Christopher Reevee Essay

During his years at Juilliard, Robin became dear friends with Christopher Reeve, another young actor who would step into stardom and great success. Reeve immediately saw something in Williams that so many others overlooked; he saw an unusual and bizarre side to Williams’s personality and talent. Reeve compared Williams to an untied balloon that had been blown up to its capacity and then instantly released (qtd in Woodgate). However, he acknowledged that Williams was also very powerful and persuasive (qtd in Woodgate). At the young age of 42 in 1995, Reeve suffered from a horseback riding mishap causing him to become a quadriplegic. During Reeve’s long and arduous convalescence, Williams paid for many of Reeve’s medical expenses and provided financial aid to his family, which at the time, they were unable to afford. Williams was able to bring
He swooped in dressed as a doctor and in a Russian accent told Reeve that he was his proctologist and had to immediately examine him (McCormack). Reeve said, “‘And for the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay”’(Stern). Reeve eventually succumbed to his injuries in 2004 at the age of 52. As a result, Williams served on the board of directors and was a fervent advocate for the community through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, helping raise millions of dollars and awareness for spinal cord research. Moreover, it was this terrible tragedy to his dear friend that spurred Williams to focus much of his energy raising awareness about people with disabilities through his acting and comedy. ‘“Robin is a person who gives to people 24 hours a day. The gift of joy, the gift of laughter. Just to be in a room with Robin Williams is a privilege. He’s a gift to the world” (QTD in Stern). Combining humor and giving back to those in need came naturally to