Deceased Superman Actors Who Allegedly Became Victims of The Curse
The following actors who played Superman have sometimes been cited as victims of the "Superman curse".
- George Reeves
George Reeves played Superman in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men and the ensuing television series Adventures of Superman. Like Alyn and Reeve, he was too closely associated for that role in order to find other ones. On June 16, 1959, days before he was to be married, Reeves was found dead of a gunshot wound at his home with his Luger near him. The death was ruled a suicide, but controversy surrounds the death, as Reeves' prints were never found on the gun, and he had been having an affair with the wife of MGM exec Eddie Mannix. It was Reeves' death that inspired the conspiracy theories and the urban legend of a curse associated with the character.
- Bud Collyer
Bud Collyer voiced the first Superman cartoon from 1941-43. He went on to enjoy a career in TV, creating and hosting the game show To Tell the Truth. He returned to Superman by voicing The New Adventures of Superman for CBS in 1966. Three years later, he was dead of a circulatory ailment at the age of 61.
- Lee Quigley
Lee Quigley, who played Superman as a baby in the 1978 film, died in 1991 at age 14 due to solvent abuse.
- Kirk Alyn
Kirk Alyn played Superman in two low-budget 1940s serials but failed to find work afterwards because he was too closely identified with the role, and was relegated to voice-overs, commercials and uncredited screen roles. He later appeared as Lois Lane's father in the 1978 Superman film. Alyn suffered from Alzheimer's disease later in his life and died in 1999 at the age of 88.
- Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve played Superman/Clark Kent in the Superman film series, Superman: The Movie (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). Like Kirk Alyn, Reeve was so closely identified with the character that it was difficult for him to acquire lead parts in other films, and was largely relegated to Superman sequels and supporting roles. The actor was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from his horse in a cross-country equestrian riding event on May 27, 1995. Reeve died on October 10, 2004 due to heart failure stemming from his medical condition.
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