When celebrities pass I often find it hard to become truly emotionally invested in the loss of the person. Depending on the individual my emotions range from feeling for those who did feel invested in the person to being deeply saddened. Today I find myself extremely upset. On the verge of tears is the only way I can truly describe the loss I am feeling right now. As of roughly two hours ago, Hollywood, no, the world, has lost one of its finest actors and funniest comedians, a comical father to a generation, a therapist to the misunderstood, and a teacher to all. My friends, the one and only Robin Williams has been found dead from a suspected suicide at the age of 63.
Growing up, Robin Williams was a staple of my family’s household. I was first introduced to the funnyman via his voice as the Genie in Aladdin, a staple of my Disney animated movie watching as a child and one that my mom used to find a nickname for me. Shortly after, Hook became a regular watch as well, but it wasn’t until the world was given Mrs. Doubtfire that I truly became a Robin Williams fanatic, and I was only five when that came out. I’m surprised our VHS tape didn’t snap, that’s how much my family watched it and that’s also when I realized how much my dad’s personality matched that of Robin’s. It was amazing having a slice of Mr. Williams’ personality throughout our house on a daily basis, it made life fun. Mrs. Doubtfire is a film that I quote on a regular basis, I can’t go a day without saying “hello!” in his Mrs. Doubtfire voice, it’s just part of my life at this point.
As I began to grow older I saw films like FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Flubber, Jack, Bicentennial Man and, a family favorite, Jumanji. I don’t know what kid didn’t love Jumanji and the insane wild man that Robin was throughout that film. I still refuse to believe that there are people out there that don’t like that movie. Eventually I hit middle school and in the eighth grade I got a 10 minute look at Robin Williams: Live on Broadway. I understood maybe half the jokes but it was a side of the comic that I had never seen before, this man was absolutely dirty and was making my dad and I howl with laughter (our family eventually saw him perform live, it was incredible!). I laughed so hard that the next time the special was broadcast on HBO I went to my best friend’s house and watched it with him, as I anticipated the jokes I could only start laughing before the punch line, spitting my water out everywhere. That was my introduction to the “mature,” R-rated Robin Williams and it was a turning point in my life.
The older I got, the more movies I watched and eventually I had become of age where I could watch some of his more mature works , movies that garnered the man critical praise or movies that I could finally understand. This was the time The Birdcage became the new Mrs. Doubtfire of the family movie selection, a regular in our DVD player. It was also the time when I finally had a chance to see and obsess over Patch Adams, the doctor everyone wanted to have (my sister actually sent a letter and got a autograph back from Robin Williams on a Patch Adams print-imagine my jealousy). More importantly though, I finally got around to seeing Good Morning, Vietnam, Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society, two of his most acclaimed works. Good Will Hunting and Good Morning, Vietnam are simply a solid films while Dead Poets Society is probably one of the first films to truly move me as a young man and, for those that have seen it, you know why.
Though his film career may have hit a bumpy road post Patch Adams there were still a handful of diamonds in the rough of, well, disappointing films. Insomnia is excellent Christopher Nolan thriller that shows how creepy Robin Williams can be and why people sought him out for non-comedic roles. RV was a ridiculous comedy that most people probably skipped but it’s one my family can relate to for some weird reason and a film with one scene that made us all nearly pass out from laughing, it holds an odd place in our hearts but one I’m sure fans enjoyed on some level. While Night at the Museum was a supporting role it got him back in the spotlight as President Teddy Roosevelt and a very funny one at that, but for me, the big return for the actor was in World’s Greatest Dad, a dark comedy that many Williams fans have probably never seen. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend watching it right now but when the grief subsides you must take a look as it really is one of the best films of his later years.
His final films may not be his most memorable but Robin Williams has had a career that most would envy. The Academy Award winning actor has found his way into the hearts of millions. My generation will forever know him as a hot dog or Mrs. Doubtfire and other generations know him for his other incredible performances and characters, but if there is one thing that this man has done on a consistent basis it’s that he’s been able to make us smile and uncontrollably laugh for decades, bringing us joy and sadness through his stand-up and feature film work. He’s had a career that he and his family can be proud of and one that I am truly blessed to have experienced and shared from the sidelines, whether it be in front of a TV screen or in my seat at a theater in NYC watching him perform stand-up live, I’ve enjoyed it all with a big smile on my face.
Thank you Mr. Williams for bringing me so much happiness. As I try to hold back the tears from falling, it’s with a heavy heart that I say goodbye, you truly are one of the greats.
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