Christopher Reeve’s Son Reflects on Dad's Legacy 15 Years After His Death: 'He Had an Impact on the World'

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It’s been 15 years since Superman Christopher Reeve passed away, but his legacy will not soon be forgotten — not by his legion of fans around the world, nor certainly by his own devoted son.

Will Reeve, now 27, was just 3 years old when his dad was paralyzed back in 1995, and 11 when he died in 2004. Only two years later, he also was forced to endure the death of his mother, Dana, from lung cancer when she was just 44 years old.

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“I think his legacy is never going to go away and think that is a responsibility that I feel, to carry his and my mother’s legacy on for the rest of my life and hopefully beyond that,” the younger Reeve told People while attending the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation gala on November 14 in NYC.

He continued, “I think that the foundation is one way, one tangible way, that his legacy and my mom’s legacy will always live on. And I think the way that I, and my siblings, live our lives is another way. And I think that his impact is felt by the millions of lives that he touched.”

Reeve told People that fans remember his dad as Superman but they also recognize him for his important work outside of the movie biz. “More than being their favorite Superman, they say, ‘He was one of my favorite people,'” he told People. “Because he inspired them in ways that had nothing to do with movies.”

Reeve explained that his dad inspired people — and continues to inspire them 15 years after his death — because he actually used his platform to make a difference in the world.

“I think that the people who have the most lasting impact on culture are people who made a real difference in the world beyond whatever it is that they were initially known for. And I think that my dad is certainly one of those people,” he said. “He had an impact on the world well beyond his fleeting fame for being in movies. And I think that he was a change agent in the world, and those are the people who last, and that is why he has lasted.”

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