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From suicide, apparently. Such a shame.

I'm in complete shock about Robin Williams. So sad for his family.

We had a copy of his HBO special from the Metropolitan Opera house in the 80's. I found it when I was 11 years old one night, when I started sleeping past my usual bedtime and everyone was asleep. My family was going through a profoundly hard time for reasons I won't get into. I never remembered laughing so hard before and it was such a healing for me at the time. This is staggeringly sad and upsetting news.

Suicide? What the hell

Depression's a bitch. Sounded like he had been having issues around substances/sobriety lately as well.

I really enjoyed his tv appearances and stand-up. It's such a shame.

As annoying as he could be doing his random association shtick, the guy sure made some great movies (Popeye, The World According to Garp, and Good Will Hunting all immediately leap to mind). However, and I know that this might seem like a bad time to recommend it, if you haven't seen his sardonic turn in World's Greatest Dad (which centers around an accidental death made to look like a suicide), then I'd recommend that you check it out soon. It's a great film about finding meaning in stupid, meaningless events like this one.

Yes, World's Greatest Dad is a great film regardless of one's tolerance for Williams' public persona

I'd always wondered what he would have done with the Joker in Burton's Batman. From what quotes I've read of his it's a role he really wanted, and it even came up again when Nolan was doing his Batman movies because of the Insomnia connection. It sounded like he really wanted to play a villainous character that utilized his capacity for humor. And according to IMDB he was apparently too crazy for Kubrick to cast in The Shining.

He's also surprisingly great in Hamlet even if it depends of schtick a bit too much. And of course there's his small, but pretty great role in Deconstructing Harry not to mention The Fisher King. Can't think of how anyone couldn't love at least one of his roles.

Popeye is a joy, and I have to say I love his performance in Mrs. Doubtfire. Say what you will about the quality of the movie as a whole, but Williams made me love that frightful-looking old gal. He exuded genuine warmth and tenderness through all that makeup, and yet could still deliver some great one-liners. It's a film my mom and I quote constantly.

I get the feeling it's semi-unpopular around here, but his performance in One Hour Photo is probably his all-time best. Stripped of his manic energy, with only the slightest mask of humanity separating people from his inner emptiness. He should have had at least ten more roles like it.

That moment in the hotel room is so shattering and raw. I don't know if I could even watch it again.

Been a fan since watching him on Mork and Mindy. The first thing that comes to mind is when his Juilliard classmate Christopher Reeve broke his neck Robin Williams came into his hospital room pretending to be a Russian proctologist and made him laugh. I heard Robin vowed that if Christopher ever ran out of money he would cover his medical bills. Truly a loyal friend. Out of all the "comedians" he was the best dramatic actor of them by far. What a waste, he had many good roles left in him...

The interview Marc Maron did with him on his podcast a few years ago I think really did a lot for my appreciation of his work and just him as a person overall. Apparently they're going to put that interview back up in the free feed sometime soon, probably once Marc can record a new intro for it.

Maron said as much in his Twitter.

Yeah, within the hour.

I think like a lot of people born in the 90's or at least young people in general were introduced to him thanks to Aladdin. I mainly saw him in like PG-Rated roles, I especially did see him in Jack. I knew about Good Will Hunting and One Hour Photo but I was too young for those films but I truly saw one of his darker films, Death to Smoochy. At 12, it was hilarious to me as he screaming vulgarities I never thought I'd hear him say and it was the infamous cookie scene. And I saw The Final Cut which I don't remember much of him, I don't think I paid attention but I knew about that one too.

I can't deny he left an impact and I certainly did like him, it just feels so weird and very sad to find out he died today. I'll miss him.

He first impressed me as a stand-up, and in Mork and Mindy reruns I saw when I was young, before Dead Poets Society was made. This is sad and surprising news. I recall feeling discouraged when his career took the turn it did with Patch Adams, Bicentennial Man, etc. in 1998, and I mention this only to say that I never stopped rooting for him to make great films. Even in films he was in that I saw and didn't like, I think they would have been worse if anyone else had been cast in the part, and that he added something unusually original and creative to his roles.

If anyone sees comments from Billy Crystal or Whoopi Goldberg, please post or link. I remember those great Comic Relief concerts that were just brilliant.

Oedipax wrote:The interview Marc Maron did with him on his podcast a few years ago I think really did a lot for my appreciation of his work and just him as a person overall. Apparently they're going to put that interview back up in the free feed sometime soon, probably once Marc can record a new intro for it.

This is now up on the WTF podcast stream.

FrauBlucher wrote:If anyone sees comments from Billy Crystal or Whoopi Goldberg, please post or link. I remember those great Comic Relief concerts that were just brilliant.

Never thought I'd say this, but set your DVR for The View tomorrow. Will also be interesting to see Letterman's comments as he was a frequent guest.