logo
Getty Images
Getty Images

Story behind Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve's Longtime Friendship

Pedro Marrero
Sep 13, 2019
01:24 P.M.

Both of them are stars in their own right in Hollywood’s firmament, but few of us know that the two late actors were intimate friends for decades, a relationship that goes back to their college years.

Advertisement

Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) secured his place in film history with his portrayal of the iconic superhero Superman in the movie franchise based on the DC Comics character from 1978 to 1987.

Robin Williams (1951-2014) captivated the world with his role as a hilarious extraterrestrial in the comedy series “Mork & Mindy” from 1978 to 1982 and went on to portray a myriad of unforgettable characters in film.

Advertisement

But before achieving any of this, Reeve and Williams were two students at Julliard, in New York City, who went from not having anything in common to become the greatest of friends, with only death doing them part.

THEIR FRIENDSHIP GOES BACK TO THE EARLY ‘70S

Reeve and Williams met in their twenties, when they shared a room as students in the Julliard School where the two enrolled to study acting in 1973.

Apart from a room and the dream of making it big time in Hollywood, the two had little in common. Little they knew back then what destiny had in storage for them, and that their lives were going to be connected until the end.

Advertisement
Advertisement

THEIR DIFFERENCES BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER

Williams was the first to recognize that he and Reeve couldn’t have been more different, but it seems that it was this very fact what made the two develop such a special and strong bond.

"We were totally opposite — me coming from the West Coast and a junior college, and him from the hard-core Ivy League. He used to be the studly studly of all studlies, and I was the little fool ferret boy," Williams recalled in 2006.

Robin Williams with Christopher and Dana Reeve and one of their children. I Image: Getty Images.

Robin Williams with Christopher and Dana Reeve and one of their children. I Image: Getty Images.

Advertisement

REEVE HELPED STRUGGLING STUDENT WILLIAMS

Before he started to land roles good enough to support himself, Williams went through a time of financial trouble, but Reeve was always there to help his friend when there was need.

“[Reeve was] such a great friend to me at Julliard, literally feeding me because I don't think I literally had money for food or my student loan hadn't come in yet, and he would share his food with me," Williams said during a Reddit Q&A in 2013.

Robin Williams with Christopher and Dana Reeve and their son. I Image: Getty Images.

Robin Williams with Christopher and Dana Reeve and their son. I Image: Getty Images.

Advertisement

THEY WENT ON TO ENJOY FAME TOGETHER

By the end of the ‘70s, less than ten years since their paths crossed, both Reeve and Williams had become well-known with their respective breakthrough roles, making their student years feel years away, but their friendship remained untouched.

"Robin was able to share his real feelings with me, and I always did the same with him. This has remained true for twenty-five years," Reeve shared in his 1998 autobiography titled “Still Me.”

In 1982, Williams was filming “The World According to Garp” alongside Gleen Close, who years later recalled how the two continued to have fun together even when they were busy actors with complicated schedules.

Advertisement
Advertisement

"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,” Close said during a speech in 2017.

ROBIN CHEERED REEVE AFTER HIS 1995 NEARLY FATAL ACCIDENT

In 1995, Reeve was involved in the infamous horse-riding accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life, and which nearly ended his life.

Right after Reeve woke up in a hospital and in need of an emergency operation to reattach his spine and skull, he learned about his condition and thought that there was nothing for him to live afterward.

Advertisement

But just like his character Patch Adams (and the real person who it was based on), Williams knew about the healing powers of laughter, and he used his world-famous talent for humor and improvising to lift his friend’s spirit and revive his will.

Williams showed up by surprise at Reeve’s hospital room, wearing a surgical gown and scrub room as he tried to pass as a Russian proctologist about to give Reeve an examination. It was the first time Reeve laughed since the accident.

Advertisement

"I knew then: if I could laugh, I could live," Reeve told Barbara Walters years later, forever thankful for such a magic friend.

REEVE WAS THE FIRST TO GO

The “Superman” star lived for another nine years after his disabling accident, during which he remained as active as he could in the entertainment industry, doing voice acting, and making occasional TV and film appearances.

Christopher Reeve. I Image: Getty Images.

Christopher Reeve. I Image: Getty Images.

Advertisement

Aside from becoming a director, Reeve devoted his final years to help other people with paralysis, supporting the American Paralysis Association and creating the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

"The world has lost a tremendous activist and artist and an inspiration for people worldwide. I have lost a great friend," were Williams words in a public statement about Reeve passing from a heart attack.

REEVE’S FAMILY PAID TRIBUTE TO WILLIAMS WHEN HE DIED

Ten years after Reeve left this world, his longtime friend Williams took his own life after struggling with mental health problems and addictions, apart from suffering from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia for years.

Advertisement
Robin Williams. I Image: Getty Images.

Robin Williams. I Image: Getty Images.

After the news broke of William’s tragic passing at age 63, the Reeve family had beautiful words to thank the actor for being so supportive with his friend when he most needed it.

"We will cherish him, though, for the quiet and unwavering support he showed our family through the hardest times. The world knew Robin as a comedic titan, but to our family, he was simply one of our Dad's dearest friends," read a statement by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation on behalf of Reeve’s children.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Who Raised Will Reeve? Christopher Reeve's Son Was Orphaned at Only 13

May 20, 2022

Keanu Reeves 'Had a Crush' on Sandra Bullock - They 'Could Have Survived' as a Couple

March 19, 2022

Robin Williams’ 1st Wife Was Pushed Out of Kid’s Life by His 2nd Wife Who Initially Was His Son’s Nanny

April 04, 2022

Robin Williams Wanted His Children to Be Proud of Him — Meet His 3 Kids Who He Cherished

March 09, 2022

Did Christopher Reeve Have a Daughter? Will Reeve Was Not His Only Child

May 19, 2022

Ronnie Milsap’s Heart Was Shattered Twice in Recent Years as He Lost His Wife & Son for Different Reasons

February 24, 2022

Colin Farrell Was Told Son James Padraig May Never Walk – He Gave up Drugs to Fight for Him

February 07, 2023

Robin Williams Was ‘Chased by an Invisible Monster’ in His Final Months, His Wife Who Forgave Him Said

January 31, 2022

Chris Meloni Let Wife ‘Slide’ When 3 Women ‘Dropped’ into His Lap - Now He Is Her ‘Biggest Fan’

February 08, 2022

Zoë Kravitz Had An Awkward Scene With Robert Pattinson While Filming 'Batman'

April 19, 2022

Chris Meloni's Mom Knew Sherman Williams Was "The One" First — He Avoided Marrying Her for Years

April 06, 2022

Robin Williams Wept Every Night & Did Not Share Wife's Bed in His Last Days: 'We Were Living a Nightmare'

May 09, 2022

Inside Robin Williams' $30M Estate Which He Called 'Villa of Smiles' & Enjoyed for 11 Years before His Death

May 10, 2022

Harry Morgan Wanted to Be Remembered as a 'Pleasant Person' after 'M*A*S*H' Made Him a 'Better Human'

April 04, 2022