We have lost ‘The Funniest Man in the World’
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“The world has lost one of its most beloved artist and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken.” Robin William’s wife Susan Schneider said in a statement this afternoon. “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.”
Robin Williams was pronounced dead at his home in Tiburon, north of San Francisco, early this afternoon. The cause of his death has been initially ruled a suicide by asphyxiation. However, the coroner’s office is still waiting on the results of forensic and toxicology testing.
The world has lost an amazingly talented comedian and actor as well as a great humanitarian. A family has lost a beloved husband and father.
We can only speculate, at this point, on the reasons why a man of Robin Williams caliber would feel that he was no longer needed in our lives. He was beloved by so many. We can only guess that his battles with drug and alcohol dependency may have led to his unfortunate end. In the 70s and 80s Williams was addicted to cocaine. He stated then that the death of his friend, John Belushi, and the birth of his son, Zachary Pym, were the reasons for his “wake-up call.” Then in 2006 it was announced that he admitted he was an alcoholic and checked into a substance-abuse rehabilitation center. In recent months he had been battling “severe depression,” according to his press agent Mara Buxbaum. He had again admitted himself into rehab for help maintaining his sobriety.
Williams started his career in the cast of The Richard Pryor Show. He went on to play his most well know character, Mork, on the TV Series ‘Mork & Mindy’(1978-82), a spin off of his character on ‘Happy Days’. He received his first Golden Globe award for his portrayal of the quirky alien that everyone loved.In the 70s and 80s he would reach a much wider audience with his standup comedy on several HBO specials where his original and often shocking brand of humor helped him to be voted to Comedy Central’ ‘100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time’ in 2004. He once said, “I started doing comedy because that was the only stage I could find. It was the pure idea of being on stage. That was the only thing that interested me, along with learning the craft and working, and just being in productions with people.”
He went on to star in movies over the next thirty years, earning him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor 3 times, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 2 Emmy Awards. He also won Best Supporting Actor for his 1997 “Good Will Hunting.” Movies like: “Good Morning, Vietnam” in 1987, “Dead Poets Society” in 1989, and “Awakening” in 1989 cemented his place among the most talented actors in movies. But he was most beloved for the part he played in all of our childhoods and the film memories of our children with movies like: “Aladdin” in 1992, “Mrs. Doubtfire” in 1993, “Jumanji” in 1995, “Night at the Museum” in 2006, and “Happy Feet 2” in 2011.
Robin Williams was also known for his many charitable works. Along with his former wife, Marsha, he founded The Windfall Foundation to raise money for many different charities. He was one of the creators of “Comic Relief” (hosted by himself, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg) to raise money for the homeless. Williams also donated all of the proceeds from his “Weapons of Self Destruction” performance to helping rebuild Cantebury, New Zealand after the 2010 Canterbury Earthquake, performed with the USO for troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was a supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
So, today the world says good-bye to “The Funniest Man In The World.” As his family has asked, we will all remember him for the gracious, warm, talented, funny, outrageous man we saw on stage and screen and who helped his fellow man. He has been immortalized by himnthe characters he created. We will always remember: Nanu-Nanu!
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