Robin Williams Dies of Suspected Suicide at 63

robin_williams Oscar-Winning Actor Believed to Have Died of Suicide by Asphyxiation

Robin Williams, who died Monday at age 63, harnessed his zany comic persona to become one of Hollywood’s most celebrated and bankable movie stars.

Mr. Williams was found dead at his home in Tiburon, Calif., just north of San Francisco, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

The apparent cause of death was suicide by asphyxiation, although an investigation is continuing.

Emergency personnel found Mr. Williams inside the house he shared with his wife, Susan Schneider, after a 911 call reported a man unconscious and not breathing. The sheriff’s office said Mr. Williams was last seen alive at 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Mr. Williams’s high energy at times masked a personal struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, and a representative for the actor said Monday that “he has been battling severe depression of late.”

After starting his career in stand-up comedy and bursting into public consciousness in 1978 with the hit television comedy “Mork & Mindy,” Mr. Williams built an acting career that included a mix of over-the-top star vehicles like “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “The Birdcage,” along with well-received roles in dramas including “Awakenings” and “Insomnia.”

He was nominated for four Oscars, winning best supporting actor for his role as a therapist to a troubled young math genius in “Good Will Hunting,” which was released in 1997. “This might be the one time I’m speechless,” he said upon accepting the award.

Since his days on “Mork & Mindy,” a fish-out-of-water tale that ran for four seasons in which he played an alien from the planet Ork, Mr. Williams demonstrated a fully formed comedic style filled with tics and habits that would become his trademarks.

Those idiosyncrasies, like monologues full of non sequiturs or unexpected accents, would help him quickly become one of the world’s biggest comedy stars and a favorite guest of late-night television talk shows. Even when not pictured on screen, Mr. Williams had a tendency to become the center of attention, including a celebrated turn as the voice of the madcap genie in the 1992 animated film “Aladdin.”

In 1986, he worked with fellow comedians Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal to start Comic Relief Inc., a charity that raises money for the homeless. Together, they hosted an annual comedy fundraiser for more than a decade, reuniting in 2006 to raise money for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

But Mr. Williams surprised many fans who thought of him as “Mork from Ork” by harnessing his manic energy into a string of more dramatic roles. Beginning with 1987’s “Good Morning, Vietnam,” he was nominated for a best actor Oscar three times in five years, with nominations also for “Dead Poets Society” and “The Fisher King.”

Mr. Williams’s acting career slowed in the past decade. He starred in the short-lived series “The Crazy Ones,” which was canceled in May. He recently played the role of Teddy Roosevelt in the family comedy “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” which will be released in December.

“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,” said Ms. Schneider, his wife.

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8 Comments
  1. Author
    aryan 10 years ago

    RIP

    Loved his movie Specially Patch Adams.

  2. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Its creepy, fucking creepy. I got nostalgic yday and was watching Good will hunting late in the night, the same time he fucked himself.

    I don’t know what to say.

  3. sputnik 10 years ago

    RIP

    Can’t believe that someone who always seemed so happy in his interviews and public appearances and who did mostly happy/cheerful roles was suffering from depression and would commit suicide.

    Liked him a lot in movies like Good Will Hunting, Awakenings and Mrs. Doubtfire.

  4. JJ 10 years ago

    @Sputnik, “Can’t believe that someone who always seemed so happy in his interviews and public appearances and who did mostly happy/cheerful roles was suffering from depression”. Thats why he is considered a great actor. Loved him in Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society and Jumanji. He was menacing in Insomnia. RIP Robin Williams.

  5. Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

    Believe it or not, i was watching Good Will Hunting and same time he died!

  6. sputnik 10 years ago

    Robin Williams’ Wife Issues Statement that he was suffering from early stages of Parkinson’s Disease

    Earlier this week, Academy Award-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams died after a battle with depression, anxiety and, we now learn, Parkinson’s Disease.

    Today, Robin Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider, issued the following statement and asked the media publish it in its entirety:

    “Robin spent so much of his life helping others. Whether he was entertaining millions on stage, film or television, our troops on the frontlines, or comforting a sick child — Robin wanted us to laugh and to feel less afraid.

    Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched. His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.

    Robin’s sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson’s Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.

    It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid.”

    Link

  7. sputnik 10 years ago

    Had watched this standup by Robin Williams a few years back on HBO.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=TQCbbMDHHqE

    • Anjanpur685Miles 10 years ago

      Not to criticize him, but he appeared in some interviews and stand-ups as drugged and hyper.
      I dont care if he was addicted in any kind of shit – he did his job fine to make laugh ppl. But I prefer him in films than stand-ups.

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