Robin Williams Was the First Person to Visit Christopher Reeve in the Hospital and Made Him Laugh by Pretending to Be a Russian Colon Doctor

As I delve deeper into the captivating tales of Hollywood legends, I find myself utterly enchanted by the extraordinary bond between Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams. The narrative of their friendship, forged in the hallowed halls of Juilliard, is nothing short of a testament to camaraderie and resilience.


In an interview with People magazine prior to the premiere of “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” documentary, Christopher Reeve’s son Will shared that Robin Williams was the one who paid a visit to his father in the hospital after his accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Furthermore, it was Williams who managed to elicit laughter from Reeve for the first time since the incident by impersonating a Russian proctologist.

Robin was like a father’s closest companion, and friends stick by one another,” Will stated. He further noted that Williams and Reeve often referred to each other as ‘brothers.’

Will noted, “Our father and Robin shared a unique connection.” He continued, “Their friendship was something that could be the plot of a film, but what truly stood out was their deep love and mutual respect for one another. This bond never faltered… Robin Williams and his wife Marsha, whom we affectionately call our fairy godmother, were unparalleled in their ability to show up with love and the perfect blend of humor. We are fortunate to still maintain a close relationship with her.

In the early 1970s, Williams and Reeve crossed paths while both were pursuing theater studies at the Juilliard School. Later on, the famous “Superman” character recounted their initial encounter in his 1998 memoir titled “Still Me.

Reeve described him as donning tie-dyed shirts paired with tracksuit pants, speaking rapidly, and moving around so energetically it seemed like an overinflated, unanchored balloon. He bounced off the walls of classrooms and hallways, leaving me spellbound. To use ‘he was on’ would be a significant understatement for his level of enthusiasm.

Titled “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” this highly-regarded documentary, initially screened at Sundance and set to hit cinemas this month, chronicles the journey of the late actor from his meteoric rise as Superman to global fame, along with his subsequent battle to discover a cure for spinal cord injuries after he suffered quadriplegia due to a horse riding accident. The documentary incorporates personal archival materials and features contributions from Reeve’s family during its production.

Matthew Reeve, Will’s brother, shared with EbMaster at Sundance that it feels like a blessing. He explained, ‘We’re incredibly fortunate because not only do we have his movies to watch, but we also have a treasure trove of home videos and interviews on YouTube. Discovering previously unseen footage didn’t alter my view of him, but rather deepened it. For instance, an old Australian interview from 1977 that was recently uploaded and I hadn’t known existed. It was quite thrilling to come across this and unearth more material than we were aware of.’

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2024-09-13 02:46