Rest in peace, Robin Williams

The actor Robin Williams died today at his home. He was only 63. I am old enough to remember watching him on the “Mork and Mindy” tv show. He landed the role of an alien by sitting on his head at the audition, and ad-libbed frequently during filming. Though the show will never make any list of all-time great sitcoms, it hinted at Williams’ immense talent.

I haven’t seen the most recent Robin Williams movies. He won most of his numerous awards during the 1980s and 1990s, including the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Good Will Hunting.” To my mind, his strongest performances were in “Moscow on the Hudson,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” and “The Fisher King.” His range was incredible. Not long ago I saw a rerun of “Law and Order SVU” featuring Williams, and he was way more terrifying than the average guest star villain.

Though the medical examiner has not made any official determination, many media are reporting that Williams likely died from suicide, which compounds the tragedy. Like many comedians, he struggled with depression over the years, and periodically with drug and alcohol use. Suicide kills roughly 30,000 Americans every year. Here’s some basic information about the epidemic. Here are some warning signs that a suicide attempt may be imminent, as well as factors that put someone at greater risk of killing himself.

Feel free to share your own favorite Robin Williams moments in this thread.

Tags: Culture, Health

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desmoinesdem

  • Sad, sad news

    I spent several summers watching Mrs. Doubtfire on my grandparents’ VCR, pretty much non-stop.  (They had three channels)

    I assume Williams was struggling with things that many of us will never know about.  The networks cancel shows way too soon these days and it can cause people to doubt their ability from time to time.  I question whether network TV is really worth being part of these days and it apparently hit him hard when CBS cancelled his new show.

    Williams and Jonathan Winters were dear friends and I think they truly looked out for each other.  When Winters passed away last year I bet Williams lost someone that he could truly confide in.  

    We should thank him for the work that he left.  Someone should have grabbed him, showing how much of a positive impact he had on the world.  

    • agree 100 percent

      They don’t even give new shows a full season to catch on. “Seinfeld” didn’t become popular until the third season, if memory serves–now it would never have a chance to build an audience.

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