I finally got around to watching season 3 of Louie and I actually just watched the Robin Williams episode yesterday. Y'know where Louis and Robin meet at the graveyard and talk about a dead mutual acquaintance. The last scene was them agreeing to go to each other's funeral. What are the odds? One of life's little quirks I guess.
Yeah, I saw the report earlier and was hoping it was a hoax. Then Entertainment Weekly said it, followed by Variety, then Fox News, and then everyone else started reporting it. This is terrible news. I am really going to miss that man.
Damn... one of the last actors that I thought would end up that way. Now I keep thinking of his character in "One Hour Photo". He played a depressed character so well in that.
He became friends with Christopher Reeve when they were at Juliard. Robin Williams once talked about how when John Houseman was running the acting program at Juliard, he called Reeve and Williams into his office and told them that their talents were desperately needed in the theater, and that no matter what, they shouldn't give up acting on stage. "Unless," Houseman said. "You can make a shitload of money doing films." Williams and Reeve supported one another while they were both struggling to make it. Whichever one of them had work, he'd help the other one pay their bills. Its likely that if it hadn't been for Reeve, we would never have had Robin Williams and vice versa. Goddamned, do I have some good memories tied to Williams. I remember watching one of his early HBO specials that was taped at a club in San Francisco, and literally pissing myself with laughter. Most of all, though, I remember back in '88, getting off at work at Wendy's, going over to this blonde's house, the two of us getting high, listening to Robin Williams, and fucking like rabbits.
Even his bad movies (which aren't very many) were good movies. If a man of such staggering success can fall to depression . . .
That is some fucked up shit right there. Why is it the Robin Williamses of the world get depressed and choose to off themselves, yet the Carlos Mencias and Margaret Cho's of the world decide to stick around?
I suppose I'll have to watch What Dreams May Come next weekend. One of his moments that I remember most was when Dick Cavitt (I think) invited Robin to do some ad-libbed Shakespeare together during an interview. Cavitt started off, and Robin did 5 minutes uninterrupted, showing a perfect knowledge of Shakespeare while satirizing him. Cavitt never got another word in. Forever in my head is the line"For sooth, the moon, like a testicle, doth hang high in the sky!"
He was a fine dramatic actor when he guest starred on "Homicide:Life on the Street" and "Law & Order: SVU". Interestingly enough in both episodes his characters motivation was the death of his wife.
Recently watched the you tube video of Williams and Koko (the gorilla) having a tickle fight. I kept thinking his actions and reactions reminded me of depression ... but ..., what do I know? I'm no psychologist. It's too bad. I was very saddened to hear this n
Koko or Robin looked depressed? Regardless, this is some pretty astounding news. His personal life must have been FUBAR.
Even if it wasn't, Depression can make it seem that way, and from what I read, his Depression was severe and chronic.
I'm a weird Robin Williams fan... Lotta people rave about "Dead Poet's Society", I hated that one. Liked him in it, hated the rest of the flick. I'm wavey-hand on "Good Will Hunting", and "meh", on "Good Morning Vietnam". Conversely, I loved him in"Popeye", and "Death To Smoochy", and almost everyone hates those ones. And I loved him best in obscure little things he did that everyone else forgets, like his cameo in "Shakes The Clown", and his appearance in "The Baron Munchhausen".
The same thing that makes some artists so fragile is also what can make them so good. Robin Williams had a genius mind for comedy, and that was paired with him having performance skills that occasionally let glimpses of his depth and darkness through. He was a man of substance, with flaws, and all the better for it.
Its one of those movies that's great the first time you see it, but after that, it loses something. BTW, the kid who kills himself in that movie, he's "Wilson" from House MD.