He was an icon alright.
He always had a larger than life quality about him, which made him perfect for the role, and appreciated years later, which made the Superman films all classics.
It was so strange that he was in Monkey Shines playing the part of a paraplegic, an unlucky coincidence which mirrored the future unfixable injury that dominated the rest of his life. People still loved him, and he continued to be a tremendous role model and talented visionary.
What nice words