Robin Williams is Dead

[Hollycat]

http://news.kron4.com/news/breaking-actor-comedian-robin-williams-found-dead/
https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/498967604070211584
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/11/robin-williams-dead-at-63/

They're calling it a suicide. Rest in Peace Genie.

[Jinx]

Woah, dude. I just saw this! And it was on on Entertainment Weekly, so that seems fairly legit. A FB friend of mine made a status about it, and its replies indicate that actual news channels are reporting on it.

[escobert]

I saw this on twitter like 10 minutes ago :( wow, one of my favorite childhood actors. He's always reminded me of my dad.

[Ayen]

I wanted it to be fake so bad T_T

[Sephiroth]

Rest in Peace, Robin. We meet again on the Farplane. Let the Lifestream guide you to eternity.

[Jinx]

I'm thinking about watching What Dreams May Come. My favorite Robin Williams' movie, and a proper send-off.

[fat_moogle]

Just put the news on and was about to come here and make a thread, I see this has been done already.

R.I.P, a fantastic actor and comedian who will be missed.

[Colonel Angus]

I was just going to post on this. It's shocking, but then, it isn't. I understand he went back to rehab a while back, so I know he started using again. It's a shame. :cry:

[Nicolas]

This is actually a fairly sad event. His media presence was a big part of growing up. He will be missed.

[McLovin']

Man, he has a daughter, too. Why would he commit suicide.

[Shiny]

It's not your fault.

Too soon?

I am actually pretty shocked about this. This is literally my first hearing this and my reaction was "Dude...what" because it just I dunno seemed out of no where. Upon learning it's a suicide, that I'm not surprised about. I honestly wouldn't be surprised of a lot of comedians doing that tbh. It's always sad that some of the funniest people are also the most sad.

[Bubba]

If anyone hasn't seen it. Watch the monologue from Good Will Hunting that puts young Will in his place. I think it is still today, my favourite scene from any film ever. It's all done in one shot and it demonstrates perfectly how amazingly talented this guy was... and he named his daughter Zelda. I don't know what to say other than...

Thank you Robin.

[MissH]

Genuinely really really gutted. Bubba and I just read this on twitter and we've both just gone quiet in shock. One of my favourite ever actors and genuinely seemed like a really nice guy. So so gutted. RIP x

[Denmark]

GtkST5-ZFHw

[Jinx]

vdXhWS7lLvs

[DMKA]

Someone told me this when I was playing FFXIV a few minutes ago. I thought they were joking. He's one of my favorite people ever.

Fuck this world.

:(

[Jinx]

As I said on Facebook: I really hope that his death opens up a dialogue about mental illness. He was beloved by so many people from so many walks of life, I hope that his death touches people who previously didn't care about mental illness.

[escobert]

I wanted it to be fake so bad T_T
srsly :(

[Pheesh]

It popped up on a breaking news thing on an app and it was literally like a punch in the gut. This fucking sucks.

[Calliope]

It takes a lot to keep going day after day, and it's maddening to never feel good enough no matter what accolades, wealth and honours reward your hard work. How tiring to not be taken seriously, to always feel you have to be the upbeat, funny guy in the room with a punchline and a smile for everyone else. Perhaps those who laugh the loudest really do cry the hardest - but whatever was going on, now it's over. RIP Mr Williams, thanks for all the voices.

[DMKA]

http://s14.postimg.org/oswmaypsh/1407800436502_1.jpg

[Vyk]

I saw this on twitter like 10 minutes ago :( wow, one of my favorite childhood actors. He's always reminded me of my dad.
Exactly the same here. I've always seen him as a father figure. Probably why it legitimately saddens me more than most celebrity deaths

I haven't read any of the news stories, but I've always heard rumblings that his personal life and outlook on life were not exactly what he wanted. I don't harshly judge anyone for suicide, and I'm just as sad that if it's true then it's the only outcome he could come up with. He needed his own Patch Adams. I'm really sorry there wasn't one available for him. May he rest in peace :(

[DMKA]

I wonder how Zelda is taking this.

His final tweet:

http://s17.postimg.org/4fxvhqxtr/Robin_Williams_final_tweet.png

[Shorty]

My heart hurts. I was just debating about watching Dead Poets last night.

What a shame.

[Cloudane]

Oh man what a shock. And this sadly is how depression is, especially right now when still relatively few reveal it. You have absolutely no idea anything is wrong as people get incredibly adept at putting on a mask, and then they're gone.

It's silly and a little tenuous, but will still always think of the guy when seeing Headmaster Cid.
RIP

[Sephex]

I just feel awful about this, and I feel even worse for Zelda and other friends/family members. Having gone to three services since 2009 where the person in question committed suicide, I know all too well how people close to this situation are reacting right now.

[Spuuky]

58912

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

If anyone hasn't seen it. Watch the monologue from Good Will Hunting that puts young Will in his place.

qM-gZintWDc

[Vyk]

58912
Fan-freaking-tastic. I feel no need to pry in on them during a time of grief and tragedy. Nobody else should feel compelled to either. Get over yourselves news media >.>

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

mother fucking bitch fuck :bou::bou::bou::bou: fucking fuck. I'm not okay with this. He is without a doubt THE actor that I appreciate more than any other. He has done so many fantastic things, and was one of the best stand up comedians.

Fuck this shit. I'm gonna go cry in bed.

[noxious.sunshine]

I'm thinking about watching What Dreams May Come. My favorite Robin Williams' movie, and a proper send-off.

That is one of the most depressing movies on the planet. Cannot watch.

I've already been struggling with another month of not having my mom. This is just so sad.

[Freya]

I'm surprised by this. Normally celeb deaths don't bother me but this one does. I lived and breathed jumanji, ms doubtfire, and aladdin as a kid. I loved this guy. :(

[Rostum]

Someone told me over the phone this morning and I legitimately shed a tear. I was completely shocked. I absolutely loved Robin Williams throughout my entire life. :(

[Madame Adequate]

I was already having a bad couple of days and then this news comes along. I don't know if it's because I'm feeling fragile right now or what, but hearing the news hit me way harder than I would have expected. Ask me 24 hours if there are any celebrities I'd be broken up about and yeah, I could name some, but I doubt I'd have called Robin Williams to mind. Now though... damn. :(

You made so, so many people laugh, and you performed some truly amazing work in serious roles as well. There are actors as good, a few but not many. I suspect it'll always be a little bittersweet to watching a movie like Aladdin from now on, but the best way to honor the man is, I think, to do as his wife Susan Schneider requests and "focus... on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions."

On the topic of depression and suicide though, it's hard as a sufferer of it to see a person of his age succumb. You sort of hope that if you get through your youth, you've figured things out well enough to get by. To be driven to suicide is a tragedy, and I hope this tragedy does help improve the debate about mental healthcare at least a little. There might be some small silver lining in that.

[NeoCracker]

I've been watching episodes of the Critic, and twice since hearing this news the show had done impressions of Characters Williams had played.

That was just bizarre.

[Rocket Edge]

I loved his films growing up like many here. He seemed like a great guy. Was sad upon hearing this. R.I.P.

[Depression Moon]

Good to see you back Hypo

Oh man what a shock. And this sadly is how depression is, especially right now when still relatively few reveal it. You have absolutely no idea anything is wrong as people get incredibly adept at putting on a mask, and then they're gone.

It's silly and a little tenuous, but will still always think of the guy when seeing Headmaster Cid.
RIP
Me too. This thing came out of nowhere for me, like really they all do and he was a cool dude. I remember when I first found out that he named his daughter after Princess Zelda.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcZhY_Zo-yg

[The Man]

I'm still processing this. It's hit me a lot harder than I would have expected it to and I think part of that is because he succumbed to depression, which is an illness I've been suffering from for quite some time myself. I guess I sort of assumed that it would get less severe over time and for that reason it's almost devastating to see such a universally beloved figure succumb to it at age sixty-three.

I could discuss his film legacy - Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam, Aladdin, Hook, Good Will Hunting, list goes on - or his stand-up work but I suspect there are other people better qualified to do that. I do think it's worth noting how much he excelled both in comedic and serious roles, though, which is no easy feat. As someone who has performed in the past, I can safely vouch that being good at one is no guarantee of being good at the other.

Mainly, though, I feel horribly for his family, and hope that if nothing else this can serve as a national wake-up call about mental disorders. Anyone and everyone can suffer from them, even successful sixty-something actors with families and friends, and people can get very good at pretending that everything's all right when it isn't. Maybe if someone around him had had a conversation with him about his depression, this could have been prevented. But as a fellow sufferer I know how difficult it is to talk about.

Just terrible news all around, and I feel like I don't really have adequate words for it. I'm way more broken up about this than I'd have expected to be.

[Calliope]

I haven't seen everything he acted in, but these are the roles I remember: The little boy who was bullied and then got sucked into a frightening jungle of horrors before being spat out into the world again, twenty-six years later; the ten year old who appears to be forty and tries to fit in with his peers; the enslaved, friendless djinn; the robot who tries to become like his human peers; the lonely photo technician; the lonely single dad who just wants to see his children; the boy-child who finally made the mistake of growing up - so much loneliness amidst all of these laughs and family films.

[Jinx]

My favorite Robin Williams movies are:
What Dreams May Come
Hook
The Birdcage
Mrs. Doubtfire
Dead Poets Society
Jumanji


Strangely enough, I don't care much for Aladdin. It's never been a favorite of mine. And I think Robin Williams was much more effective as a dramatic actor than a comedic actor.

[Shorty]

I don't see either type of role as more impacting than the other. The fact that he was enough of a talented artist to seamlessly flow between the realms of both tragedy and comedy, often within moments of each other, speaks for itself.

[The Man]

What It Was Like to Do Improv with Robin Williams (http://www.vulture.com/2014/08/what-it-was-like-to-do-improv-with-robin-williams.html)


Robin Williams may not care about any of the rules, but he absolutely cares about the people. He cares about the people onstage with him having a good experience, and you can sense that pouring out of him alongside his sweat. He cares about making sure we all could look him in the eye and know we are in it together, and he cares about making every single person in that basement theater have a good time. He doesn't ooze confidence — not at all. He seemed nervous until the second he got onstage. What he oozes is empathy — an empathy that gives him both the need and ability to make people have a better time than they were having before he got onstage.

bb7303ukNtk

In case you're interested, he apparently did an AMA not too long ago on the Reddits.

If you can stomach reading the place, the link is here: Robin Williams. It's time for a convoluted stream of consciousness. Ask Me Anything! : reddit.com (http://np.reddit.com/comments/1n41x1)

He had excellent taste in literature:


Oh my god, Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. It's one of the greatest books of all time, and the greatest character is The Mule.

Also:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu1I3c3CQAAVVDv.jpg

“Good Will Hunting” Bench in Boston Public Garden Becomes Robin Williams Memorial - News - Boston.com (http://www.boston.com/news/2014/08/12/good-will-hunting-bench-boston-public-garden-becomes-robin-williams-memorial/9NupwfvGMPMUolDr9IpsYL/story.html?p1=Must_Reads_hp)

This Inside the Actors Studio (http://www.bravotv.com/inside-the-actors-studio/season-19/videos/classic-episode-robin-williams) episode will probably also be of interest.

[escobert]

Fresh Air had and awesome interview from 2006 with him on today. Was great to listen to on the drive home. A coworker also mentioned she met him once years ago and asked to shake his hand he replied "snobby hollywood people shake hands, real people hug!" and gave her a huge hug.

[Pheesh]

A couple of very sweet remembrances by celebrities and people that knew him.

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/robin-williams-chevy-chase-danny-devito-and-more-pay-homage-20140811

[Freya]

Apparently he was an avid World of Warcraft player who enjoyed trolling people in general chat. So blizzard is making him into a NPC in honor.

[Shiny]

58912
ABC is full of nitwits.

Robin Williams was king of the nerds. Now that he's gone, who is going to fill his place? Bill Nye maybe? I don't think anyone can.

[Colonel Angus]

Stephen Colbert is the heir apparent.

[Shiny]

Stephen Colbert is the heir apparent.

I can live with that.

[Vyk]

It's a testament to how much of a lovely actor and human being he was that I am still processing this event. I honestly don't think I've ever been as touched by the loss of a celebrity since like ... Jim Henson. And I was still too young to fully appreciate that event. I think it's compounded by the fact that he did this. I can't imagine how distraught he must have felt at the end to make that decision

There was an article on Cracked that I shared on Facebook that sheds a little light on the dark side of comedy and a good portion of those who partake in it that was fairly eye-opening and educational though..

[Rostum]

Is it true that Zelda took herself off social media because there are a lot of people being asswipes? If so, that makes me incredibly mad. :mad2:

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

Is it true that Zelda took herself off social media because there are a lot of people being asswipes? If so, that makes me incredibly mad. :mad2:

That looks to be the case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/13/zelda-williams-quits-twitter-robin_n_5674501.html

Apparently trolls were digitally altering photos of Robin and sending them to her.

[The Man]

Is it true that Zelda took herself off social media because there are a lot of people being asswipes? If so, that makes me incredibly mad. :mad2:

That looks to be the case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/13/zelda-williams-quits-twitter-robin_n_5674501.html

Apparently trolls were digitally altering photos of Robin and sending them to her.ugh i think it's time for the futurama video

RaY9k6tuLog

[Vyk]

I want to punch a troll

[chionos]

He had excellent taste in literature:


Oh my god, Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. It's one of the greatest books of all time, and the greatest character is The Mule.


Would never have guessed that. I <3 the Mule. Brilliant character. Williams had great taste.




This Inside the Actors Studio (http://www.bravotv.com/inside-the-actors-studio/season-19/videos/classic-episode-robin-williams) episode will probably also be of interest.

I watched that the other day. It's really great stuff. Man, watching interviews and whatnot, it's easy to see the sadness peaking out sometimes. He drops the mask every once in a while. Makes me realize I need to pay more attention to the people around me. For real.

Edit: damn. One of these days wtpoti* are going to have to do something about the assholes who infest the web. I hope the family can find some peace in the midst of all the bullshittery from media and trolls alike. If they see anything, I hope they see how much everyone loved Robin and how much this is opening up serious discussions about mental disorders/depression.


*we the people of the internet

[Jinx]

I just checked her Twitter, and it seems so.

I mean, like, she's gained 140k followers in the last few days. That alone is probably making her feel like shit, to be honest.

[Bubba]

I mean, like, she's gained 140k followers in the last few days.

I don't understand that, I really don't. Are people just hoping to hear her grieve or have a breakdown? Just leave the poor girl alone.

[Shoeberto]

I watched that the other day. It's really great stuff. Man, watching interviews and whatnot, it's easy to see the sadness peaking out sometimes. He drops the mask every once in a while. Makes me realize I need to pay more attention to the people around me. For real.
One aspect of most people dealing with major depression is the fact that we work to hide it very effectively. Many very funny people are hiding deep wounds that they can't stand to air out loud, even when a voice deep inside of them wants to grab people and say "if you only understood."

It still eeks out at times. But when the world only sees you as a funny person, how do you subvert their expectations by dumping all of your heartache and pain on them? Would they even believe you were being serious if you did?

I posted a part of this quote from Watchmen to my Twitter when I heard the news, but here it is in full:

Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says "But Doctor... I am Pagliacci." Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.

[Jinx]

I mean, like, she's gained 140k followers in the last few days.

I don't understand that, I really don't. Are people just hoping to hear her grieve or have a breakdown? Just leave the poor girl alone.

I dunno. I checked her out a few days ago, and followed her. Then I thought better of it and unfollowed her. I only followed her because she's really funny and a huge ass nerd, and seems like someone who I'd enjoy following. But then I remembered why I looked her up in the first place, and figured it just wasn't the right time.

[Ergroilnin]

We as a humanity enjoy watching other people's pain. It's kind of our nature so I don't think of anything bad of people suddenly watching her tweets.

It's those who were abusing her with photoshopped photos, so called "trolls" are those who deserve to be shamed. Those people are genuinely bad at the core.

[Bubba]

I only followed her because she's really funny and a huge ass nerd, and seems like someone who I'd enjoy following.

Doing it for those reasons is fine. I just don't think 140,000 people followed her for those reasons. Maybe I'm being slightly cynical, people may following her as a sign of support. I do feel a lot of them are just being nosey and want to know what she's going through.

[Cloudane]

We as a humanity enjoy watching other people's pain.

Really? :S

I know we kind of do with soap operas (woohoo! Cheating! Deaths! Explosions!) but I'm not sure people are hugely horrible about the suffering of others in the real world.

As for Twitter, it's where the trolls go for seconds if they're still hungry from being dicks on Youtube. I actually love Twitter generally, but it does have that issue.

[Ergroilnin]

We as a humanity enjoy watching other people's pain.

Really? :S

I know we kind of do with soap operas (woohoo! Cheating! Deaths! Explosions!) but I'm not sure people are hugely horrible about the suffering of others in the real world.


Well we do after all watch a lot of violence and suffering on the media (I mean on news, in magazines etc.) and ever saw something happen to someone IRL? Most people just stand there and watch.

Okay maybe not so much because they would enjoy the suffering but still they are curious on what will happen next. Same thing with her sudden 140k followers.

[Jinx]

I'm not even sure how many followers she had before I looked her up. She probably gained followers before that, so it's probably more than 140k.

[Cloudane]

Well we do after all watch a lot of violence and suffering on the media (I mean on news, in magazines etc.) and ever saw something happen to someone IRL? Most people just stand there and watch.

Okay maybe not so much because they would enjoy the suffering but still they are curious on what will happen next. Same thing with her sudden 140k followers.

True with the news. It's odd. Most people I talk to don't like the way the news/media is, but must still be buying into it and thus supporting the way it's constantly negative.

I think with things happening IRL people get scared. It's like a long moment between "fight and flight" where a human will get "stuck in the headlights", and while that is going on there's a subconscious waiting to see if someone else will handle it and fear that you wouldn't be able to help as effectively as someone 'better at this'.

To confess, it's happened to me. Nothing serious - camping, little girl crying outside a bit lost. I must've spent - well probably only 20-30 seconds but it felt like ages - just frozen in place, gormless, subconsciously waiting to see if it's going to sort itself out, before putting shoes on and starting to move out. Someone else beat me to it by a few seconds and led her to her parents.

Seems pretty damn cowardly tbh, but it's hard to explain, I think that's what happens to everyone. But not necessarily a case of enjoying it!

Not that it completely explains 140k followers, and it's not like there's much they can really do for her.

[Jinx]

I just checked and her followers are up to 205k. That means she's gained 190k since I first looked her up.

[Quindiana Jones]

Reading about the troubles he's been having recently makes me very upset. A very easily avoidable suicide, as most are in hindsight. :(

[chionos]

Parkinson's must have been terrifying. To someone who relies so much on physicality, someone with so much energy, it must have seemed more daunting than death.
His outbursts were a way of controlling or perhaps overcoming the fear and anxiety inside him. As long as his body listened, he could stay one step ahead. Once it stops obeying him...

I hurt for him and his family. His poor wife. I hope she has a support system.

[Kalevala]

A thought-provoking article: http://www.tomclempson.com/2014/08/robin-williams-did-not-die-from-suicide/

[The Man]

Good piece.

By the way: Don't fall for the links to an alleged "Robin Williams says goodbye with his cellphone" video. It's a scam; no such video exists.

Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/computer/facebook/robinwilliams.asp)

[Shiny]

Doesn't Michael J. Fox also have Parkinson's? He still acts. I really don't think that disease is an end all be all.

[chionos]

Doesn't Michael J. Fox also have Parkinson's? He still acts. I really don't think that disease is an end all be all.

He does.

I don't think Michael J. Fox was already depressed when he was diagnosed, though.

And Robin Williams seemed to suffer from some identity issues. He couldn't not entertain. He was very physical, his comedy was rapid-fire. Parkinson's would have taken that away from him. Any neurological disease is about loss of control.

Saying all this, I don't know that this is what happened, or if Parkinson's factored into his suicide at all. Perhaps it didn't. I'm just speculating on my observations of Robin, of myself, and other people I know who suffer from depression, identity issues, and neurological disorders (all 3 here).

[Vyk]

I may be mistaken, but it was my understanding that Michael J Fox dropped out of acting for a good decade or more to deal with the disease. He only just recently came back into acting as far as I'm aware. I don't know if that means he got it under control or if it stopped progressing on its own or what

When I first heard about Michael getting it, I was under the impression that it progresses over the course of a person's life until it reaches a point where they can no longer live a normal life. I've never really researched the disease or people who suffer from it, so my information is hardly knowledgeable but that's the impressions I've gotten. Michael may have been lucky with his form of the disease. Robin may have been unlucky

But yeah, I know Robin has been deep in the realm of depression for an extremely long time. And the one article I mentioned earlier illustrates that most "funny" people use it as a mask to hide their turmoil, and supposedly learn it at a pretty young age. So it's entirely possible Robin has been fighting the good fight since childhood. Which is ridiculous to think about, but sadly completely possible :/

http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/robin-williams-why-funny-people-kill-themselves/

Here's that article for anyone who's interested. It speaks more about "funny" people and mental/emotional issues rather than just concentrating on Robin himself. But it's pretty insightful, and he got a lot of praise in the comments from loads of people who related 100% so I presume he knows what he's talking about

[Quindiana Jones]

Doesn't Michael J. Fox also have Parkinson's? He still acts. I really don't think that disease is an end all be all.

Seriously, Shiny?

Heaven forbid certain aspects of life affecting people differently. Inconceivable.

[Shiny]

Doesn't Michael J. Fox also have Parkinson's? He still acts. I really don't think that disease is an end all be all.

Seriously, Shiny?

Heaven forbid certain aspects of life affecting people differently. Inconceivable.

Seriously, Quin? That's not what I meant by that. I meant that if he killed himself because he thought Parkinson's would end his career (one of the things anyway), it's not career ending. Michael J. Fox has been acting for a while. Many people who act and survive day to day have a slew of problems including depression. I know different things effect people differently, but even so, a large majority of people in the world are depressed there just isn't an open discussion about it because many people are made to feel unsafe and I can honestly see why; a lot of people are dicks. There's a quote that says, something something "many people are more alike then we're are unlike" and that's definitely true. Everyone has their own struggle.

Anyway I found this today: http://youtu.be/Wcmx-kKGECM

In the first few minutes he describes he was just out of rehab. It's no secret that he had been in and out of rehab for drug abuse and alcohol addiction for much of his career. I honestly think that his battle with relapsing wasn't mainly over Parkinson's but other things in life that he couldn't get a grip of. Suicide is a personally hard thing for me to deal with because it's very close to home. I only wish that it was enough to love and care for someone enough so that they would not take their lives.