Robin Williams dead at 63

[Nuxfanabroad]

Thanks again, ladies & gents..for meaningful words. Just woke up to this thread, here in Osaka. I don't think folks here realize the tangible sadness of losing such a soul. With the language barrier, the genius of Robin's humour is somewhat lost in translation. Students I've spoken with don't seem to realize the magnitude of Robin Williams(comic/actor/compassionate, decent & caring man), that we all enjoyed in the english speaking world.

But thank you all again. The CDC community(both while participating & lurking) has meant a lot to me in my yrs abroad-more than I can convey.

[ShakyWalton]

This was posted by a friend of my nieces ..they both work in the Vancouver Film industry..I thought it was quite poignant...

i wasn't a robin williams fan. i hated that he was always 'on'. i'd watch him on talk shows and he was manic and crazy and fast and off the rails. he was on. always on. why couldn't i see him just speak and tell a story and be more real?
then in 1985 (i think) while on a trip to california with a friend we happened to be at the Improv on a night when robin would show up to do a set in preparation for Comic Relief. we knew something was up when Milton Berle was escorted in. and then, there he was. and i was literally a few rows away from him as he went through a set that left me stunned.
when i sensed he was wrapping up i left my seat and went out to the hallway to hopefully meet him and tell him how amazing he was that night. he came out and walked right to me. i said hello and he stopped and said hello. i let him know how great it was to see him perform and that it made my drive down from vancouver so worth while. and in that moment as he shook my hand i got 'it'. who he was by how he looked me in the eye as we spoke. i felt like he listened to every word i said. he said thank you and something else i don't remember now. and then he was gone.
years later i would work on two different films he was in - RV and Night at the museum 3 - the latter ending just months ago. he seemed quiet and thoughtful when i saw him on set. the night i took my girlfriend, her daughter and friend eve to set to give them a tour he came out, while we were waiting to go in, and he saw the two young girls and stopped to say hello to them. it was just a few minutes but i think they may have felt what i had felt so many years earlier. they were smiling like they had had a private meeting with santa.
while i only had a few encounters with him he left an amazing impression on me. professional, kind and gracious. he always seemed to have time to talk and say hello and see how you were. many i know who had much closer dealings than i did with him all have nothing but great things to say about him.
today while cutting grass i realized i couldn't stop thinking about his death. i am not one to dwell on hollywood deaths as i don't know them and frankly a lot of those that i have met over my time in film have been assholes - sad to say. but robin somehow was different. and we're all the better for it. the one thing i thought today was that you often hear people say, and it's a cliche, when someone kills themself, "i just saw him the other day and he seemed fine"
i feel like i just saw him the other day and he seemed fine.

thanks pal.

[awalk]

^ thank you for sharing.

I feel like he was a part of the family for everyone.

[Nuxfanabroad]

Agreed above^ brilliant stuff, Shaky.

That sense of humanity poured thru in so many of Williams' characters, it was impossible to miss.

[PhillipBlunt]

This was posted by a friend of my nieces ..they both work in the Vancouver Film industry..I thought it was quite poignant...

i wasn't a robin williams fan. i hated that he was always 'on'. i'd watch him on talk shows and he was manic and crazy and fast and off the rails. he was on. always on. why couldn't i see him just speak and tell a story and be more real?

then in 1985 (i think) while on a trip to california with a friend we happened to be at the Improv on a night when robin would show up to do a set in preparation for Comic Relief. we knew something was up when Milton Berle was escorted in. and then, there he was. and i was literally a few rows away from him as he went through a set that left me stunned.

when i sensed he was wrapping up i left my seat and went out to the hallway to hopefully meet him and tell him how amazing he was that night. he came out and walked right to me. i said hello and he stopped and said hello. i let him know how great it was to see him perform and that it made my drive down from vancouver so worth while. and in that moment as he shook my hand i got 'it'. who he was by how he looked me in the eye as we spoke. i felt like he listened to every word i said. he said thank you and something else i don't remember now. and then he was gone.

years later i would work on two different films he was in - RV and Night at the museum 3 - the latter ending just months ago. he seemed quiet and thoughtful when i saw him on set. the night i took my girlfriend, her daughter and friend eve to set to give them a tour he came out, while we were waiting to go in, and he saw the two young girls and stopped to say hello to them. it was just a few minutes but i think they may have felt what i had felt so many years earlier. they were smiling like they had had a private meeting with santa.

while i only had a few encounters with him he left an amazing impression on me. professional, kind and gracious. he always seemed to have time to talk and say hello and see how you were. many i know who had much closer dealings than i did with him all have nothing but great things to say about him.

today while cutting grass i realized i couldn't stop thinking about his death. i am not one to dwell on hollywood deaths as i don't know them and frankly a lot of those that i have met over my time in film have been assholes - sad to say. but robin somehow was different. and we're all the better for it. the one thing i thought today was that you often hear people say, and it's a cliche, when someone kills themself, "i just saw him the other day and he seemed fine"

i feel like i just saw him the other day and he seemed fine.

thanks pal.

Thank you for sharing the stories. It seems that everyone from yourself to Conan O'Brien and all points in between speak to Williams' kindness, generosity, and humanity. He was also obviously unbelievably gifted and selflessly shared his gift with everyone.

It just doesn't seem right that someone as truly genuine and goodhearted could be afflicted by such absolute internal misery and pain.

[Tearloch7]

Absolutely brilliant .. thank you.

[Special Ed]

Was never a big fan of the guy but he seemed like a good person. RIP.

[Azzy Mahmood]

Here in the UK a radio presenter made some appalling comments regarding Robin Williams. I have started a change.org petition to seek his removal from the airwaves, and thought you might like to sign it as well. He was totally out of line, and it’s not the first time either.

Thanks for reading, even if you don’t sign it.

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/talksport-sack-alan-brazil-for-his-comments-relating-to-the-tragic-death-of-robin-williams

[CroSen]

There have been several verbal attacks on Williams, even recently his daughter has had to quite twitter. I just don't get it. What a bunch of gutless cowards to take a shot at a dead person and his family. I totally get if you don't find Williams funny, everyone's tastes are different. However to take shots at a guy who was revered for his kindness and support of others, while dealing with mental health and substance issues of his own is just gutless in my opinion. It is sad to see how many people still don't know how to deal with thier own Sh*t in an appropriate way.

[ShakyWalton]

Robin"s wife said he had early Parkinsons disease and wasnt ready to share it yet...to bad he didnt but it sure gives creedance to his depression..she also say he was sober and not involved with drinking at the time of his death..results from the autopsy/toxicology report wont be available for 2-6 weeks.

Robin Williams Helped Pay Struggling Comedian Jamie Kilstein's Salary: He Saw Me Through "My Darkest Moments"

To his fans, Robin Williams was Mrs. Doubtfire, Sean Maguire, Aladdin's Genie, and Mork. To his friends, he was a supporter in a time of need, a quick laugh, and a "thoughtful" and "soft-spoken" man. After the untimely death of the Oscar winner on Monday, Aug. 11, he continues to be memorialized by those closest to him in his life.

Comedian Jamie Kilstein was one of the many who considered the Good Will Hunting star not just an idol, but a mentor and friend.

PHOTOS: Robin Williams' greatest roles

"It's weird seeing everyone post about him, because you forget what a huge star he was when you got to know him," Kilstein, 32, said. "When you got to know him he seemed like the most humble and down-to-Earth guy."

It was recently revealed that Williams was dealing with the early stages of Parkinson's Disease before he committed suicide. He also had an ongoing battle with depression and anxiety, his wife Susan Schneider said in a statement.

PHOTOS: Stars we lost in 2014

Kilstein grappled with his own personal demons, but Williams was always there to pick him up. "Every time I struggled with addiction myself, or depression, or thought about quitting he would chat with me on the phone," he explained of the actor, who sought treatment for addiction in 2006. "I'd be sitting in my office and Robin Williams, in the softest voice, would just be helping me through it all. He would help me out of my darkest moments."

Williams even saved Kilstein's job. "My radio show Citizen Radio had a moment where we almost had to stop because we were getting kicked out of our space," the comedian recalled. "Robin heard about it through our mutual friends and called me, just saying, 'What do you need?' He made up the difference in my salary while we were struggling. Our inside joke was that we didn't have sponsors but we were brought by 'Robin Williams.'"

PHOTOS: Stars remember Robin Williams

That was just the "kind of guy Robin was," the New York-based funnyman explained. "He was the first guy to send a note when Hurricane Sandy happened. The first. Just to check on me."

Kilstein's friendship with Williams began when the Oscar winner attended the comic's performance at The Punchline in San Francisco. "He came backstage and was just the most soft-spoken and thoughtful guy I had ever met," Kilstein said. "Immediately we were trading jokes and doing bits together. He was so full of joy. Then he went and sat down and watched my act, he was the first applauding at the end of every joke and just gave me an amazing energy. We went out to dinner after and remained in touch ever since."

Other tributes to Williams have been similarly emotional and full of praise. Williams' former Good Will Hunting costar Matt Damon called him "a beautiful man," while Ben Affleck added that Williams "had a ton of love in him" and "personally did so much for so many people."