You Will Believe a Man Can Learn These ‘Superman’ Facts
You know that Christopher Reeve played Superman in four movies in the 1970s and ’80s. And you know he didn’t get to wear a suit that enhanced his muscles like many of the movie superheroes that came after him. But did you know that Reeve got into shape to play the Man of Steel by using a training regimen supervised by none other than David Prowse, the man who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy? It’s true, and it’s just one of the facts featured in the latest installment of You Think You Know Movies!
Superman’s father, Jor-El, was famously portrayed in 1978’s Superman by Marlon Brando. While he was one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, by this point in his career Brando had some ... unique ideas about his performances. He refused to learn any of his lines in advance and even read some of them off the baby Superman’s diaper. And he tried to convince director Richard Donner that instead of appearing onscreen, the character of Jor-El should be played by a green bagel with his voice. (Shockingly, Donner did not agree.)
You Think You Know Movies? is a ScreenCrush original series that dives deep into the cinematic worlds of your favorite movies and freeze frames a few tidbits you might not have known. We’ve already tackled Star Wars, The Avengers and Spider-Man, but this time we’re taking you up, up, and away to learn all about the original Superman movie. Watch more installments of ‘You Think You Know Movies?’ below and let us know in the comments what movies we should cover next!