Not Many People Knew That Christopher Reeve Wore a Wig in a Couple of the 'Superman' Movies

By the time Christopher Reeve first put on the red cape, he was 24 years old. The young actor was not the first Superman, but many would agree he is the best of the bunch, and filled the red boots in a way that hasn't been recreated since.

Prior to that star-making role, Christopher had been in one movie and a handful of television shows. When he first flew across the screen in 1978's Superman, it was clear this man was about to go somewhere and he was going to do it faster than a speeding bullet. What many people didn't realize at the time was that the costume wasn't the only thing Christopher was wearing. For two of the movies, he also had on a wig. There was a very good reason for that. Let's get into it.

In the 2002 documentary Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps, viewers may notice two big physical changes from his time as Superman.

First, he is in a wheelchair. In May 1995, Christopher was thrown from a horse and suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

The second noticeable difference is the fact that he is mostly bald, with only patches of hair clinging to his head.

While Christopher's appearance could be described as shocking, what hadn't changed was his strength and demeanor. While the wheelchair was relatively new, Christopher had been battling hair loss for most of his life. According to the New Yorker, he had alopecia areata. This is a "common autoimmune disease, causing sudden hair loss on the scalp, face, and sometimes other areas of the body," per the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Later in life, Christopher began shaving his head.

If you search for "Christopher Reeve and wig," you'll find more than a few auctions that claim to be selling actual hair pieces from the third Superman film. There are conflicting stories as to why he suddenly started wearing a wig in Superman III. The most obvious reason could be that he was having an alopecia outbreak.

There is also a rumor that he had an allergic reaction to the black hair dye used on his real hair in the first two movies and switched to a toupee for the third and fourth films. Another solid theory is that this would save time while filming. When Christopher Reeve was Clark Kent, his hair was parted to the right. When he changed into Superman, there was a left part. Throwing on a wig meant the hair would be the same in every shot.

Then there is the famous Superman S-curl that fell over his forehead. Perfecting that is also time-consuming but putting on a wig would solve so many problems. Regardless of why he did it, apparently, there is no shortage of Superman wigs available online.