There are friendships that last for eternity. Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams met in 1973 at Juilliard, the performing arts conservatory in New York. They shared a room after being the only two students admitted that year to the specialized advanced program of the institution.
Reeve had studied theater at Cornell University, and Williams left Claremont Men's College in Chicago to enroll at the College of Marin in California. Their destinies were forever changed when both received a scholarship for John Houseman's program in New York.
The world was about to discover two icons who found fame shortly after completing their studies. Reeve undoubtedly did so with Superman (1978) and Williams on television with the series Mork & Mindy (1978-1982) and later in movies with Popeye (1980) and The World According to Garp (1982).
In the documentary Super/Man: The Story of Christopher Reeve, which can be seen on MAX and Movistar +, actress Glenn Close explains that the two actors "were good friends because they understood each other. Chris wasn't like Robin, but he was no less. Not many could say the same."
"I have always thought that if Chris were still here, Robin would still be alive. I believe that," Glenn Close also states.
Once they became stars, Christopher and Robin continued to be loyal to the close friendship that began when they were students. There was no envy between them. Every time one of them reached great heights, the other applauded them with admiration. Between them, more than a friendship, there was a brotherhood that extended to both of their children. After all, Reeve was the godfather of Zachary, Williams' firstborn with his first wife, Valerie Velardi.
Rarely had such a genuine friendship been seen in Hollywood. In 1995, Christopher Reeve suffered a tragic horseback riding accident that left the actor quadriplegic, requiring a ventilator to live.
That accident broke Robin's heart, as he struggled to hide how much he was suffering for his 'brother.' But he was also battling his own demons, as he was dealing with severe depression that he kept hidden from his loved ones. This is recalled by Susan Sarandon in the documentary: "Robin also had his own struggle that he had been dealing with his whole life and I think, despite his facade, both of them knew the darkness." The star of Dead Poets Society took his own life in 2014 at the age of 63.
But Robin was special. The first time the Superman star smiled in the hospital was when his friend entered the room dressed as a Russian doctor. No one could stop laughing. "Another thing that Robin and Marsha did every year on the anniversary of the accident was that they brought a chef to Chris and Dana's house and threw a big party. It was a way to celebrate and be grateful for life," Close states, who starred alongside the actor in The World According to Garp.
Following the establishment in 1999 of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which joined forces with the American Paralysis Association (APA), the close friends of that Superman stepped up to make life easier for all those in similar situations.
Everything seemed to be on the right track, but in 2004 Christopher passed away at the age of 52 due to a cardiac arrest caused by a widespread infection. A harsh blow that added to the other mental health issues the comedian had been facing for decades.