Robin Williams – A Tribute

Many of you are waking up to the tragic tragic new of Robin Williams passing yesterday. The world is a little bit darker for not having his immense presence, charisma and smile in it anymore. As well as being a wonderfully gifted comic and talented actor, he was also a dad and a husband and will be greatly missed by those closest to him. In his time on earth he touched many lives, not least through his body of work. Robin Williams was a part of all of our childhoods. From zany beginnings on tv’s Mork & Mindy, through to kids movies like Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Hook, Flubber and on to more grown up turns in Good Will Hunting, One Hour Photo, The Fisher King, Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society, Williams time and again proved that he was one of the very best at his craft.

Williams personality was infectious and his ability to improvise and inspire spontaneous laughter was remarkable. Such was his creative genius that while filming for the part of Genie in Aladdin, Disney ended up with over 16 hours worth of material from the actor and the finished movie was turned down for an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay because so many of Williams lines had been ad-libbed by the man himself.

His unique, off-the-cuff form of comedy first grabbed the world’s attention in the acclaimed Good Morning, Vietnam; Williams’ unorthodox radio DJ a shining star during one of America’s darkest periods. The movie made everyone sit up and notice Williams talent for drama as well as his manic comedy brilliance. A couple of years later he gave us Dead Poets Society and cemented his status as one of the most versatile actors around.

The early 90’s brought many of Robin’s best loved roles, as he ingrained himself into our childhoods playing a Genie, Peter Pan and the world’s greatest nanny. Despite what critics thought of Mrs. Doubtfire, it remains one of everyone’s favourite movies; one of those films if you’re flicking through the listings on a Sunday evening and you come across it, you may as well get comfy because you know you’ll be glued to it for the duration. Brilliant, poignant, funny and heartfelt, Mrs. Doubtfire is the character that probably best represents the many sides to Robin Williams own character. He taught a generation of kids that sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you had planned, but that thats ok, because there’s always another direction to go in.

Robin Williams also proved he could do serious time and again. Seriously creepy in One Hour Photo, seriously menacing in Insomnia, and seriously seriously brilliant in Good Will Hunting, one of the most emotionally charged performances I’ve ever had the grace to see. The Academy recognised him for his work with an Oscar for that performance, and it will live on as his career defining moment, a performance achingly given more relevance with Williams untimely passing. For all the light he brought to all the millions of people it seems he was overcome with his own darkness and demons and tragically isn’t around today to see how many lives he touched during his time; how many of us he made smile.

Robin Williams gave us all one of the greatest gifts you can give another person. He made us laugh. Goodbye Genie, you’re free.

(Images courtesy Twitter, Tumblr, Disney, Collider)