SciFi and More from Duane Simolke

Christopher Reeve returning to familiar place

Actor Christopher Reeve is filming an episode of the WB’s series Smallville. That popular show stars Tom Welling as a teen Clark Kent, before he became Superman. Set to air in late February, the episode will feature Reeve as a scientist who helps Clark.

While Reeve stopped playing Superman long ago, he can’t escape the character. At times, he couldn’t find other roles, because so many people saw him strictly as the man of steel. After his accident, though, his fans began seeing him as Superman in a different way: someone who faces impossible odds and refuses to accept defeat. I saw him in an interview recently in which he seemed embarrassed by that popular sentiment.

Still, no one can deny his heroism, in his ongoing recovery, in his activism for people with disabilities, and in his determination to give others hope.