In the late 1970’s, two major movie franchises were born. One of them was based on a long-running superhero comic, and the other was a brand new sci-fi space saga. There also happens to be something of an odd connection between the two.
In early 1977, Christopher Reeve was hired to play the lead in Superman. Reeve would go on to famously play the role in the first four Superman films, becoming a movie superstar whose name became synonymous with the role.
However, when he was first hired, Reeve had one flaw in regards to the role: His physical appearance wasn’t “super” enough. Producers had trouble finding a good actor with a good enough physique, but ultimately decided on a styrofoam-padded suit that mimicked the muscular tone they sought.
There was just one problem. The inauthentic approach irked Reeve, who ultimately refused to wear the suit and insisted he bulk up naturally for the role. Producers disagreed until Reeve threatened to leave the project altogether. So they came to a compromise and gave Reeve two months to train.
That’s when Darth Vader comes in. …Can you imagine a Darth Vader vs Superman showdown? Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened, obviously, but Darth Vader did step up to help Superman. In fact, Superman hired him!
The 1977 Star Wars movie became a massive hit, as everyone in this galaxy already knows. Darth Vader was the ultimate villain, voiced by James Earl Jones. The man behind the mask, however, was 242lb bodybuilder David Prowse.
Prowse actually auditioned for the role of Superman only to receive a call from producers who told him they wanted to hire him to train the guy they hired for the role instead.
Eirik Knutzen interviewed Christopher Reeve in December of 1978 about his preparation for the role. The interview appeared in The Toronto Star that month with a follow-up — and some added quotes — printed in The Edmonton Journal a week later.
In it, Reeve explained that he hired Prowse to help him build muscle, flew to London where Prowse was living, and took on a two-month program that built his body from a 185lb guy who was “too skinny” (as producers called him, and Reeve agreed) to a super-er 219lbs.
Reeve detailed his first day to Knutzen, saying, “I worked two hours a day for eight weeks, starting by lifting every possible weight and machine in the gym. When I literally couldn’t lift a weight off the floor, Prowse said, ‘Right, that’s your starting point!’ At the end of the first two hours I promptly went and threw up. I was so nauseous it took me a half-hour to recover.”
That first day was mostly for Prowse to gauge what he needed to do for Reeve. He immediately started an excercise program for him, which included days dedicated to different areas — especially the back and neck muscles, since those would be more obvious on film, and then a day of working on just thighs and waist while Reeve’s neck muscles rested. Toning his biceps also became a priority.
Reeve said he never took any supplements other than a concentrated protein drink, but had it four times a day. However, when it was all done, he looked a little more like Superman than Clark Kent, especially when in the tight Superman suit. That styrofoam padding became completely unnecessary at that point.
Reeve continued the program throughout the shoot, which took 18 months, though that’s partly because they filmed Superman II as well. It’s a good thing Marlon Brando was only briefly required for his multi-million dollar role, as Reeve later blasted the legendary actor while discussing his experience with David Letterman.
Reeve laughed to Knutzen about his training, saying, “I had a difficult physical problem in getting ready for Superman. Except for the facial structure, I had nothing else going for me.” He added that his physique after the program was incomparable to what he looked like before.
Throughout his workouts, Reeve began to worry about how Superman looked while flying on screen. He thought it would be strange to have a very muscular man flying around and wanted it to be man who, when taking to the skies, looked graceful. He explained, “This man must look as though he belongs in the air, the way a ballet dancer does. I wanted to create the impression that Superman doesn’t look quite as at home on the ground as he does in the air. To do that, I went back to the modern dance training that I had at Juilliard while I worked with a stunt coordinator on the trampoline for an hour every day.”
Reeve’s workouts and commitment to the role overall certainly paid off. His performance as Superman is a bar that will likely never be surpassed. The obvious lesson to the story is that things are always better when Superman and Darth Vader work together.
Perhaps the best quote from the Einik Knutzen interview is when Christopher Reeve humbly said about himself, “I’m more like Clark Kent in real life.”
