SUPERMANIA is proud to present an exclusive interview with a man who, as a boy, was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time and wearing the right outfit.

The short but sweet clip above very recently uploaded to YouTube after 28 years is a segment from the UK’s BBC1 children’s breakfast show ‘Saturday Superstore’ presented by DJ Mike Read.  1987 would be the final season of the show where most celebrities of the day would appear and be subjected to all manner of questions from a kids phone-in, with often hilarious results.

In town shooting the final scenes for Superman IV: The Quest For Peace was Christopher Reeve, who, spotting a youngster wearing a Superman costume, selected young Grant Curran to accompany him during his interview.  Grant himself takes up the story from here…

Grant, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to SUPERMANIA. Your video is superb and you were so lucky to meet the man himself but when and where did this occur and how did you come to appear on television…?

It was on Saturday 17th January 1987 when I went to the BBC Studio in London as I had heard Superman was being interviewed live on Saturday Superstore. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of him and get his autograph if I was very lucky. I just went up to him to and the next minute he walked onto the set taking me with him. The rest is as you will see in the video.

How old were you at the time and were you as big a Superman fan as you appeared? Had you seen all the films up to that point and what was it about them you liked most?

I was 7 years old and Superman mad ever since I can remember. I had seen all the films lots of times. My favourite was Superman II. I knew them all off by heart. I think my favourite scene is where Zod screams after having his hand crushed and also when Clark spins Rocky around in the chair at the restaurant at the end of Superman II.

You are stood with Christopher Reeve in a Superman costume and he seems to take to you very well – had you met backstage before that moment or was it live as seen?

I was already wearing my Superman costume when I arrived. No we had not met backstage before. It was Christopher Reeve that took me with him and as you can see from the look on my face I am overwhelmed and stunned to say the least. I don’t think I realised quite what was happening until I saw Mike Read.  After the show when Christopher Reeve came out backstage I thanked him and he posed for a photo with me.

You appear remarkably composed for meeting somebody so world-famous at the time – what do you remember about Chris himself and did he say anything else to you off-camera? Did he have interaction with any of the other kids?

I think that was because he was such a genuinely nice guy. I always remembered that he said ‘he would take me flying sometime’. He chatted to the other kids on the show as they were asking him questions.

The footage is remarkably clear for a vintage video recording if that is indeed the source – if not where did it come from and and was it difficult to obtain?

All I can say is that it is a professional copy which I tracked down relatively easy recently as my original video recording back in 1987 was damaged.

Today you are a father yourself – are you still a Superman fan and did meeting Chris back in the day influence your life in any way?

I am still as big a fan as I ever was and have passed this onto my daughter. We both have Superman t-shirts and watch all the films together.

I have never forgotten the experience of meeting Christopher Reeve. He made me feel so special and by him calling me ‘Superman’ I thought I could do anything. It still remains the most amazing memory and I consider myself to be very lucky indeed.

Grant, thank you so much for talking to me..!