Robin Williams 1951-2014

Posted by on August 11th, 2014   Filed under: Industry News
Source: NY Daily News

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Some sad and shocking news coming out of California tonight as Robin Williams was reportedly found dead in his home of a suspected suicide. According to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, he was found unconscious around 12 pm earlier today. His publicist has since released a statement confirming his death and the fact that he had been battling severe depression as of late. Williams leaves us with an impressive filmography that includes many iconic comedy roles and several Oscar nominated performances including Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society and Good Morning Vietnam. He was 63 years old.

Williams got his start as a stand up comedian in the late ’70s and early ’80s, eventually rising to fame with his role as Mork in the hit sitcom Mork & Mindy. His first major big screen appearance was the lead role in Robert Altman’s Popeye. Although he was known for his high energy comedy, he quickly proved his dramatic chops with movies like Dead Poets Society, Awakenings and The Fisher King. Of course, he is best known for some of his biggest hits including Mrs. Doubtfire, The Birdcage and Patch Adams, along with his voice acting in animated movies like Aladdin and Robots. His final on screen performance was in The Angriest Man in Brooklyn. What are your favourite Robin Williams performances?



  • Nick Poliskey

    He was quite good in dramatic roles, although I found his humour extremely annoying. Either way, he will be missed.

  • pineapplepuss

    My favorite Robin Williams movie is Hook

  • Indianamcclain

    Still an underrated film.

  • Deven Science

    I saw him during a USO tour in Afghanistan. He wasn’t the comedian I was looking forward to, as I figured his manic humor would get old quickly.

    I was wrong. He fucking killed. He was hilarious. He told jokes about the different branches of service, the different countries that had armies there (he had some funny shit about Australians, the Brits, and others), and his observations of the country and our bases. He really surprised me, and he was definitely the highlight of the tour.

    RIP.

  • Matt the Kiwi

    I like the photo you chose Sean. This news is like a punch in the guts for so many reasons – to have wealth, wit, a caring family and the adoration of millions and still not be able to find peace at 63 speaks volumes about the power of depression. He was possibly the funniest guy on the planet live. I bonded with mates in my teens over his ‘Live at the Met’ CD – we’d listen to it repeatedly and then quote it to each other (yeah, we were really popular with the ladies). As far as films, it’s hard for me to pick a favourite out of Dead Poets Society and Fisher King but I doubt I’ll enjoy either of them the same way again :-(

  • jarny

    i looked up all his movies ive seen not one of the movies is bad he made movies better one of the funniest actors ever RIP Robin Williams

  • Corey Pierce

    http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/remembering_robin_williams

    Maron’s eulogy is worth listening to, followed by his Williams interview from 2010, which was a landmark episode at the time.

  • Brian.M

    World’s Greatest Dad will be a gut punch to revisit

  • 1138sw

    RIP Robin! You were true comedic genius!! U really will be missed!

    At this moment, way up in the sky U and Reeves are having few laughs!! We miss u both and may u both be at peace.

  • devolutionary

    Guess this means no Mrs. Doubtfire sequel then. But seriously, while I found his manic humor occasionally overbearing, his most underrated dramatic roles (which were quite good) were from Insomnia and One Hour Photo.

  • kyri

    Good Morning, Vietnam

    Dead Poets Society

    Awakenings

    The Fisher King

    Jumanji

    Hook

    Good Will Hunting

    Flubber

    A.I. Artificial Intelligence

    Insomnia

    So many great memories growing up.
    Thank’s Robin, you will always be remembered

  • Tommy

    So, what’s everyone gonna watch? Think I’ll do Garp and Hook.

  • Colin

    Lots of great performances but I think, being from Miami, that I’ll always have to go with The Birdcage.

    I do remember being insanely high one summer day while still in college and happening upon Mrs. Doubtfire. For some reason, in that particular mental state, it seemed like it was the most perfectly constructed comedy of all time… haven’t had the courage to watch it since for fear of ruining it.

  • T. Heilman

    Popeye, The Survivors, One Hour Photo, The Best of Times.
    All underrated gems.

  • Xidor

    We had just finished The Adventures of Baron Munchausen when we heard the news. He was uncredited in that film. His character is credited as Ray D. Tutt. Such a loss. Makes me upset and sad.

  • Strybeck

    Yes, this one was a gut-punch. I’ve always pointed out to people that he’s a fine dramatic actor. Even when in comic films there are dramatic scenes in which Robin Williams was so sincere. My most re-watched of his films (and therefore favorites?) are Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, and Mrs. Doubtfire. But even in some of his lesser known or mediocre films I remember Williams’s acting standing out (Moscow on the Hudson, The Night Listener, The Final Cut). We found out in more recent years that he really excelled at playing dark characters that were unlike those he had played previously (One Hour Photo, Insomnia). And we could sympathize with him when he played crying on the inside characters with a sense of humor (Patch Adams, Toys, Good Will Hunting, Man of the Year, World’s Greatest Dad). He could also be counted on to do a voice role or a supporting character to a mainstream movie (A.I., Night at the Museum). It’s truly sad to see him go this way. This guy will was indeed prolific and will leave a void.

  • Nick Poliskey

    Wasn’t Philp Seymour Hoffman also in Patch Adams? SPPOOKKYYY!

  • T. Heilman

    No love for Lauren Bacall Sean? I realize a probable small margin of readers have seen a film made before 1980, but criminy!
    One of the last of old Hollywood royalty.
    And if anyone has not seen The Big Sleep, Key Largo or To Have and Have Not- get on it.

  • Sean

    Yeah I’m working on it… been in meetings all day.