The Unbreakable Bond Between Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve: A Friendship for the Ages

Can you imagine Mork from Ork and Superman from Krypton being the best of friends? Actually, given their mutually hopeful outlooks on life and love of humanity, there's nothing far-fetched about the idea at all. But at the same time, the men who brought those iconic characters to life, Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve , shared a bond with each other that carried them through life's joys and tragedies, and was recently illuminated in the documentary, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story , which had had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 1995, of course, Reeve suffered a horse riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down from a spinal cord injury. As audiences are told in Super/Man , in the aftermath he was genuinely struggling with the decision of whether or not he wanted to live or die, and while he was encouraged by his wife Dana to do the former, the decision was actually reinforced by the arrival of Robin Williams, a friend from the days when they'd attended Julliard together.

"I was hanging upside down, semi-conscious, not eating, not drinking," Reeve told Barbara Walters during an interview, "and I turned to my side and there is Robin Williams dressed as a doctor, wearing one of those funny blue scrub hats."

It should be noted that Williams was actually pretending to be a Russian proctologist, claiming to be there to perform a rectal exam on Reeve. As the "patient" told Walters, "And for the first time since I crashed, I laughed as I always do, as we all always do with Robin. And I felt such joy seeing him and he'd come all that way. And seeing him and laughing and enjoying each other like the old days, was one of the first indicators to me that life could be good again."

Added Williams elsewhere, "When I walked into his hospital room and made him laugh for the first time, it was like seeing a light come back on in his eyes. That was one of the most beautiful moments in my life, just to know that I could make him smile again after all he'd been through."

Reeve and Williams: Early days at Juilliard School

This is the way Barbara Walters described it on ABC's 20/20: "It was 1973, two young men, part of 2,000 students who were auditioning for just 20 spots at the prestigious Juilliard School of Drama, and they both made it in. Reeve and Williams became roommates and formed a friendship that would last for decades. Legend has it that the two of them made a pact that whoever made it first would always support the other one." Apparently it was something that they never forgot.

By 1979, both had made it. Christopher Reeve had achieved international stardom with Superman: The Movie , which saw him bringing the Man of Steel to life in a way he had never been presented before and defining the part in such a way that he remains the one by which all others are still measured decades later. The film's tagline was, "You'll believe a man can fly," and thanks to Reeve, that was absolutely true.

As far as Williams was concerned, his star had risen thanks to his portrayal of the alien Mork on the Garry Marshall-created Happy Days spinoff, Mork & Mindy , which had become a sensation thanks to the actor.

On that year's People's Choice Awards, there was a wonderful moment where Reeve presented the award for Favorite New Performer to Williams, saying the following just before his friend came to the podium:

"I'm supposed to bring you a message from Superman. He just called me this afternoon to say he's not going to make it tonight, but he's had a totally mind-blowing day fighting for truth, justice and the American way. He's really wiped out and just wants to have a bowl of soup and go to sleep early. So, anyway, I wouldn't have missed this for anything, because the winner of the Favorite New Male Television Performer is an old friend of mine and a former classmate at Juilliard School in New York. I like to see justice in real life, so my hat is off to the network for having the sense to let this man out of the bottle and put him on the tube ... So, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present the Chairman of the Board of the Off the Wall Club and the President of the Society of the Preservation of Madness on Primetime, Robin Williams!"

Memories of Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams

The friendship would continue through the years and one person who would observe it was actress Glenn Close, who commented at a public event, "My first connection to Christopher Reeve was through Robin Williams when we were shooting The World According to Garp. It was the summer of 1982 and we were filming on Fishers Island. On Friday evenings, Chris would literally swoop in, piloting his own plane, scoop Robin up and away they would fly for the weekend. On Sunday late afternoon, Chris would swoop back in and deliver Robin back — I have to say, a little worse for wear. Those were heady days for them both. They were on top of the world. They were living the kind of fast and crazy life that our business can hand to you if you become a wildly famous phenomenon practically overnight."

As is showcased in Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story , instead of giving up after his accident, the actor fought back, doing whatever he could to raise awareness and funds for spinal research, inspiring millions of others in the process.

"Chris taught me so much about perseverance and courage," said Williams in tribute. "His friendship shaped my life in so many ways and his memory will always be with me."

Tragic losses

Sheer will power proved not to be enough as the Superman star’s body succumbed on October 10, 2004 when Christopher Reeve passed away at 52-years old. Millions were affected, including, naturally, Robin Williams, who paid tribute to his friend at the 2005 Golden Globes when he was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

"I want to thank a very special person," said Williams as he stood at the podium. "Tonight, I dedicate this award to the memory of a friend of mine, Chris Reeve. I miss you. I also say, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, Sweet Prince. Goodnight."

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A decade later, on August 11, 2014, Robin Williams committed suicide at the age of 63, his loss also a devastating one to many, including Glenn Close, who found herself considering once again that friendship between he and Christopher Reeve and what they provided to each other.

"Their friendship, their connection, is the stuff of legend," she reflected. "It not only endured, but became a life-giving force, sustaining them both. I'm convinced that if Chris were still with us, Robin would be, too."

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story returns to theatres on October 11

Learn about the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

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