Jana here,
This is a truly sad day. Robin Williams was found dead of an apparent suicide today. Williams was found dead in his Northern California home. The actor had been battling some pretty heavy depression lately and Williams had struggled with addiction earlier on in his career, but recently went to rehab to help maintain his sobriety, his rep said at the time. The rehab stint would have gone unnoticed, expect that the comedian opted to pose with a fan for a photo at a Dairy Queen near the facility, and the picture eventually went viral.
“This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings,” she said. “I am utterly heartbroken. 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.”
President Obama said this on his passing, “Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.”
He was an amazing actor with depth not visible in his early career. He made a name for himself with that remarkable humor that we all associate with his name. Then he surprised us with roles that displayed his keen insight into some really dark, deep emotions. We laughed with him, we cheered for him and he entertained us totally.
He was known for such an amazing range of films from ‘Good Morning, Vietnam‘, ‘Good Will Hunting‘, ‘Mrs. Doubtfire‘, ‘Aladdin‘ and ‘Dead Poets Society‘. He was lauded for his contribution to film with an Oscar for ‘Good Will Hunting‘ and won several Golden Globes over the course of his career. When he began a career with the line “Nanu nanu”, no one knew what kind of future was in store for the manic, lively, talented funnyman.
While I feel immense amounts of sadness for his family, this is a death that shakes us all to the core. I am a person that loves movies and TV shows. They are my comfort items when I’m stressed. I feel more relaxed watching an old movie than I do by taking Xanax. Robin Williams is video stress relief that keeps my Anxiety down on good days and cleans the Depression out on bad days. This feels like the loss of a friend. A friend that we all share. In a way, this puts us on the same side. While we grieve for the life we know has ended, I hope this brings us together, even if for a moment, to remind us we’re all fighting for the same things. They may have different labels like depression, anxiety, divorce, illness etc. but the one label that covers them all is ‘life’. We’re all working and hoping for better days. Please take time to realize the person we’re fighting with is trying to overcome something in their own life, too. Just because we don’t see a cast or a hospital bed doesn’t mean they’re not struggling with an invisible killer. I’m going to try harder in my life to let Williams’ life, not his death, be what pushes me to be a better person, and I hope you do too.
I’m going to be celebrating the life of Robin Williams with friends over his body of work on film. I’m starting tonight, with a moving and absolutely stellar performance in ‘Dead Poets Society’. Rest in Peace Mr. Williams and thank you.
O Captain! My Captain!