Robin Williams

Robin Williams
Williams played the part of Mork in Mork & Mindy, also appearing in two episodes of Happy Days in two guest appearances in the role
Basic information
Birthname	Robin McLaurin Williams
Born	(1951-07-21)July 21, 1951
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	August 11, 2014(2014-08-11) (aged 63)
Deathplace	Paradise Cay, California, U.S.
Occupation	Stand-up comedian, actor
Years active	1976–2014
Family/personal information
Spouse(s)	Valerie Velardi (1978-1988, divorced) Marsha Garces (1989-2010, divorced) Susan Schneider (2011-2014, his death)
Character information
Appeared on	Happy Days (2 guest appearances) / Mork & Mindy
Appeared as	Mork

Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014) guest starred as Mork in two episodes of Happy Days and took the role into Mork & Mindy, which ran for 4 seasons from 1978 to 1982.

Career

Williams established a career in both stand-up comedy and feature film acting. He was known for his improvisational skills.

After his first starring film role in Popeye with Shelley Duvall (1980), Williams starred or co-starred in widely acclaimed films, including The World According to Garp with John Lithgow (1982), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings with Robert De Niro (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Aladdin (1992), Good Will Hunting (1997), and One Hour Photo (2002), as well as financial successes, such as Hook (1991), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Night at the Museum (2006), and World's Greatest Dad (2009).

Williams won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Dr. Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. He also received two Emmy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, and five Grammy Awards throughout his career.

Death

On August 11, 2014, Williams committed suicide in his Paradise Cay, California, home. His body was cremated at Montes Chapel of the Hills in San Anselmo and his ashes were scattered over San Francisco Bay the day after his death.

The final autopsy report, released in November 2014, concluded that he "died of 'asphyxia due to hanging'" (as suspected by the Marin County sheriff's office on August 12). Williams was also found with superficial wounds to his hands and arms, most likely caused by a pocketknife lying nearby. Neither alcohol nor illegal drugs were involved, and prescription drugs present in his body were at "therapeutic" levels. The report also noted that Williams had been suffering "a recent increase in paranoia". An examination of his brain tissue suggested Williams suffered from "diffuse Lewy body dementia". Describing the disease as "the terrorist inside my husband's brain", his wife Susan Schneider said, "however you look at it—the presence of Lewy bodies took his life," referring to his previous diagnosis of Parkinson's.

The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) clarified the distinction between the term used in the autopsy report, diffuse Lewy body dementia—which is more commonly called diffuse Lewy body disease and refers to the underlying disease process—and the umbrella term, Lewy body dementia—which encompasses both Parkinson's disease dementia (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). According to LBDA spokesperson Dennis Dickson, "The report confirms he experienced depression, anxiety and paranoia, which may occur in either Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies ... In early PD, Lewy bodies are generally limited in distribution, but in DLB, the Lewy bodies are spread widely throughout the brain, as was the case with Robin Williams."

Tributes

Williams's death instantly became global news. The entertainment world, friends, and fans responded to his death through social and other media outlets. His wife, Susan Schneider, said: "I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken." His daughter Zelda Williams responded to his death by stating that the "world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence".

President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement upon Williams' death:

"Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. 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".

Talk show hosts including David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to Williams on their shows. Louis C.K. tweeted out, "Goodbye Pal. Thanks for everything". This is of note due to the Louie episode "Barney/Never." This episode features Williams, who plays himself. The story revolves around Louie and Robin who go to a funeral for a man nobody liked, and the end of the episode they agree to go to the funeral of whoever dies first.

During the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards on August 25, 2014, close friend and fellow comedian Billy Crystal presented a tribute to Williams, referring to him as "the brightest star in our comedy galaxy". On September 9, 2014, PBS aired a one-hour special devoted to his career, and on September 27, 2014, dozens of leading stars and celebrities held a tribute in San Francisco to celebrate his life and career.

In honor of his theater work, the lights of Broadway were darkened for the evening of August 14, 2014. That night, the cast of the Aladdin musical honored Williams by having the audience join them in a sing-along of "Friend Like Me", an Oscar-nominated song originally sung by Williams in the 1992 film Aladdin. Fans of Williams created makeshift memorials at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and at locations from his television and film career, such as the bench in Boston's Public Garden featured in Good Will Hunting; the Pacific Heights, San Francisco, home used in Mrs. Doubtfire; the sign for Parrish Shoes in Keene, New Hampshire, where parts of Jumanji were filmed; and the Boulder, Colorado, home used for Mork & Mindy. Work on a book biography was begun by New York Times writer David Itzkoff in 2014, and was published in 2018, entitled simply Robin.

A tunnel on Highway 101 north of the Golden Gate Bridge was officially named the "Robin Williams Tunnel" on February 29, 2016.

Several fans paid tribute to Williams on social media with photo and video reenactments of the "O Captain! My Captain!" scene from Dead Poets Society.

British heavy metal band Iron Maiden dedicated a song titled "Tears of a Clown" to Williams on their 2015 album The Book of Souls. The song looks into his depression and suicide, as well as how he attempted to hide his condition from the public. Shortly after his death, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior all aired the original Aladdin commercial-free over the course of a week, with a dedicated drawing of the genie at the end of each airing before the credits.

In 2018, HBO produced a documentary about his life and career. Directed by Marina Zenovich, the film Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind was also screened at the Sundance Film Festival. That same year, a mural of Robin Williams was created on Market Street, in San Francisco.

External links

• Robin Williams article at Wikipedia