BiographyofChristopherReeve超人克里斯托弗里夫传记英文版.docx

BiographyofChristopherReeve超人克里斯托弗里夫传记英文版.docx

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BiographyofChristopherReeve超人克里斯托弗里夫传记英文版

Biography

ChristopherReeve

September25,1952-October10,2004

ChristopherReevewasbornSeptember25,1952,inNewYorkCity.Whenhewasfour,hisparents（journalistBarbaraJohnsonandwriter/professorFranklinReeve）divorced.HismothermovedwithsonsChristopherandBenjamintoPrinceton,NewJersey,andmarriedaninvestmentbankerafewyearslater.Afterthedivorce,theboysalsospentsubstantialvisitationtimewiththeirfather,whowritingunderthenameF.D.Reeve,isanotednovelist,poet,andscholarofRussianliterature.Whilewithhim,ChrisandBenwereexposedtoastimulatingintellectualenvironmentthatincludedSundaydinnerswithF.D.Reeve'sfriends:

RobertFrost,RobertPennWarren,andDanielPatrickMoynihan.Meanwhile,Reeve'sstepfather,TristamJohnson,generouslypaidtuitionfortheboystoattendtheexclusiveandacademicallychallengingPrincetonDaySchool.

"Chriswasextraordinary,"hismotherrecalledtoanAsburyParkPressreporter."Hewasendowedwithagreatmanyextraordinarytalents.Hehadawonderfulmind,wide-ranginginterests,awillingnesstotakerisks.Hewasanathleteandscholarwithapassionforacting,whichbeganvery,veryearly."Reevetracedhisloveofactingbacktotheearlyyearsofhischildhoodwhenheandhisyoungerbrotherwouldclimbinsidecardboardgrocerycartonsandpretendtheywerepirateships."Toustheybecamepirateshipssimplybecausewesaidtheywere"Reevesaid."Theabilitytoretainatleastsomeofthischildhoodinnocenceisessentialtofineacting."Byageeight,hehadappearedinschoolplays,becomeinterestedinmusic,andwastakingpianolessons.Atagenine,hewaspickedtobeinaGilbert&SullivanoperettaYeomanoftheGuardforPrinceton'sprofessionaltheater,theMcCarterTheatre."WhileIwasgrowingup,"Reeverecalls,"Ineveronceaskedmyself,'WhoamI?

'or'WhatamIdoing?

'Rightfromthebeginning,thetheaterwaslikehometome.ItseemedtobewhatIdidbest.IneverdoubtedthatIbelongedinit."Thoseheworkedwithwereconvincedaswell.MiltonLyon,theArtisticDirectoroftheMcCarterTheatrewhodidFinian'sRainbowandSouthPacificwithReeve,toldhimwhenhewasabout14yearsold:

"Chris,youbetterdecidewhatyouwant,becauseyou'regoingtogetit."

Atage15,ReevegotasummerapprenticeshipattheWilliamstownTheaterFestivalinMassachusetts.Byage16,hehadanagent.AtPrincetonDaySchool,ReeveparticipatedinvariousschoolactivitiesincludingbeingPresidentoftheDramaClubandStudentDirectorofTheGleeClub.Reevelatersaidaboutthoseyears,"Ilovedthetheatersomuch.ButIbegantofeelguility.IthoughtIwasn'tgivingenoughtimetoschool.SoIjoinedasmanyschoolclubsandteamsasIcould.Iplayedontheicehockeyteam.Iwasintheschoolorchestra.Ievensangwithachoralgroup!

"Aftergraduatingfromhighschool,ReevetouredthecountryasCelesteHolm'sleadingmaninTheIrregularVerbtoLove,thenwentontocollegeatCornell,althoughhecontinuedtoworksimultaneouslyasaprofessionalactor,"thankstoanunderstandingagentwho'dsetupauditionsandmeetingsaroundmyclassschedule."

Reevehadaspecialloveforicehockey,asportthatheplayedfromthepeeweelevelthroughhighschoolwherehewasPrincetonDay'snumberonegoalieforallfouryears.HethoughtofpursuingthesportasacareeruntilhisfreshmantryoutatCornellbroughtarealitycheck.ThevarsityteamtherewastheNCAAchampionandKenDrydenwasthegoalie.Reevesaid,"Onthefirstdayofpractice,InoticedthattherewereonlytwoAmericansandtherestwereCanadians.Iwasinthegoal,andthewholeteamlinedupontheblueline,eachwithapuck,andtheyweresupposedtotaketurnsgoingfromlefttorighttakingaslapshot.Theystartedtogetoutofsequence,andsometimestwoorthreewerecomingatme,fasterthanI'deverseenapuckcomeatmeinmyentirelifetime.Igotabsolutelyshelled,andIthought,'Youknow,I'mprobablygoingtoendupwithnoteeth,'andsoIretreatedtothesafetyofthetheatredepartment.Thatwastheendofmyhockeycareer.Inretrospect,Imadetherightchoice.AndIstillhaveallmyteeth."

AspartofhisstudiesatCornellUniversity,wherehemajoredinMusicTheoryandEnglish,ReevespenttimestudyingtheaterinBritainandFrance.OfhisworkinEngland,whereheobtainedemploymentasa"dogsbody"atLondon'sprestigiousOldVictheater,Reevesaid:

"Iwasaglorifiederrandboy,butitwasaveryexcitingtimethere.IhelpedbyteachingtheBritishactorstospeakwithanAmericanaccent.ThenIwenttoParistoworkwiththeComedieFrancaise."Bythetimeofhisgraduationfromcollege,ReevehadalreadyperformedinsuchwidelyrespectedtheatersastheBoothbay（Maine）Playhouse,theWilliamstownTheatre,theSanDiegoShakespeareFestival,andtheLoebDramaCenter.HisrolesincludedVictorinPrivateLives,AeneasinTroilusandCressida,BeliaevinAMonthInTheCountry,andMacheathinThreepennyOpera.

InlieuofhisfinalyearatCornell,Reevewasoneoftwostudentsacceptedtoadvancedstanding（RobinWilliamswastheother）atNewYork'sfamousJuilliardSchoolofPerformingArts.HerehestudiedundertherenownedJohnHouseman.WhenitbecamefinanciallydifficultforhisstepfathertocontinuetopayforReeve'seducation,hetooktheroleofBenHarperinthelong-runningtelevisiondramaticserialLoveofLife.WhileReevecontinuedhisactinglessonsandperformedinthesoapopera,hefoundtimetoauditionforandwinacovetedroleinAMatterofGravity,anewplayslatedforBroadwaystarringKatharineHepburnin1976.Bythistime,thedemandsofhiscareerhadbecomesogreatthatReevewasforcedtogiveuphisfinalyearatJuilliard,butReevesaidofworkingwithHepburn:

"InGravity,Ihadtheprivilegeofspendingninemonthsworkingwithoneofthemastersofthecraft."ThetwobecameverycloseandstayedintouchuntilHepburn'sdeathin2003.

In1976,ReevewenttoLosAngelesandgotasmallpartinGrayLadyDown,asubmarineadventurefilm.BackinNewYorkCity,hewasintheoff-broadwayproductionMyLife.Duringthatproduction,Reeveauditionedandsuccessfullyscreentestedforthe1978movieSuperman.Reeve'smotherlatersaid:

"HetooktheSupermanrole,quitefrankly,asacareermove.Hefelt,evenwiththerisksitentailed,thatitwouldmeanhewouldgetagreaterrecognitionandhecouldbypassthecattlecall."ReeveportrayedSupermanas"somebodythat,youknow,youcaninvitehomefordinner...someoneyoucouldintroduceyourparentsto."HemadeSupermanbelievablebyplayinghimasaherowithbrainsandaheart.Reevesaid,"WhatmakesSupermanaheroisnotthathehaspower,butthathehasthewisdomandthematuritytousethepowerwisely."ReevetoldGeneSiskel:

"Thekeywordformeonhim（Superman）is'inspiration.'Heisaleaderbyinspiration.Hesetsanexample.It'squiteimportantthatpeoplerealizethatIdon'tseehimasaglad-handingshow-off,aone-manvigilanteforcewhorightseverywrong."ForplayingClarkKent,Reevereasonedthat"theremustbesomedifferencestylisticallybetweenClarkandSuperman.Otherwiseyoujusthaveapairofglassesstandinginforacharacter,andIdon'tthinkthat'senoughforamodernaudience."In1986,Reeveaddedthat"SupermanisnothingmorethanapopularretellingoftheChriststory,orGreekmythology.It'sanarchetype,watereddownandmadeinvividcolorsfortwelve-year-old'smentality.It'spopmythology,whichextendstotheactor,thenseepsovertoademandthatthatactorreflecttheneedsoftheworshipers.Theworshipdoesn'tonlygooninthetemples-itgoesoninthestreets,andrestaurants,inmagazines.But,youknow,I'mfromNewJersey,I'mnotfromOlympusorKrypton,sobackoff'causeIcan'ttaketheresponsibility."The18monthsofshootingforthatmovietookplacemostlyinEngland,whereReevemetandbeganarelationshipwithmodelingexecutiveGaeExton.Thisunionproducedtwochildren,MatthewExtonbornonDecember20,1979andAlexandra"Ali"Extonbornin1983.

Afterthehugesuccessof1978'sSuperman:

TheMovie,peopleinvariablyreferredtoReeveasSuperman.Reevedownplayedthedisdainhefeltforthatcomment:

"AsfarasI'mconcernedthereisSupermanandthenthere'sChristopherReeve,andI'mnotinterestedinhavingthemmerge.WhatI'minterestedinisacting...I'vebeenworkingsinceIwasfourteen;IstudiedatJuilliard.Iwasn'tSupermanbeforeandIdon'tplantobeSupermanafter."HewasaveryhotyoungstaratthatpointandwasofferedtheleadinseveralmajorfilmsincludingAmericanGigoloandBodyHeat.InsteadReevechoseforhisnextprojecttheverydifferentSomewhereinTime.Whilepromotingthemovieatthetimeofitsrelease,Reevesaid,"SomewhereInTime,whileiterrsonthesideofpretentiousness,isanabsolutelyhonestattempttocreateanold-fashionedromance.It'sbasedonloveratherthanonsexorX-ratedbedroomscenes.Idon'tknowhowtotalkaboutalovestorywithoutgettingallgooeyaboutit,butthescriptexcitedmebecauseofthesituationoftheleadingcharacter...Hisproblemstruckmeasthatofmanypeople.They'vegoteverythinggoingforthem,orsotheysay,exceptforarealcommitment,areallove."In1980,ReevespentthesummerdoingtheaterinWilliamstown.HeworkedonSupermanIIandthebroadwayproductionofFifthofJuly.

In1987ChristopherReeveandGaeExtonpartedunmarried,butkeepingjointcustodyofthetwochildren-notaneasyarrangementwiththeAtlanticOceanbetweenthetwoparents.DuringthatsummerinWilliamstown,Reevemethissoulmate,DanaMo