Robin Williams - When the Laughter Stops 1951-2014

The following is a selection of the tributes paid to the late Robin Williams.

11 August 2014 and the world was in profound shock. Robin Williams, the Oscar-winning actor, comedian and all-round comic genius, had been found dead at his home in Tiburon, just outside San Francisco. He was only sixty-three. What had happened – a heart attack, a stroke? Recently he hadn’t been seen much in public but no one
outside his immediate circle had been aware that anything could have been badly wrong.

Quite how wrong, however, soon became all too clear. For this wasn’t a tragic medical emergency, rather it seemed that the talented but tormented comedian had taken his own life. The Marin County Sheriff’s office put out a statement. ‘[It] suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia,’ it said. In other words, Williams had hanged himself. The world was aghast: Robin Williams was not just a popular actor but a much-loved one too. Generations had grown up watching his films; in his personal life he was known to be kind and generous too. Yes, he’d had well-documented battles with drugs and alcoholism in the past but, despite a recent spell in rehab, it had been widely believed that he was free of his demons. Now it seemed this was not so.

More details began to emerge. The Marin County Sheriff’s office had further information. It had received a 911 call at 11.55am Pacific time, it stated, with a man reported to be ‘unconscious and not breathing inside his residence’. Robin Williams was pronounced dead at 12.02pm.

The full statement read as follows:

The world was reeling but this was nothing compared to Williams’ nearest and dearest. ‘This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings,’ said
his wife, Susan Schneider. ‘I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.’

And it soon became clear that Robin was anything but in a state of good health. ‘[He] has been battling severe depression,’ said his publicist, Mara Buxbaum. ‘This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.’ It seemed that his stint in rehab betokened somewhat greater problems than anyone had realised at the time.

Robin’s twenty-five-year-old daughter Zelda gave an immensely touching tribute. ‘Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I’ve ever known, and while there are few things I know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence. We’ll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again,’ she said.

His two sons did likewise. Zack, his eldest, said, ‘Yesterday, I lost my father and a best friend and the world got a little grayer. I will carry his heart with me every day. I would ask those that loved him to remember him by being as gentle, kind, and generous as he would be. Seek to bring joy to the world as he sought.’

Cody, twenty-three, added, ‘There are no words strong enough to describe the love and respect I have for my
father. The world will never be the same without him. I will miss him and take him with me everywhere I go for the rest of my life, and will look forward, forever, to the moment when I get to see him again.’

Fellow comedian David Steinberg had been his manager for thirty-five years. ‘Nobody made the world laugh like Robin Williams,’ he said. ‘My brother, my friend, my soulmate, I will miss you.’

And the tributes were fast to flow in. ‘Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between,’ said US President Barack Obama. ‘But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.’

US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke of his ‘extraordinary zest’. ‘Robin wasn’t just a huge creative genius, but a caring, involved citizen,’ he went on. ‘I’ll always be grateful for his personal friendship and his support for the causes that we both cared about deeply.’

‘Robin Williams was a comedy giant, and although we only knew him personally for a season, he was warm, funny and a true professional,’ said
The Crazy Ones
production
company, 20th Century Fox Television, with whom Robin recently made a television series,
The Crazy Ones
. ‘His cast and crew both loved him and loved working with him, and our hearts go out to his family and friends. He was one of a kind.’

David E. Kelley, who was the man behind the show, said, ‘The talent was legendary. But equally inspiring, perhaps more so, was his kindness and humanity. A gentle soul who touched us all. A very special man, and our hearts are broken.’

Sarah Michelle Gellar was his co-star. ‘My life is a better place because I knew Robin Williams,’ she told
People
. ‘To my children he was Uncle Robin, to everyone he worked with, he was the best boss anyone had ever known, and to me he was not just an inspiration but he was the father I had always dreamed of having. There are not enough adjectives to describe the light he was, to anyone that ever had the pleasure to meet him. I will miss him every day, but I know the memory of him will live on. And to his family, I thank them for letting us know him and seeing the joy they brought him. Us crazy ones love you.’

CBS, who screened the series, said, ‘Our world has lost a comic genius, a gifted actor and a beautiful man. We will remember Robin Williams as one of the unique talents of his time who was loved by many, but also as a kind, caring soul, who treated his colleagues and co-workers with great affection and respect. Our heartfelt thoughts and sympathies go out to his family, loved ones and friends.’

One of Williams’ most recent projects was
Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb
, the third film in the popular trilogy, which was made by 20th Century Fox and due to premiere in December 2014. ‘There really are no words to describe the loss of Robin Williams,’ said the studio in a statement. ‘He was immensely talented, a cherished member of our community, and part of the Fox family. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and fans. He will be deeply missed.’

Robin had won numerous accolades, including two SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards. Ken Howard, president of SAG-AFTRA, said, ‘I am deeply saddened to hear of Robin Williams’ death. He was a performer of limitless versatility, equally adept at comedy and drama, whether scripted or improv. With his incomparable manic style, he could appeal to adult sensibilities in a stand-up comedy routine or elicit giggles from children as the voice of Genie in
Aladdin
. Outside of his career, he used his considerable talents to raise money for charity. He was not only a talented man, but a true humanitarian. It’s such a tremendous loss.’

Williams had also aired many television specials, including those for Comic Relief, on HBO. ‘Robin Williams graced HBO for so many years with his uncommon gifts,’ said the network. ‘He never failed to elevate his art and did so with a full, generous and loving heart. Always humble and gracious, Robin was a prince and holds a special place in all our hearts.’

A memorial was set up at the Boston Public Garden
bench featured in
Good Will Hunting
. A lifelong fan, Nicholas Rabchenuk and his girlfriend visited it: ‘We went to the [Boston] Common and I was really surprised there wasn’t anything there,’ he told the
Hollywood Reporter.
The couple decided to rectify that: they fetched flowers and chalk and when they came back, they found four fans sitting on the bench and so the quartet decided to write lines from the film. These included ‘Sorry guys, I went to see about a girl’ and ‘Your move, chief’.

That film prompted another tribute and recollection, this time from Minnie Driver, who had also starred in
Good Will Hunting.

‘I’d come to watch him and Matt [Damon] film their beautiful scene on the park bench in
Good Will Hunting
, and when they broke for lunch we sat around on the grass eating sandwiches,’ she told the
Hollywood Reporter.
‘What began as a riff on something or other to make us and the crew laugh suddenly extended to office workers out on their lunch break, enjoying the sunshine, and pretty soon he stood up and his big beautiful voice, full of laughter, reached out to the people who were now hurrying down from the street and across the park to catch his impromptu stand-up. There must have been 200 people listening and laughing by the time lunch was over. I just remember how broadly he smiled, patted me on the shoulder and said, “There, now that was GOOD.” I loved him, and I will miss him greatly. My thoughts are with his family and friends.’

Similar tributes began to appear elsewhere. At Laugh
Factory on Sunset Boulevard, LA, the marquee read, ‘Robin Williams Rest In Peace Make God Laugh’.
Mork & Mindy
, the TV series that had made him famous all those years previously, was set in Boulder, Colorado: fans visited the house to pay tribute. Lights along the Great White Way went dark for a minute, the old tradition whereby Broadway honoured one of its own.

Another co-star was Sally Field, who had appeared with Williams in
Mrs. Doubtfire
. ‘I feel stunned and so sad about Robin,’ she told
Entertainment Tonight.
‘I’m sad for the world of comedy. And so very sad for his family. And I’m sad for Robin. He always lit up when he was able to make people laugh, and he made them laugh his whole life long… tirelessly. He was one of a kind. There will not be another. Please God, let him now rest in peace.’

He had also starred with Nathan Lane in
The Birdcage.
‘What I will always remember about Robin, perhaps even more than his comic genius, extraordinary talent and astounding intellect, was his huge heart – his tremendous kindness, generosity, and compassion as an acting partner, colleague, and fellow traveler in a difficult world,’ said Lane.

Actor Alan Alda spoke of his ‘Niagara of wit’. ‘I hope it makes us all want to do something,’ he wrote on the
TIME.com
website. ‘While the whole country, and much of the world, feels this moment of sadness at his death, can we turn the loss of this artist we loved so much into something that pushes back against the ravages of despair?’

Fellow comedian and actor Chevy Chase knew
something of what Williams had been going through. ‘Robin and I were great friends, suffering from the same little-known disease: depression,’ he said. ‘I never could have expected this ending to his life. I cannot believe this. I am overwhelmed with grief.’

Ben Stiller, of course, was also a co-star (
Night At The Museum
franchise) and knew him well. ‘A tweet cannot begin to describe the hugeness of Robin Williams’ heart and soul and talent,’ he wrote. ‘This is so sad. #RobinWilliams. I met him when I was 13 and a huge fan and he was so kind and I watched him be kind to every fan i ever saw him with… And with other actors he was so generous and brilliant. He made everyone feel special and equal around him even though he was the genius… His heart was so big and even if you didn’t know him, what he gave everyone was that same spirit in his work, so we all felt it… His impact on the world was so positive. He did so much good for people. He made me and so many people laugh so hard for a very long time. And because they don’t really tweet, this message represents all the Stillers (Jerry, Anne and Amy) who Robin was a great friend to. Xxxxx’

The Final Cut
co-star Mira Sorvino was dreadfully upset. ‘I cannot believe we have lost Robin Williams,’ she said. ‘What a man, what a comedic genius. I counted him among my friends and have such great memories. Robin Williams was sweet and kind and generous and Oh so brilliant, able to incorporate anything and everything into his mind-boggling rants. Robin was a good man and this
should not have happened. Devastated. Sending love to his family.’