Creative Q&A: Profile in Courage

Christopher Reeve is making his mark in media, politics A black-and-white documentary-style spot opens with a close-up of Christopher Reeve. "People don't really think about what it will do to their family or themselves if they are injured," he says. "Basically, they get by hoping it won't happen, but the fact is life is very random, and anything can happen to anyone at any time." Reeve's matter-of-fact narrative is seen in one of the three poignant commercials created by Alexandria, Va.-based Focused Image for Health Extras, a supplementary health-and-disability insurance company. In the campaign, Reeve emphatically discusses the emotional hurdles one faces after a serious injury, as well as the importance of being financially prepared. Since an accident during an equestrian competition in 1995 left the-then 42-year-old actor paralyzed below the neck, the image of Reeve's 6-foot-4-inch frame constricted to a wheelchair has become as familiar to the public as his portrayal of Superman. Yet within months of his debilitating accident, the actor was back in the spotlight as a political advocate, dedicating his energies to making spinal-cord disabilities a thing of the past. In his quest to educate the public and raise funds for medical research, he has shared his most intimate fears, challenging moments and inspired dreams. In 1998, his autobiography Still Me spent weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and his recording of the book earned him a Grammy for Best Spoken word. He has turned his personal misfortune into a public cause, while continuing his career as an actor and director. Reeve's role as spokesperson for HealthExtras is just one of the many advertising endeavors he has pursued to further his cause. In January, he appeared in a Nuveen Super Bowl commercial, created by Fallon McElligott, to remind viewers that money does more than buy cars and mansions. This month, he signed with New York-based commercial production company Tag Pictures to direct commercials, which he hopes will fuel his philanthropic efforts. Reeve made his directorial debut in 1997 with the HBO film In the Gloaming and directed his first ad last year, a '99 Johnson & Johnson corporate campaign from McCann-Erickson featuring various celebrities, including Toni Morrison. ADWEEK: With your already busy schedule as well as family and political commitments, why have you decided to dedicate time to directing commercials? REEVE: Directing commercials is an adjunct to the other great work I'm doing in film, TV and in my political work. In my mind, they are all interconnected by the message of realistic hope and philanthropy that I care so much about. It is a new addition to the overall picture of what I do with my life now. I think commercials have the power in 30 or 60 seconds to educate people about issues by using concise and well-chosen images without preaching to them. ADWEEK: What type of commercials would you like to direct? REEVE: I certainly don't want to do run-of-the-mill product shots. I'd like to continue in the vain I've been involved in so far. I believe in ethical free enterprise, which means it's fine for a company to make a profit, but it must be based on some kind of service. There is a promising future for television. I would like to become involved with companies that position themselves as having a conscience and want to communicate that they offer something valuable to society. ADWEEK: How does your role as a spokesperson for HealthExtras fit into your advertising objectives? REEVE: I supported it because it covers a gap between medical insurance and the amount of money you need to keep your life going after a catastrophic illness or injury. And it only costs $10 a month. That's fair. If you are disabled, after a one-year waiting period, they write you a check for $1 million, tax free. That's how you can pay your mortgage, make car payments. When I was in rehab, I remember hearing of families who went through their insurance because the cap was only $1 million--and then they had to sell their homes. Eventually, when all their capital ran out a patient had to end up in a nursing home. Nursing homes are inhuman parking garages, and it's very sad to think of a teenage kid whose got a spinal-cord injury ending up in a nursing home. HealthExtras can keep the family going after the medical coverage ends. That's ethical free enterprise because by volume, the company will profit. And they'll be able to make good on claims. ADWEEK: Was HealthExtras a positive experience? REEVE: I was very lucky. I only agreed to [doing] HealthExtras provided I have approval over the campaign, and I also have to say I'm very grateful to Tom Blair, the chief executive officer. I needed to be paid, but we have a very substantial commitment to my foundation, the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. They promised to make a commitment totalling $3 million over a two-year period. I'm not making more than the fund is because again, I'm looking for the highest ethical [situation]. That way, no one is being exploited, and I'm not profiting from my situation. ADWEEK: You received quite a bit of criticism for appearing to walk in a commercial for an investment company. Why did you decide to participate in Nuveen's Super Bowl spot last January? REEVE: The rationale behind Nuveen is that it's all right to make money, but then you have to leave your mark and give back to society. That idea is something that 100 years ago was commonly understood by the very wealthy. The Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Rockefellers, the Carnegies. They built universities, libraries, gave open land. Today, we have a new generation of dot-com billionaires who really don't have a plan of how to give back to society. There are some notable exceptions, but many become obsessed with private use. They may have five homes around the world, a fleet of jets. To be in your mid-30s and worth billions is a phenomena we've seen in the last five-to-seven years. The Nuveen commercial was really a way of showing what difference you can make in your world. It was to encourage people who have resources to do something positive with them. ADWEEK: What were your concerns going into the project? REEVE: I wanted to make it very clear it is set in the future. I also didn't want to be alone in the spot. I wanted others who have recovered to come on stage with me because I'm not leading a one-man crusade. The truth is, while I'm an advocate for spinal-cord injury research, that research crosses over to all the diseases of the brain and central nervous system. Spinal-cord research is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm very glad to be able to do that. I would feel that I was being too self-serving if I was just lobbying on behalf of spinal-cord patients. ADWEEK: Were you surprised by the tremendous controversy it created? REEVE: I liked the commercial very much, but I was thrilled by the controversy. For many people, the concept of seeing someone so severally injured up on their feet and walking is very emotional and almost overwhelming. So it created a visceral response. I checked with eight or nine of the top spinal-cord experts around the world before I did the commercial. On a scientific basis, none of them had an objection to it because they all agreed it will be possible to repair a damaged spinal cord. It's just a question of money and time. It was not an irresponsible commercial. Time magazine had an editorial condemning me for raising false hope. It was written by a journalist who had been in a wheelchair for 22 years--and I can understand his cynicism. After that much time in a wheelchair, how can one dare to hope? ADWEEK: How far away is that day shown in the Nuveen commercial? REEVE: You have no idea how quickly the research has progressed. The time line will depend on money and talent. For example, it wasn't until the [AIDS] quilt arrived in Washington and women and children began dying that politicians felt it was safe to appropriate money. Until that time, there was a stigma against people who had AIDS, as if they got what they deserved. In the '80s, the government spent no money at all on AIDS research. Many people who would have been dead 10 years ago are now healthier than ever. Today, [the budget] is $1.8 billion a year, and you can see the results. People with spinal-cord injuries, strokes, MS, Parkinsons and Alzheimers can't march on Washington. What we need to do is to bring home to the public that these diseases will affect them personally--either directly or through a close family member. Your life can change in an instant. I know a guy who slipped on a wet floor in his office lobby one night as he was leaving work. You don't need to be a daredevil to get a spinal-cord injury. ADWEEK: How did you feel when you saw yourself walking on TV? REEVE: To be honest, I wasn't happy with the body they used. The guy they used, so I'm told, said he had been a double for me when I played Superman. Further proof that actors will do anything to get a job. ADWEEK: What is your position on the current actors' strike against the ad industry? REEVE: I believe actors are entitled to residuals. For many actors, residuals are their bread and butter. Even though I'm going behind the camera, I'd still side with actors. ADWEEK: Would you direct a commercial during the strike? REEVE: Absolutely not. Unless the company signed off on an interim agreement. ADWEEK: Why did you choose to direct and appear in a Johnson & Johnson corporate campaign? REEVE: What I liked about it is that you don't even know it is for Johnson & Johnson until the last three to five seconds, but the message was about how to communicate with kids using laughter, music, reading and faith. We deliberately kept those commercials very light, very lively, the music was very upbeat, lots of cuts. The idea was to avoid preachiness. It was meant to be friendly, encouraging, meant to tell parents about their responsibility to children, but in a lighthearted way. ADWEEK: You've appeared in many commercials--before and after your accident. Do you remember your first commercial? REEVE: For my first job in front of the camera, I was 14 and cast in a J.C. Penney commercial in 1967. They were advertising a $10 dress shirt. I remember being pinned into this shirt so it would have a perfect fit. I got out onto the floor. It was just a straight shot into the camera. Suddenly, I heard a voice over the loudspeaker. "Makeup, can you do something with that kid's face? It's so bland." What a setback that was. I wanted a hole to open up on the floor and wanted to give up commercials. ADWEEK: As with any spokesperson, there is a danger of overexposure. How do you hope to keep the public interested in the issues you campaign so passionately about? REEVE: My situation is unique because I'm not a spokesman for something that may go out of fashion. I'm addressing an issue that people will continue to care for: the health of any individual or any family. It's a political problem, it's a scientific problem, and there is a clear goal we're trying to reach. And I think that'll keep it fresh. I plan to keep it that way. ADWEEK: When did you decide to become so proactive? REEVE: Two things happened to me. I remember reading the spinal-cord manual, which tells you what you are going to have to face. It says nothing about anybody with an injury above the fourth vertebrae simply because when the manual was written in 1990, people with C4 injuries didn't survive. That's what really got me going. The second thing: there was a woman who lived not far from here who was a quadriplegic and on a ventilator 24 hours a day. She required around-the-clock nursing. One night she was lying in bed and one of the hoses popped off the ventilator, so she couldn't breathe. The nurse downstairs, who was supposed to be awake, had a drinking problem and passed out. There was nobody else in the house. The patient suffocated. The defense lawyers for the nurse's agency were going to make an argument that a person with a [severe] spinal-cord injury has a very limited life that is almost meaningless. When I heard that, I offered to testify. They settled out of court. ADWEEK: You once said, "There is no other way to survive than to be in the moment." Where do you feel your life is now? REEVE: My past has prepared me for the present and the future. [Acting] is a profession that requires discipline, total commitment, belief in yourself in the face of rejection. I think all of that has helped me turn the tragedy into something positive. I'm in a unique position because I am right at the matrix of politics, science and the media. These are three powerful forces that can be harnessed, and the task of working with these three forces in our society is very fulfilling. Again for me, commercials bolster the media side. It is about communicating and getting a message across to the public in a short period of time. In the next 20 years, the life expectancy of a human being will reach as high as 90. The question will be: Is it worth living that long? In 1970, there was no hope for recovery. I would've ended up having to make the best of it, instead of being able to project a different future for people who are now chronically ill and disabled. Thank God, science is there to back me up, and I'm not the lone fool on the hill.

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Creative Q&A: Profile in Courage

Eleftheria Parpis

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Eleftheria Parpis