Robin Williams’ Legacy Of Laughter Lives On
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
You couldn’t help but love the alien with a sense of humor and a smile to light up the moon. The television sitcom, ‘Mork & Mindy’ was one of my all-time favorite shows that brought me up when I was down and made me laugh when I was sad. It was my first introduction to an actor whose talent will far surpass his days on this earth, sadly enough.
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Robin Williams is gone now. He is loved as much in death as he was in life. There is an outpouring of emotional support and sympathy mixed with disbelief from all his good friends in the world of comedy and the world of television and film. So many of us are still trying to make sense of this horrible news. He brought joy to so many lives and ironically, his life needed uplifting more than anyone. He hid behind a mask of comedy and now at the young age of 63, he is gone. It seemed as if he had so much to live for.
Success seemed so effortless as you watched all the characters and personalities that Robin Williams portrayed. Whatever the role he decided to undertake or was chosen for, he made it absolutely magical in his own special way. Not only was he an actor of both comedy and drama, but he was also a producer and screenwriter.
One of my favorite films was ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ which turned out to be one of Williams’ most acclaimed roles.
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The man of numerous personalities worked very hard and was rewarded greatly with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in ‘Good Will Hunting’ and additionally received two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and five Grammy Awards throughout his career. His schooling at Juilliard armed him with the ammunition to make the most of his life.
So the biggest question that is weighing heavily on all our minds is, “Why?” With so much going for him in life, why would Robin Williams decide to end it all so soon? Things are not always as they seem. Robin made no secret to the fact that he had a troubled life. A master of laughter, he was unable to keep that laughter going for himself and just couldn’t find that door that opened up to true happiness. Married three times, Williams was wed to graphic designer, Susan Schneider, in 2011 and she is the woman that he shared his last years with. Williams was also a father and Zak, Zelda and Cody loved him dearly and will carry on his memories. A statement from Schneider confirmed: “This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend.”
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Williams made no secret of his on again, off again battle with substance abuse and addiction. Having done a stint in rehab in 2006 for the good of both himself and his family, he seemed to have fought the darkness but knew that the desire still lingered and could be tempted and reawakened at any time. No matter how hard he tried, the demons still haunted him and just this year, he admitted himself to the Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota due to alcoholism. We saw him recently in the weekly comedy sitcom, ‘The Crazy Ones’ with Sarah Michelle Gellar but it was cancelled in May of this year and perhaps that was a portion of the depression that had settled over him. His media representative, Mara Buxbaum, noted that Williams “has been battling severe depression of late.”
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Having a heart as big as his smile, Robin Williams was also all about charitable contributions. The United Service Organization (USO) was a perfect fit for the comedian. The goal of the organization is to lift the spirits of American troops, and that’s exactly what Williams did. During his USO tours, the “Good Morning, Vietnam” star traveled to war zones entertaining troops from Afghanistan to Kuwait.
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We often saw him look compassionately into the eyes of youngsters as he offered his support to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. Signing autographs of children that were battling cancer, he brought love and optimism to their world. He was also involved with Comic Relief to raise money for those in need, especially America’s homeless. He offered his time and money to over 50 different charities.
So it was with deep sadness that we all learned that Robin Williams decided to take his own life on Monday, August 11, 2014. We may never know what he was thinking but it certainly makes us contemplate the true meaning of life. We are told that ‘life is a precious gift.’ So why is it that Williams didn’t see it that way? He chose death over life and that is a difficult concept to accept.
But for all of us that loved Robin Williams, before he left us, he made a few more movies that we will be able to enjoy. Known for his voice work in films like Disney’s “Aladdin,” Williams provided the voice of Dennis the Dog in “Absolutely Anything,” which will be released in 2015 and costars Kate Beckinsale and Simon Pegg. But it is his role in the drama “Boulevard,” which premiered at the Tribecca Film Festival in April of this year, he may make this film the one that will carry on the amazing legacy of Robin Williams but still has yet to be released theatrically. He also has left behind some unreleased movies, ‘Night of the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’ and ‘Merry Friggin’ Christmas’. Both will be released later this year. There were also talks in the works to do a ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ sequel but now that will be put to rest.
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Robin Williams, you will be dearly missed for all the love, laughter and charisma that you brought into so many lives!
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