Superman actor Christopher Reeve has died, his publicist has said.

The 52-year-old fell into a coma on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest at his New York home.

Reeve had been paralysed from the neck down in a near-fatal horse-riding accident nine years ago.

The former actor spent most of his time since in a wheelchair and became an advocate for spinal cord research.

He starred in the original movie about the comic-book hero in 1978 and its sequels in 1980, 1983 and 1987.

His later films include Noises Off (1992) and Morning Glory (1994).

Despite his injury, Reeve acted again after his accident, in Village of the Damned (1995) and various television productions, including Rear Window (1998).

Source: Press Release