Actress Annette O’Toole remembers the generosity of the late Christopher Reeve, who she co-starred with in Superman III.
By all accounts, Christopher Reeve was one of the kindest and most giving men in the business, something that so many of his co-stars and friends gave back. For those lucky enough to work alongside him on screens both big and small – even just once – it will always be a special moment. This holds true even in far lesser fare, as Superman III co-star Annette O’Toole remembers just how giving Reeve was even off the set.
Speaking with MovieWeb, Annette O’Toole – who played Clark Kent’s childhood friend Lana Lang – remembered the time that Christopher Reeve took her to a Simon & Garfunkel concert at Wembley Stadium while she was still trying to get acclimated to the environment. “[They] just kind of introduced me to the world as being part of this huge movie. And it was just a wonderful night, and he was so sweet all the time. He couldn’t have been more lovely to me. And it’s a huge, huge loss.”
Annette O’Toole would go on to have a unique place in the Superman universe by landing a small screen role of a different variety, later playing Martha Kent – mother of Clark – on Smallville. Admittedly, she has always been a fan of the character. “I grew up with George Reeves, who was the TV Superman. I was always a fan of comics, I was always a big Superman fan. I loved the whole thing, but I don’t follow it that much anymore. Maybe I’ve had my fill of it, just because I’ve been in the world so much. You know, I’ve played his girlfriend and his mom, so that’s plenty.”
Annette O’Toole was essentially brought in as a Lois Lane replacement after Margot Kidder spoke poorly of the behind-the-scenes drama of Superman II. Even still, she had high regard for Kidder, having briefly worked with her on both Superman III and Smallville.
Christopher Reeve is the subject of documentary Super/Man, which our own Chris Bumbray gave a 9/10 out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Are you a fan of Superman III? What is your favorite Christopher Reeve story? Share one with us in the comments section below.