Robin Williams, one of the great movie stars of his generation, passed away today at the age of 63 in what police are calling a probable suicide by asphyxiation.
The Oscar-winning star of Good Will Hunting, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets Society, The Birdcage and Good Morning, Vietnam had been “battling severe depression of late” according to spokeperson Mara Buxbaum, who asks that the privacy of his family be respected at such an unexpected and tragic time.
Robin Williams brought great delight to audiences around the world with his sweet, funny performances in family films, comedies and sensitive dramas, but also demonstrated a powerful serious streak in films like One Hour Photo, Insomnia and his most recently released picture, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, about a man who struggles to overcome his emotional instability after being given only minutes left to live.
Like many of our readers, we here at CraveOnline grew up watching the films of Robin Williams and being reduced to puddles of giggling jelly watching one timeless comedic performance after another. Although like many actors Williams also appeared in a number of unsuccessful or unpopular motion pictures (Jack and RV come to mind), over the course of his impressive acting career he contributed to more classics than most actors could ever dream of.
Born in Chicago, IL, Robin Williams overcame his youthful shyness by taking acting courses, culminating in his acceptance to Juilliard in 1973. He was soon cast as “Mork” in a guest spot on the popular TV series “Happy Days” before landing a starring role in the long-running spin-off “Mork and Mindy.” His first appearance in a feature film was the little-seen 1977 comedy Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses? but soon took center stage as the title character in Robert Altman’s adaptation of the cartoon series Popeye in 1980.
Over the course of the 1980s, Robin Williams appeared in multiple comedies and the drama The World According to Garp before his Oscar-nominated starring role as Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning, Vietnam made him a bona fide leading man and established box office draw. From that point in his career he would juggle serious dramatic roles and broad comedies, earning acclaim on both fronts, setting the box office aflame and eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting.
On a personal note, Robin Williams was the first real celebrity I ever interviewed as a professional film critic, for the thoughtful and bittersweet Bobcat Goldthwait dramedy World’s Greatest Dad. He was kind and funny and happy to riff for all the press in attendance, and made me feel welcome in a community that sometimes makes outsiders feel like just that. That was the first and only time I met Robin Williams, and for that I am sad, but at least I have one fond memory of meeting a man who made my childhood a little more wonderful than it otherwise might have been.
Robin Williams, from all of us here at CraveOnline, we salute you. Thank you for letting us share in your humor and humanity. You are already deeply missed.
For more information on depression and how to seek help on suicide prevention, contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at 1300 224 636 if you’re in AU, National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 if you’re in the USA, or Samaritans at 08457 90 90 90 if you’re in the UK. For a more comprehensive list of international hotlines, visit Wikipedia.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
