Will, 32, the son of Christopher Reeve's
impersonator, has disclosed how "nervous" he was to be filming a cameo in the next Superman movie.
After being immortalized as Superman in 1978, Will's late father went on to film three
sequels that continued until the late 1980s. Superman: Legacy, a new movie featuring David
Corenswet as the title character and Rachel Brosnahan as his love interest
Lois Lane, is now in production. Two weeks ago, word leaked out that Will, who
is currently an ABC News on-air correspondent, had recorded a short scene for the film
in which he portrays a TV reporter. In a recent interview, he discussed how his "blink
and you'll miss it" appearance came to be as well as his feelings about returning to his father's
former film industry, according to insider. "We made it happen because I had a free day and
I know the people making the movie, and they've been so kind to me and my family," he said.
It was a very wonderful experience. They were quite amiable. Will opened up, saying, "It
was quick, easy, and I'm really looking—I was actually more nervous doing that than I
am whenever I'm on TV for my regular job." He said, laughing, "there were so many
people around and I had to memorize...one line," which was the difference
for him on a big-budget film set. While acknowledging that he was "happy" in
his current position in television news, he said that he did not "think I
have what it takes to be an actor." But when asked if he would be walking the red
carpet for the movie when it opens in summer of next year, he grinned and said, "I hope so."
James Gunn, the film's director, revealed that main photography on the Cleveland
portion of the project had concluded on the same day that his interview aired.
"We have not finished filming," he explained. Only a few weeks remain. I recently
returned from filming in Cleveland. Indeed, it's a lengthy process, but it's getting closer!
When images of Will on the Cleveland, Ohio set were obtained by Cleveland.com at the beginning
of July, word of the cameo initially spread. According to reports, he was portraying
a TV reporter in the film. The cast and crew applauded and director James Gunn gave
him a hug after he finished his performance. A few days before Will turned three, his
42-year-old father was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition
in Culpeper, Virginia, in May 1995, leaving him paraplegic from the neck down.
For the remainder of his life, he remained dependent on a wheelchair and ventilator;
sadly, in 2004, at the age of 52, he passed away from heart failure.
When Will's mother, then 44, passed away from lung cancer in 2006, just 17 months after
Christopher passed away, he was left an orphan. Ahead of the September release of Super/Man:
The Christopher Reeve Story, Will, along with siblings Matthew, 44, and Alexandra,
40, whom Reeve shared with ex-partner Gae Exton, have been thinking back on their
father's extraordinary life and career. The film, which was co-directed by Ian
Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, made viewers at Sundance cry during its January premiere.
It will open nationwide on September 21, 2024. On September 25, the day the actor would have
turned 72, there will be an encore performance; an international release will come after.
The movie shows audiences how the celebrity became one of Hollywood's most
adored stars through home video footage and talks with his kids and acting pals.
It shows Reeve fighting the "darkest thoughts" following his paralysis and saying to his wife
Dana, "Maybe we should let me go." To which Dana replies, "You're still you, and I love you."
Afterwards, he stated, "It meant more to me than just a personal declaration of faith
and commitment when Dana whispered those life-saving words to me."It was a kind of
confirmation that your family and marriage were the most important things in life, and that
your universe would also be intact if they were. During his Oscars performance a year after his
injury, Reeve drew the audience to tears by introducing a moving film montage that honored
the way Hollywood addressed social concerns. In the documentary, Glenn Close describes how,
following his injury, Reeve was "terrified that he could die at any moment," but that strength came
from his close connection with Robin Williams. "I've always thought Robin would still be alive
if Chris was still around," Close remarked. Will, his son, also shares that he lost both of
his parents in the space of 18 months, adding, "That was the moment, I've been alone ever since."
Will was brought up by the family's close friends and next-door neighbors, who are
now prominent sports journalists. All three kids are employed by the Christopher &
Dana Reeve Foundation, which strives to improve the lives of paralyzed people and their
families while also pushing cutting-edge research in the fight against spinal cord injury.
The movie celebrates the legacy of the foundation and closes with a statement from Reeve
about what he thinks a hero should be. "A hero is an average person who finds the
will to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles," he declared.
Reeve gained notoriety for playing the legendary superhero Superman in the 1978, 1980,
1983, and 1987 films Superman, Superman II, and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.
Over his career, he had also starred in several films, including Somewhere In
Time (1980), co-starring Jane Seymour.