able to sleep with Dana. Maybe we should let me go.”

“And then she said the words that saved my life: ‘You are still you. And I love you,'” added the Superman Actor.

On Monday, August 26, DC Studios released the first trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Storya documentary that had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

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The film is an emotional journey that follows the late actor and his family’s unwavering support following the 1995 horse riding accident that left him paralyzed. The star died in 2004 at the age of 52.

“We said goodbye, he waved,” recalls Reeves’ son Matthew, 44, in a previously released clip from the film, describing his last exchange with his father before the accident. “That was the last time I saw him on his feet.”

Superman contains confidential interviews with Reeves’ three children Matthew, Alexandra (40) and Will (32) as well as his late wife Dana, who died of lung cancer in 2006.

It also includes reminiscences from Reeves’ friends, including Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Daniels and Glenn Close.

From left: Matthew, Alexandra, Christopher and Dana Reeve.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty


Through extensive personal footage from the Reeve family and audio clips from the late icon, viewers feel like they were at the actor’s side before, during and after his accident.

“We knew if we were ever going to do this, it had to be the right time and the right team,” Will said at Sundance in January. “And we would give out our archive and our home movies, make ourselves available for some raw and vulnerable interviews and then put all our faith in the team that had assembled around us and see what they would get back.”

“And the end result is remarkable, so our trust has definitely been rewarded,” he added as the audience burst into applause.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story opens in select theaters on September 21, with an encore on September 25, Reeves’ birthday.

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