Who Was Robin Williams?

Robin Williams was born on July 21, 1951. An entertainer in the public eye from the 1970s on, Williams was always there during my life. He was a part of the cultural landscape, someone who played an important role during my formative years. I still remember watching Hook with a sense of wonder and awe. His performance in that film was terrific. I bought him completely both as a middle-aged businessman who had lost his sense of wonder and as the young-at-heart Peter Pan who vowed never to grow up.

As I myself grew up, I saw Robin Williams in more films and television. I saw (and yes, enjoyed) Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin, and Jumanji. Nickelodeon, a youth-oriented television network, featured "Nick at Nite" in the evenings, when I would watch reruns of the amazing Mork and Mindy. As I grew older still, I discovered the films Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, and Good Will Hunting. Not only was Robin Williams influencing my youth, he would have an effect on the man I was to become. His performances were always engaging, often hilarious, and sometimes heart-wrenching and poignant.

Matt Damon and Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, one of my favorite films.

With the ability to play a multitude of characters, Williams was an incredibly versatile actor. As one friend said on Facebook, perhaps the question isn't "who was Robin Williams?", but rather "who wasn't Robin Williams?"

A few hours ago, I learned of his recent passing. Like everyone, I was very sad to hear the news. The world has lost a great performer and from all accounts a wonderful person. He has touched a great many lives, and every one of them is grieving the loss of Mr. Williams.

While it's not clear what exactly happened to end the life of Robin Williams, it has been reported that he was suffering from depression recently. If any one good thing can come out of this tragedy, I hope that it is an increased awareness of mental health issues that affect those around us. People who suffer from depression or other mental health problems often do so in silence due to the stigma these conditions have in our society. If you break your leg, you are not ashamed of it; you seek medical attention for the injury. Mental health problems are just as real as physical maladies. No one should be shamed for having problems with mental health or depression. And no one should ever have to suffer in silence.

Now, because this is FactRoulette, I would be remiss if I didn't include an interesting fact that I had not known previously. In this case, from the life and career of Robin Williams: Did you know that Williams was in the original music video for Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy"? From 1988, here's the music video:

May you rest in peace, good sir.