RIP Robin Williams (1951-2014)
When I was 11 years old, I swiped my uncle's tape of the Good Morning, Vietnam soundtrack and fast forwarded through the classic music to listen to Robin Williams' amazing monologues, many of which I can now recite by heart. When I was even younger, I played with a plush Mork doll (complete with rainbow suspenders) that belonged to another one of my relatives that got passed on to me. I watched Aladdin when I was baby-sitting and Dead Poets Society was watched in my 9th grade Lit class. For Valentine's Day after John and I first moved in together, he bought me a copy of What Dreams May Come and we snuggled under a blanket together on the couch and watched it. When I first watched Man of the Year, I wished we could have a President like that. I watched The Crazy Ones whenever I could and wished it had never been canceled.
In other words, Robin Williams has been a near-constant part of my life, even if I didn't know him personally. So imagine my shock when I came home from work yesterday to read on TMZ that Robin Williams was dead. My first thought was it was another internet hoax (Twitter, maybe) that would be debunked by Williams himself soon enough. And then I saw the statements from his wife and his agent, not to mention the outpouring of sadness from his colleagues and admirers in Hollywood.
Robin Williams was found dead in his home due to suicide by hanging. He'd attempted to slash his left wrist initially but the cuts were minor, so he used a belt to hang himself. He recently went to a rehab facility, allegedly to aid with maintenance care for an alcohol/drug addiction he's been battling for decades. His most recent stint was primarily to aid with the alcohol addiction. People who were close to him say that recently he'd been battling a deep depression (partly stemming from the cancellation of his CBS series The Crazy Ones) and may have been having financial troubles.
No matter what was going on, Robin Williams had a family who loved and adored him, including his three children: Zelda, Cody, and Zachary. He'd been married to Susan Schneider since 2011 and before that, he was with Marsha Garces. His first marriage was with Valerie Velardi. He worked with hundreds of Hollywood stars like Billy Crystal, Joshua Hutcherson, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, to name a few.
He worked in movies, television, and also had his own stand-up specials. Some of my favorites:
Good Morning, Vietnam Best Clips
Dead Poets Society - A Barbaric YAWP
Mrs. Doubtfire Trailer
Faerie Tale Theatre: The Tale of the Frog Prince
Hook - Peter Becomes Pan
Fern Gully - Batty Rap
Aladdin - Genie Transforms Aladdin
Jack - Graduation Speech
Good Will Hunting Park Scene
What Dreams May Come - I'm Sorry, Babe
RV Trailer
Man of the Year Trailer
Law & Order: SVU "Authority" promo
World's Greatest Dad Trailer
Lee Daniel's The Butler Trailer
The Crazy Ones Intervention
Robin Williams Live on Broadway - Biblical History
Inside the Actors Studio - Robin Williams & the Scarf
Of course, the only way to close this entry is with a scene from Robin's first major role, as Mork from Ork on Mork & Mindy, especially given this is a telling speech on being a celebrity. The end is especially heart-breaking.
Click to view
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, STOP. There are people who care and people who will listen and help you in any way you can. If you're in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. If you're outside the U.S., click here for a list of international contacts. You are not alone!