Having famous parents can set someone up for a life of adoration. It’s hard for people not to compare you to your parents and even harder for others not to follow in their footsteps. Christopher Reeves, the beloved Superman from 1978 to 1987. He had three children, one of which has grown up following a familiar path. Christopher Reeve’s son, Will Reeve, has been making his way through the entertainment industry and has taken it by storm.
The early life of Christopher Reeve’s son
Christopher Reeve’s son, Will Reeve, was born on 7th June 1992, making him 30 years old in the present day. He is the youngest of Christopher reeves children, two of which were born into another relationship. Christopher Reeve married Will Reeve’s mother, Dana Reeves, on the 11th of April 1992 while she was two months pregnant with Will.
Tragedy struck their little family in 1995. Christopher Reeves was thrown off a horse, shattering his first and second vertebrae. He was left paralyzed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Will and his father had a close bond from the start, and being paralyzed was not enough to break that. They shared a love for sports of all kinds. In 2015, Will said in an interview: “We shared a very deep bond in general, but sports was definitely a major component of our family bond.”
Tragedy on tragedy
Will’s life was turned upside-down in October 2004. Christopher Reeve suffered an infection from a bed from being stuck to a bed, or his wheelchair for so long. The infection worsened, and he passed away. Will was just 12 years old at the time.
As if their family had not endured enough, Will had to suffer the loss of his mother only a year and a half after his father’s death. She had lung cancer, although she never smoked. Fortunately, his mother had made arrangements for Will, and he went to live with a childhood friend after her passing. He grew up with them as his guardians, and eventually adoptive parents in Bedford, NY. Dana had wanted him to be with people he knew and loved.
An ode to his younger self
When Will was 26 years old, he wrote a letter to his younger self which soared through the internet. He warned himself that life was at an all-time-low when he lost his mother. In and amongst the sadness, there were some good memories. “You will always remember the good stuff,” wrote Christopher Reeve’s son. “Dad in the driveway teaching you how to ride a bike just by telling you what to do, you trusting him so fully that you just do it. Mom’s singing voice filling the air with sweetness at home and in the car to school.”
He concluded the letter to his 13-year-old self by saying: “You love to write and it will be essential at your dream job, reporting and anchoring at ESPN. You promised mom and dad you would work one day. When you get that call, you’ll want to call them and tell them the great news and of course, you can’t, but you know that they already know.”
Christopher Reeve’s son followed in his footsteps
Christopher Reeve’s son felt the pressure to match his father’s standards. When he died, Will wanted nothing more than to live up to his legacy. “In our short time together, my dad gave me everything: his love and attention, his values and passions. When he died, I was certain my purpose in life was to be him, to seamlessly carry on his legacy, to leave no separation between where Christopher Reeve ended and where Will Reeve began.”
However, at 29 years old, he realized he was doing it all wrong. He wrote that his father would [refer him to be himself, and not as a carbon copy of him. “I’m 29 now and have finally started to understand what honoring my dad actually means,” he wrote. “I thought it meant following the roads he would want me to go down, or living my life as his proxy, making up for lost time according to his thwarted dreams. Turns out, our parents want us to find out who we are and go be that. That is the ultimate form of honor.”
Will Reeve joined ESPN’s SportsCenter in 2015. He was a commentator who reported about the games from the field, instead of from the office. This was a dream of his, allowing him to fulfill a promise he had made to his parents. In 2018, he started working as a news correspondent for ABC news.
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Sources
- “Christopher Reeve’s Youngest Son, Will Reeve, is Building a Name for Himself in the Media Industry.” Mama’s Uncut. Ryan Brennan. December 9, 2022.
- “Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, on overcoming the lowest point of his.” CBS News. July 16, 2018
- “ABC News’ Will Reeve on whale watching and the echoes of his father, Christopher. ABC. June 20, 2021.
- “Will Reeve: 5 Things To Know About ‘GMA’ Reporter Who Accidentally Went On Air Without Pants.” Hollywood Life. Samantha Wilson. April 28, 2020.
