He came and spoke at my school. He answered questions. He was hilarious, of course, but also forthcoming. But what was extraordinary about him in person, and what is with me right now, on this very sad day, is how “in tune” he was with The Comedic. This is clearly not news, but it was almost a physical sensation being in his presence, that he was hearing things on a different frequency, he was in touch with his instincts, and he could feel the joke coming 20 minutes out. Billy Crystal said, “If I’m fast, Robin Williams is faster.” He was like a chess master, 20 moves ahead of everyone else in the room. It was absolutely dizzying to be in his presence and feel that almost supernatural ability ricocheting around the room. It FELT like pure anarchy and in many ways it was. But on another deeper level, he was the Maestro, completely controlling it.
Everyone is reeling from the news that he has apparently taken his own life. His despair must have been excruciating. He had battled substance abuse as well as depression (or, I have also heard, bipolar, which often goes hand in hand with substance abuse), and had gotten help, was in treatment. And yet still, the darkness overwhelmed. This is the insidious and tragic thing with mental illness. It is a MONSTER. Matt Zoller Seitz in his beautiful obituary wrote: “Anybody who’s dealt with these often-intertwined problems, substance addiction and depression, knows you don’t so much beat them as beat them back.”
I will treasure his performance in The Fisher King forever (it is one of my favorite movies). A friend of mine, who is a therapist, said that clips from that film were shown in a class she took on PTSD. That’s how accurate he got it. But his stand-up. My God, his stand-up. It’s an assault of genius. You wonder how anyone could live at that speed.
While there are so many films to talk about, some good, some not-so-good, I wanted to share this clip of Robin Williams doing a sketch on a Carol Burnett special. The sketch has to do with death and a funeral, so there is that eerie dovetail to it, but what I love about the sketch is that they do it twice in a row. And so you can see Robin Williams RIFF on a theme. Notice how the structure remains the same, and he does the blocking mostly the same, but in the second one, he goes OFF on the tangents that he felt come to life in the first time through. It’s almost like the first sketch was a “dry run.” That’s what I mean about Robin Williams feeling a joke 20 minutes out.
And it gets funnier … and funnier … and funnier …
There is much to mourn.
Be kind to one another out there. Be gentle. You do not know how others struggle.
Rest in peace, Robin Williams. Thank you for making us laugh.
For me and my peers — born in the mid ’80s — that ’90s run of Ferngully, Aladdin, Hook, Birdcage, Jumanji, Doubtfire was the constant background of an eight- to ten- year chunk of our lives. Birdcage is one of those rare movies (like Best in Show) that my whole family can agree on. We will always all of us sit down for it and laugh together every time at every joke. I remember there being a deal about Williams being brave etc for taking that role, but the bravery there is not playing gay, it’s playing cruel. His character was hard for me to understand when I was young — is he a good guy? A mean guy? — but now every time I admire how neatly he walks that line between tender and cruel. It feels real, lived-in. He’s not protecting himself at all. This news is pretty difficult to assimilate.
That clip is fascinating and perfect, thanks for linking.
// I remember there being a deal about Williams being brave etc for taking that role, but the bravery there is not playing gay, it’s playing cruel. //
What an insightful and beautiful observation. I so agree. I was not crazy about Williams when he played cuddly or nice – but when he played damaged or cruel, like you say, or even creepy (Insomnia, he was great in that – and One Hour Photo) – he could be flat out brilliant.
Nathan Lane has said some really funny and great things to say about working with Robin Williams in Birdcage – that they would have to do one wild take “where we got it all out of our system.” hahaha I would love to see those wild takes. And Robin Williams was WAY bigger a star than Nathan Lane was – but he was awesome with Nathan, generous, there for him in Lane’s closeups, just totally generous, not on a star-trip at all. Lane appreciated that.
With all of his struggles and substance abuse, it’s pretty hard to find anything bad said about Robin Williams ever. He was kind and generous to young comedians, he worked hard, he was serious about acting, a good colleague …
Just really upsetting news.
Dear Sheila,
I have been reeling from the news this morning. In a summer of seemingly endless horrors, this small tragedy has hit me very hard for reasons I can’t really explain. The same way you feel about the Fisher King, I absolutely adore Good Will Hunting and many of his moments in that film -his 5 minute “you’re just a kid” speech or the scene where he explains how he met his wife for the first time or the first time we see him teaching- are deeply inscribed in my memory. As is seeing him perform standup in NY a few times which left me completely exhausted from laughter and bewildered at his genius, his quickness, his endless well of seemingly endless similes. So what I needed today was a bit of that joy, that comfort and watching this clip had me in tears and has lifted my spirits immeasurably. thanks for this small moment of kindness on your part. best, John
I am envious, John, that you saw him do standup live. I had the same experience as you when he came to my school – I walked out afterwards, exhausted from laughing so hard, and almost confused as to how he could be so quick and brilliant. My God!
This Carol Burnett sketch has always been a favorite – it felt really good to watch it again this morning and I am glad you felt the same way.
The guy was a genius, no doubt. The Birdcage is my favorite, along with Good Morning Vietman. But I remember as a kid seeing him as Mork as well and find him strangely funny and more intelligent than most of us at the same time, something I didn’t know it was possible.
Condolences to his family.
Shiela – //Be kind to one another out there. Be gentle. You do not know how others struggle.// What a lovely tribute. What a loss to the world. I didn’t know he had issues with depression but it doesn’t surprise me that his gift would also have a terrible black side. I am thinking of his wife and children this morning. There is no comfort for suicide. My younger brother did the unthinkable; what is left, the aftermath, could be likened to that of an emotional nuke. Everyone is laid waste, you are blasted by the horror and loss, the world is gray and dull. It’s unimaginable that they would choose this. The grief ripples out and effects relationships for years. I can’t go any further.
Kim – I am so sorry to hear of your brother. It is devastating, and yes, leaves wreckage. Thank you for leaving your thoughts here.
It is a very sad day.
Someone posted this link to a letter from Stephen Frye – it’s wonderful http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/10/it-will-be-sunny-one-day.html
What a beautiful letter. I know Fry recently attempted suicide, and survived it. It is a lifelong battle.
My doctor also uses the “weather” analogy when he talks to me about moods. Look at the moods as a cloud. A could is completely real. It exists. It’s not “in your head”, a cloud is there and it is real. Just like your moods. But you can watch it pass by in the sky. And then it is gone.
It is so impossible to know it will pass when you are in it. Hence, suicide. The agony is excruciating. But the “cloud” analogy has helped me a lot although I have to really practice it. Let it pass, let it pass. It’s just a cloud, it’s just a cloud.
Much peace to everyone out there who is suffering today. News like this is very painful for many.
I’ve been rocked by this news – more so than I ever could have anticipated. Like so many others, I feel like I grew up with Robin Williams, and I even enjoyed his most recent television series, although many apparently did not. This is a real loss, a shocking loss and perhaps even a profound one. Thanks so sharing the clip – it made unbearable news a little less so.
I did not see his recent television stuff! If you want a laugh-riot, go to Youtube and look for the clip of Jack Nicholson calling Robin Williams up to accept his award for About Schmidt because Nicholson admits he is “too baked” to do it. Williams takes over, making the speech for Nicholson. The sound is really crappy, but it’s absolutely lunatic and so funny – especially when suddenly Williams starts translating for the deaf. The man was amazing to watch in action.
Still wrapping my head around what has happened. Ugh.
This remembrance from Norm MacDonald, via Twitter, is awesome.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/12/5995383/norm-macdonald-tweeted-our-favorite-robin-williams-remembrance-to-date
I’ve stated to several people and on several sites the past 24 hours that Robin Williams had a direct line to my funny bone unlike any other actor or comedian. Growing up on Mork and Mindy and tuning in every week to see where this comedic genius would go was the highlight to my week. When Jonathan Winters join the cast it was awe inspiring to watch them play off each other. You could tell early on that Robin could work with anyone and knew how to play off them and lead them down a path that would completely end in hysterics. It was clear on Mork and Mindy in those early days that the cast had all they could do to keep a straight face and make it through the scene.
One of my most favorite moments though, and definitely one that I thought about last night after hearing about his death was watching Weapons of Self Destruction with my parents. My mom who just passed, as well as my dad, never had much in common when it came to television but we all found Robin Williams hysterical and that night when I put it on we all sat there and laughed with tears in our eyes from start to finish.
His voice over as the Genie in Alladin was mind blowing and when it came to drama I will never forget his roles in Dead Poet Society, Good Will Hunting and The World According to Garp. I understand how debilitating depression can be and suffer from it as well but in the past I had Robin Williams to make me forget about it for a while and found such joy in his work. I won’t lie I went to sleep last night with tears in my eyes remembering his legend and just hope he has found his peace while the rest of us grieve over such a tragic loss. By the way thank you for sharing the Carol Burnett clip, I don’t remember ever seeing it.
Doug – your comment and memories are very moving to me. Thank you so much for sharing them.
Sheila,
Thanks for the other links and thought you might enjoy this reminiscence as well. When I read about this example or about the more than dozen tours he did for the USO at army bases around the world, I am struck by how much he seemingly lived by an ethos of small acts of kindness and now regret his loss even more.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/08/11/remembering_robin_williams_when_he_recorded_a_chapter_of_i_will_sing_life.html
Wow. That made me cry. It says so much about who he was. Thank you.
And here is a remembrance from David Simon. A bit lengthy – but you really need that set-up. Remembering Robin Williams’ appearance on HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS. It’s touching – very very very specific. You really feel like you’re in that morgue on the day of filming.
http://davidsimon.com/robin-williams-a-brief-encounter/
It’s so difficult to think of him being gone – he’s been there my entire life. His influence on my generation cannot be overstated, and I think with shows like Brooklyn 99 getting popular you can see that influence – a little bit anarchic, a little bit loose, a little bit weird. A little bit heartfelt. For awhile it seemed as if comedy wanted to turn away from Robin Williams – young comics got snarkier and meaner and sort of above it all. They wanted to pretend that they didn’t need anyone’s approval. But here’s the secret – those guys wanted -no, needed – to be liked just as much as Robin Williams did.
And of course his talent as a dramatic actor was tremendous as well. It’s just so unfair.
Statement from the Department of Defense, and an accompanying WSJ article about Williams’ USO tours.
http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=16883
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/08/12/robin-williams-remembered-as-true-friend-to-u-s-troops/
Thank you Sheila for making me laugh so loud in this sad, creepy office this morning. The YouTube link to Nicholson and Williams with the deaf translation is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Oh, dear.
I mean, it’s complete anarchy. So funny!!!
Sheila, thank you so much for this clip of Robin with Carol Burnett. Just a nit: I believe this was from a one-time special called “Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin” that aired in 1987, not “The Carol Burnett Show” per se.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381943/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_270
Elizabeth – oops, thank you very much! Will correct!