Glenn Close recalls Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve's friendship in new doc: 'They could match each other'

Glenn Close recalls Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve's friendship in new doc: 'They could match each other'

Watch an exclusive clip from "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" highlighting his deep friendship with the "Mrs. Doubtfire" star.

Not everyone remains close with their college roommate. But when Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams were paired together in their freshman year at Juilliard, there began a deep friendship that endured for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes opposites attract, after all. Above, you can watch an exclusive clip from Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, a new documentary about the iconic Superman star directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui. In the clip, Reeve’s daughter, Alexandra Reeve Givens, and his other famous friends, Susan Sarandon and Glenn Close, recall the friendship between Reeves and Williams, which continued and even strengthened after the former suffered his infamous horse-riding injury in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Related: Christopher Reeve's son Will Reeve confirms Superman cameo: 'They've been so kind to me and my family'

ADVERTISEMENT

“Our families showed up for each other,” Reeve’s son Will Reeve tells Entertainment Weekly. “The Williams family was essential to us at all times, especially in the darkest moments — like when Robin came into my dad's room at the ICU days after his injury and made him laugh for the first time in a very colorful way.”

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

<p>Fotos International/Frank Edwards/Getty</p> Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams backstage at the People's Choice Awards in March 1979.

Fotos International/Frank Edwards/Getty

Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams backstage at the People's Choice Awards in March 1979.

Super/Man shows how close the Williams family was with the Reeves in the years after the accident. Williams and Marsha Garces Williams, his wife from 1989-2010, would host a big party at their house every year on the anniversary of Reeve’s accident so that he and his family could have positive associations with the date instead of just thinking about their pain.

Although she declined to appear in the documentary herself, Marsha shared helpful insights into their shared family history with the filmmakers — as well as personal home video footage, which you can see in the full film.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Even if you don't get an official interview with someone, what they tell you in conversation can still feed the way you shape the film,” Bonhôte tells EW. “We knew so much more about this relationship from talking to the families. But what makes those moments extra special in the film is that Marsha actually gave us some archival footage that she hadn’t seen for a while herself. She said, ‘Look, other producers have gotten in touch with me over the years, but I’ve never shared this. I’m sharing it with you guys because I trust you, and I want to do justice to Christopher.’ That felt extra special because we also had Robin Williams’ legacy to discuss in our film.”

Related: Christopher Reeve's son recalls the Superman actor's powerful Oscars appearance following accident

Reeve and Williams seem like an odd pair at first glance. You don’t always expect the jock and class clown to be close friends. But perhaps it was their differences that made them each so essential to each other.

“I think in a sense they completed each other,” Ettedgui says. “Chris was quite a rigorous person, and he needed Robin's sense of anarchy and fun. Meanwhile, Chris was a very dependable and loyal person, and Robin really needed that in his life. So I think they both gave something to the other.”

Both Reeve and Williams are gone now, but their lifelong friendship endures both in the form of this documentary and in the lasting closeness between their respective families.

ADVERTISEMENT

“To this day, we are, as a family, incredibly close with Marsha and their children, and we've always spent meaningful time together,” Will says. “What’s remarkable about their friendship is just how good they were to each other. Their fame had nothing to do with it. The public might be attracted to ‘Oh wow, Superman and Popeye hanging out!’ But these two icons were just really good friends. They liked each other. Their relationship was grounded, and it was rooted in love.”

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story hits theaters on Oct. 11. Watch the exclusive clip above.  

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.