Oh Robin, My Robin. Gone but sure as hell not forgotten. Not forgotten by his family, his fans, or documentary filmmakers. His sense of humor is timeless.

We remember this OG by learning, and then celebrating, 15 cool and crazy things about his storied life. Don’t get caught at the dad function — which could be a barbecue, a sporting event, or a surprise trivia night in which the trivia is mysteriously all about Robin Williams — without these cool facts about the legend himself. 

1. He had a close relationship with Christopher Reeve.

Turns out the acting superstars were roommates at Juilliard back in the day, and Christopher even helped Robin out from time to time. “My student loan hadn’t come in yet, and he would share his food with me,” said Robin. 

Later when Christopher suffered a spinal cord injury, Robin visited him in the hospital in the most Robin Williams way possible. From Christopher’s book, Still Me: 

“…the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent. He announced that he was my proctologist, and that he had to examine me immediately…it was Robin Williams…for the first time since the accident, I laughed. My old friend had helped me know that somehow I was going to be okay.”

2. In high school he was voted “Least Likely to Succeed.”

Does this mean I still have a chance to defy my fate of “Most Likely to Have an Early-onset Mid-life Crisis”?

Back at ole Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, some people who are very bad at predicting outcomes and who should probably stay away from gambling guessed that Robin Williams wouldn’t amount to much. 

Since then he’s won five Grammys, two Emmys, and an Academy Award. Better luck next time, high school kids with poor judgment. For the rest of us who also got insulting superlatives in our yearbooks, good news: we can still turn this thing around. 

3. His favorite book as a kid was Chronicles of Narnia’s The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Robin passed on the magic of Narnia to his own kids by reading the C.S. Lewis series aloud to them. During an AMA, he said: “I would read the whole C.S. Lewis series out loud to my kids. I was once reading to Zelda, and she said ‘don’t do any voices. Just read it as yourself.’ So I did, I just read it straight, and she said ‘that’s better.’”

I’m imagining the superhuman/dad strength it took for Robin Williams not to do a funny voice and sending mad dad-preciation up towards the sky.

4. If Robin could be any animal, he’d have been a dolphin. 

From his AMA on Reddit: “Just their abilities, how social they are, how sexual they are, how intelligent they are, mainly how social they are.”

Good god, look away kids. It’s true, Robin liked sex and admired that dolphins also like sex. It makes sense that someone as down-to-earth and personable as Robin would switch bodies with a sociable animal. I can’t blame the guy; dolphins seem like they’re having a good time. And also sex.

5. He was a gamer.

Does the guy who named his daughter “Zelda” like gaming? The rumors are true, the guy who named his daughter after a video game character loves gaming. Robin had Battlestation Pacific, Portal, and Call of Duty on rotation. And apparently, Robin and his wife played Legend of Zelda together when she was pregnant with aforementioned daughter, which is the cutest thing ever. 

World of Warcraft paid homage to the legend by memorializing Robin in multiple ways, most notably a lamp-dwelling genie with “infinite cosmic power,” reminiscent of that big blue fella we all know and love from 1992 Disney classic Aladdin. 

6. He loved cycling. 

Another cool thing that came out during his AMA: “My favorite thing to do is ride a bicycle. I ride road bikes. And for me, it’s mobile meditation.” Robin, I’ve been saying for YEARS that repetitive exercise is moving meditation. We are like, so the same. Except you’re one hundred times more talented than me. 

New dad fantasy alert: me and Robin Williams, biking up the California coastline, trying on funny voices and sharing our troubles in those voices, getting lost in nature and then finding ourselves.

7. He got angry with Disney for using his genie voice to sell Aladdin merch without his permission.

When Disney tried to slip one over on Robin (who do they think they are?) by earning some extra dough with his classic genie voice, Robin wasn’t having it: “I don’t want to sell stuff. It’s the one thing I won’t do.” That guy was committed to the art as hell.

To make up for it, Disney sent him a Picasso painting believed to be worth $1 million. Thanks, I guess? How about next time, ask first.

8. He started his acting journey as a mime in New York City.

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A post shared by Niall Byrne (@pheonix_tweetin)

That’s right, Robin could do it all, including making you laugh without funny voices. 

Photographer Daniel Sorine was doing his usual thang of taking photos of in Central Park when he came across a duo in front of the Met. It wasn’t until 35 years later that he realized one of those mimes was none other than Robin Williams. 

“What attracted me to Robin Williams and his fellow mime, Todd Oppenheimer, was an unusual amount of intensity, personality and physical fluidity,” said Sorine. “When I approached them with my Pentax Spotmatic they allowed me to invite them into my camera instead of me having to chase after them.”

Check out the full gallery here.

9. He once owned a vineyard.

Is this evoking a fantasy vineyard getaway for you, too? On three let’s say what we’re thinking. 

Did you also say, “You, me, and our cadre of dads escape to Napa Valley to sip wine and have Robin Williams movie marathons while cosplaying as our favorite Robin characters”? 

Oh, you say you had that fantasy about you and your spouse and not me? Okay. Fine. 

Robin on owning a vineyard: “It’s like Gandhi owning a delicatessen.”

10. His dad was a Ford executive. 

You came to The Dad for facts about Robin Williams, but did you know you’d be getting facts about Robin Williams’s dad? Dadception indeed. 

Robin’s dad, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, worked at Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln-Mercury Division as a senior executive, and his mom, Laurie McLaurin, was a former model. One could say they were a family of high-performing rockstars. 

Apparently, when Dadbert (what we lovingly call Robin’s dad) was transferred to Detroit, the family lived in a 40-room farmhouse with a maid. Later they moved to fancytown USA, aka Marin County, California. 

11. He did a mean Jack Nicholson impression. 

Robin said his favorite celebrity to impersonate was Jack Nicholson, but he also loved doing impressions of Ed Sullivan, Keith Richards, Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, and John Wayne. Dana Carvey did his favorite impersonation of himself. 

12. He befriended a gorilla named Koko. 

Classic boy meets girl, except boy, in this case, is fully adult Robin Williams, and girl is one San Francisco Zoo inhabitant called Hanabiko “Koko” the Gorilla. 

Koko was famous for knowing many American Sign Language signs and was said to have recognized Robin in person after watching his movies. According to the Koko Foundation, Robin even cheered her up after her mate died.

13. The role of Genie in Aladdin was written for Robin. 

And in order to woo him for it, Disney shared their vision of Genie by fully animating him and having him perform one of Robin’s own stand-up sets. Robin was like, hell yeah, I’m down to clown around in Genie town. Or words to that effect. 

14. He lived a full but troubled life.

Time magazine once asked Robin: “Billy Crystal says stand-up is how you process the painful. Do we have to wish more painful things on you?” Robin’s answer: “You don’t have to. I find them.” 

Robin suffered from addiction and depression and, when he did talk about it, talked about it in that oh-so-very-Robinesque way. He told Time, “I went to rehab in wine country, just to keep my options open.” 

It may be that fame and fortune aren’t all their cracked up to be. It may be that the goofy, fun friend is just hiding the dark stuff really well. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting two things from this: check on your funny friends, even if their jokes are going downhill. Especially if their jokes are going downhill. 

And maybe that whole “I’ll be happy once I’m rich!” thing a lot of us have going on in our heads isn’t necessarily true. Maybe we can get that same rich feeling from looking over at our kids and seeing them healthy and happy or reading them Chronicles of Narnia, to be corny about it. Just saying. Maybe that’s the more worthwhile thing. 

15. He ad-libbed one of our favorite parts in Good Will Hunting. 

That part in which Sean is describing his wife’s farts? Robin made that up Robin made that up out of his beautiful head. Look close enough and you’ll see Matt Damon the human, not Will the character, having some real laughs. Look even closer and you might notice the camera (and accompanying camera man) shake. 

That’s just the effect Robin had on people — uncontrollable laughter. High five to the skies up towards Robin for doing one of the funniest dad bits of all time, which is mom-themed fart jokes. Why could all stand to be a little more like Robin, and that includes making fun of mom’s farts. Especially making fun of mom’s farts. And if she gives you any grief, tell her you’re just paying respects to the realest. 

These crazy facts are a part of our dad trivia series, where we drop some pop-culture science you can impress your dad pals with at the next BBQ.

Check out our previous edition where we featured crazy Facts You Don’t Know About Rick Moranis.

Perhaps few recent celebrity deaths have had as wide an impact as the tragic suicide of beloved comedian and actor Robin Williams, who took his own life after a long battle with mental health and Lewy Body Dementia, leaving family, friends, and legions of fans behind.

In the years since he passed, Williams’s children, daughter Zelda and son Zak, have been vocal about supporting causes their father believed in, particularly mental health.

A few months ago, Zelda used her father’s 69th birthday as an occasion to crack jokes and donate to homeless shelters, and back in June, Zak announced that he was naming his firstborn son ‘McLaurin,’ after Robin’s middle name.

On Monday, Zak continued making tributes to his father, this time by getting married on World Mental Health Day, a date that is clearly meaningful to the Williams family.

I had the great joy of marrying my best friend @oliviajune today! It went awesome and we couldn’t have tied the knot on a better day. #WorldMentalHealthDay pic.twitter.com/ANtAW109zg

— Zak Williams (@zakwilliams) October 11, 2020

Zak’s tweet noted the day, and included the #WorldMentalHealthDay hashtag, making it clear how important the day, and the meaning behind it, is for him. No doubt that is due in no small part to his father’s struggles.

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A post shared by Olivia June (@heyoliviajune)

Hopefully, by continuing to speak out and shed light on mental health, Zak and Zelda can support other families who are struggling.

Both personally and professionally, Robin Williams led an incredible life. He made us laugh with his over-the-top stand-up comedy, his hilarious impressions, and his unparalleled humor. Robin Williams was a giver, famously using his talent and time to help people facing life’s many challenges. One story that stands out as emblematic of Williams’s character is how he came to the aid of Christopher Reeve after the horseback riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Instead of approaching the situation delicately or with any sort of pity, Williams approached it with humor.

Reeve recalled in his 1996 book “Still Me,” “Then, at an especially bleak moment, the door flew open and in hurried a squat fellow with a blue scrub hat and a yellow surgical gown and glasses, speaking in a Russian accent. He announced that he was my proctologist and that he had to examine me immediately. My first reaction was that either I was on way too many drugs or I was in fact brain damaged.”

That fake proctologist who insisted that Reeve flip over for his exam was, of course, Robin Williams – and unsurprisingly, Williams was the first one able to make the former Superman actor laugh during a time when laughter felt impossible. Robin Williams filled that role for so many who needed it, providing joy when it felt out of reach. While providing levity and hope to those around him, tragically, Williams was struggling with his own mental and physical issues that ultimately led to his death in 2014.

Williams’s incredible kids, Zachary, Cody, and Zelda, have carried on their dad’s legacy by recognizing others who have brought laughter to the world. Every year, the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award is presented to someone in the entertainment industry who makes a positive impact. The Legacy of Laugher Award (LOL Award, was that intentional?) partners with Glenn Close’s nonprofit Bring Change to Mind, which aims to end the stigma surrounding mental illness.

This year’s recipient of the LOL Award was the Smith Family, making them the fourth ever recipients. Will, Jada, and their kids Trey, Willow, and Jaden (via FaceTime) graciously accepted the honor on Monday.

“This year, we wanted to honor the entire Smith family, as individuals and as a whole, for their longstanding contributions to the world,” Zak said. “You’ve held groundbreaking, open discussions about important topics like family, career, and mental health in a world that often expects silence from its most visible citizens.”

Zak continued, “Your charitable acts are many and varied, from feeding the homeless, helping inner-city youth programs, fighting AIDS in South Africa, and bringing safe water to those who need it most. And while doing all that, you still manage to entertain millions with your talents through your films, through your talk show, through music, laughter, and your clear and vibrant family bond.”

As with other recipients of the award, the Smith family embodies some of Robin Williams’s best and brightest characteristics. From their charitable nature to their humor and love for each other, this all-star family is truly deserving of the recognition.

In case you weren’t tearing up yet, Zak references his dad’s connection with Smith after both played the genie in Aladdin. “From one genie family to another,” Zak says, “thanks for sharing your phenomenal cosmic powers with the world.”

One of the biggest cliches in comedy is that the funniest performers often have the darkest inner lives. This has seemed true in a number of cases over the years, but perhaps the most shocking example was beloved comedian and actor Robin Williams, who we lost nearly six years ago.

To most of the fans who loved watching his manic performances on stage, at Comic Relief, in Mrs. Doubtfire, or as the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, this didn’t compute. How could such a talented guy, so gifted at making other people laugh, be so sad and troubled? Mental illness is a complicated thing, and you can’t always tell when someone is afflicted and struggling.

A new movie hopes to shed a bit of light on this discrepancy, using Robin Williams’ last few days to illuminate the issue.

Robin’s Wish, a documentary from Vertical entertainment, directed by Tylor Norwood, will be released in September, details the entertainer’s fight with Lewy body dementia, a deadly neurodegenerative disorder, through interviews with medical professionals and various people who knew him well, including his wife Susan Schneider Williams.

In a statement, she wrote: “During the last year of his life, Robin was confronted with anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, scary altered realities and a roller coaster of hope and despair. With our medical team’s care we chased a relentless parade of symptoms but with very little gain. It wasn’t until after Robin’s passing, in autopsy, that the source of his terror was revealed: he had Diffuse Lewy body disease. It was one of the worst cases medical professionals had seen. Armed with the name of a brain disease I’d never heard of, I set out on a mission to understand it, and that led me down my unchosen path of advocacy. With invaluable help from leading medical experts, I saw that what Robin and I had gone through, finally made sense, our experience matched up with the science. And what I discovered along the way was bigger than me, and bigger than Robin. The full story was revealed during the making of this film and it holds the truth that Robin and I had been searching for.”

Watch the trailer:

Then visit the Robin Williams YouTube channel to cheer yourself up.

RIP Mork, you’re missed.

Yesterday was Robin Williams’s birthday. Had we not lost him nearly 6 years ago, he would have turned 69 on July 21st, and social media was ablaze with tributes to the beloved actor and comedian.

But perhaps the most meaningful tribute came from his daughter, Zelda.

Zelda, 30, seems to have inherited a bit of her father’s sense of humor and his well-known kindness, for on his birthday she took to Twitter to announce that she was making a very specific donation in honor of her late father.

Today would’ve been Dad’s 69th birthday, so to honor him (& that glorious number), I will be donating $69.69 to as many local homeless shelters as I can. Join me if you like, but regardless, know I am wishing you all at least one hearty, immature belly laugh on Dad today ♥️

— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) July 21, 2020

Not only did Zelda make her dad proud by donating to a bunch of homeless shelters in his honor, she intentionally donated $69.69 – “the glorious number” – because, like her father, she knows the value of a good laugh.

Unfortuantely, not everyone – or every computer – gets it, and Zelda’s unique donation amount was flagged as “suspicious activity,” which she was forced to clear up before backing away from social media for a while.

Welp, got the ‘suspicious activity’ email, so gonna have to slow down on 69s and go talk to a robot for a bit 😂 Gonna go back to being off socials for awhile (as I do yearly), but thanks for joining me in honoring Dad (and the number 69) today! ♥️

… it was ‘nice’ 😏

— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) July 21, 2020

Apparently, we don’t need those stupid CAPTCHA graphics to determine whether or not we’re robots, we just need juvenile jokes!

Zelda inspired others to annoy those computer gatekeepers, as many fans of her father sent their own donations.

Wanted to pop back to say I’ve gotten a ton of these. Charities are receiving $69.69 all over the world! The ripples of good you all spread is helping SO MANY! It’s more than just a ‘nice’ gesture… you’ve spread kindness like Dad spread laughter, & I am forever grateful ♥️ https://t.co/98kHxX9nIH

— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) July 22, 2020

Zelda was thrilled, and let everyone know how much she, and her late dad, appreciated the gesture.

I cannot express to you how deeply this would’ve touched Dad. He loved the homeless, spent much of his life trying to help them, to uplift them, to have them be treated with dignity instead of disdain. Thank you for doing so in his name. Thank you, for keeping his kindness alive.

— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) July 22, 2020

Everyone has a favorite Robin Williams performance.

Maybe you loved the genie in Aladdin before you even knew who Robin Williams was. Maybe you grew up watching Mork and Mindy and cheered as he transitioned into movie roles. Maybe you have a soft spot for the inspiring teacher in Dead Poets Society, or for the caring shrink in Good Will Hunting. Maybe, like my mom, you couldn’t get enough of his manic stand-up performances, where his impressions and improvisations flew almost as fast as his sweat.

Everyone has a favorite Robin Williams performance because everyone loves Robin Williams. Twitter is sharing their love for the legendary comic and Oscar-winning actor today, because if the world hadn’t lost the beloved actor nearly six years ago, he’d be celebrating his 69th birthday, probably with his family.

Today would have been the 69th birthday of Robin Williams, the iconic actor who starred in ‘Aladdin’, ‘Good Will Hunting’, ‘Hook’, ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ and ‘Jumanji’.

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” – Robin Williams pic.twitter.com/rJdJ3MTQ7L

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 21, 2020

Fans are sharing images from their favorite performances, artwork they’ve created, and clips from his stand-up. Many are using his birthday as an occasion to remind others that mental illness is an insidious thing and one that is not always easily noticed. And that sometimes the kindest, funniest, seemingly happiest people are suffering on the inside.

Robin Williams would be 69 today, such an amazing talent but tortured soul!

“I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it’s like to feel absolutely worthless and they don’t want anyone else to feel like that” – #RobinWilliams pic.twitter.com/EYoBa01rZi

— Keith Mahon (@MrKeithMahon) July 21, 2020

Despite battling depression, Williams still managed to make millions laugh.

#RobinWilliams would have been 69 today. Fmr. DoD Sec. Hagel said in part back in 2014: “From entertaining thousands of service men and women in war zones, to his philanthropy that helped veterans struggling with hidden wounds of war, he was a loyal and compassionate advocate.” pic.twitter.com/OmvxNGu6sY

— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) July 21, 2020

His audience included one of the most famous and accomplished directors of all time.

While working on ‘Aladdin,’ Robin Williams would call Steven Spielberg to help cheer the director up while he was filming ‘Schindler’s List’

‘He’d do 15 min of stand-up on the phone. He’d never say goodbye … just hang up on the biggest laugh he got from me. Mic drop’ pic.twitter.com/Yla7hJx4nm

— Film Facts 🎬 (@factsonfiIm) July 16, 2020

Everyone has a favorite Robin Williams performance. Most of us just wish he was still around to give us more of them.

There are a ton of streaming options these days, and boy, do we need them.

Netflix has Tiger King and true crime and Community (we stan a king!). Amazon has cleared the way for parents and made their children’s programming free. HBO unleashed nearly 500 hours of programming to non-subscribers. Disney and other studios have made movies available much more quickly than they normally would, all to help us survive the quarantine.

We have a lot of choices, but even all of that doesn’t always do the job. Maybe this new option will, especially if you want to laugh.

YouTube, which has channels dedicated to classic G.I. Joe, He-Man, and She-Ra cartoons is now housing a collection of content that’s a bit more adult-oriented: The Robin Williams Official YouTube channel.

Do you like to laugh? Do you like to get exhausted just watching someone try to make you laugh? Do you like impressions? Do you like mania? Do you like Robin Williams? Then this channel is for you.

The page describes itself thusly: The Official Robin Williams YouTube Channel celebrates the life and comic genius of Robin Williams. Whether you know Robin from the stage or from the screen, as a comedian, an alien, or a genie – be prepared to laugh and cry at these unforgettable and hilarious performances.

The late, great comic has a lot of unforgettable and hilarious performances, both onscreen and on stage. His stand-up sets are insanely hyper endurance tests, pushing your abs and his ability to handle dehydration to the limit (I mean, the man can SWEAT). Few standup comedians had Williams’ energy level, and watching one of his sets is a surefire way to distract yourself from coronavirus fears.

So head over to YouTube and check it out:

There’s a new Instagram filter, you guys.

WAIT! Before you scroll past this story, it’s actually delightful and heartfelt. I dare you not to smile.

So this new filter is basically a slot machine that chooses a Disney character that represents you and, naturally, it’s spreading like wildfire. The video that’s making everyone smile and teary-eyed, though, features Robin Williams’ daughter, Zelda, as she gives the filter a try for the first time.

Y’all… pic.twitter.com/Q2xAR17zV7

— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) December 30, 2019

The animated characters flicker across the screen and, wouldn’t you know it, eventually land on the beloved Genie from 1992’s Aladdin—a role Zelda’s dad made truly unforgettable. Zelda bursts out laughing.

At the time this article was written, the video has garnered over 1.9 million views and been liked over 130k times.

“What are the chances?” one commenter wrote. “I like to imagine that was your dad’s doing, making you laugh to this day!”

Another said: “Oh gosh, you can really see your father in you when you laugh. How beautiful!”

Others couldn’t help but share their sorrow at being reminded of the late actor’s passing.

“I smiled and felt sad at the same time. I really miss your father and feel for you and the rest of your family, Zelda… He is my hero and idol. And I try to make someone’s day better by laughter, for him.”

We lost Robin Williams five years ago after a decades-spanning career of top tier dramatic performances as well as comedic ones.

In 2018, on the anniversary of her father’s death, Zelda went to Instagram to write about the interesting and sometimes uncomfortable space of sharing her father and his memory with the world:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It’s that time of year again. Everyone who has dealt with loss knows the pain of certain anniversaries, moments full of memory that come round like clockwork and usurp all others, no matter how hard you may try to prepare for or avoid them. These weeks are the hardest for me, and thus, you’ll see me a lot less, if at all. For all the internet’s good intentions in expressing to me their fondness for dad, it’s very overwhelming to have strangers need me to know how much they cared for him right now. It’s harder still to be expected to reach back. So while I’ve got the strength, consider this my one open armed response, before I go take my yearly me time to celebrate his and my birthdays in peace. Thank you for loving him. Thank you for supporting him and his life’s work. Thank you for missing him. I do too. If you’d like to do something in his honor, volunteer at your local homeless shelter, or look up how to make homeless aid backpacks. Give one in his name. He’d have loved that. Otherwise some great orgs he loved include @cafoundation, @dswt and @reevefoundation. Mostly, try to spread some laughter and kindness around. And creatively swear a lot. Everytime you do, somewhere out there in our vast weird universe, he’s giggling with you… or giving a particularly fat bumblebee its wings. Happy early birthday, Poppo. Miss you every day, but especially these ones. ♥️

A post shared by Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) on Jul 19, 2018 at 1:04pm PDT

“For all the internet’s good intentions in expressing to me their fondness for dad, it’s very overwhelming to have strangers need me to know how much they cared for him right now. It’s harder still to be expected to reach back. So while I’ve got the strength, consider this my one open armed response, before I go take my yearly me time to celebrate his and my birthdays in peace.

“Thank you for loving him.
Thank you for supporting him and his life’s work.
Thank you for missing him.
I do too.”

Robin Williams was a national treasure. So much so, in fact, that we honored the 5th anniversary of his passing with a piece that acknowledged his prowess as a performer and his influence as a father.

Others online have been circulating deleted scenes from one of Williams’ most iconic roles: Mrs. Doubtfire.

While the legendary Scottish nanny is one of the most well-known comedic roles in history, the role also highlights Williams’ stellar acting chops as Daniel Hillard, a desperate, divorced actor who will do anything—even dress as a grandmotherly housekeeper—to be with his kids.

The first scene features Williams’ character arriving late to his daughter Lydia’s spelling bee. While initially angry about his tardiness, Lydia decides to really open up and confront her father about his willingness to act in order to be close to them, yet his unwillingness to simply stay married to her mother, his ex-wife.

The confrontation turns into a bittersweet conversation about relationships and the pain that can come from living a life where one simply pretends to be happy.

“It wouldn’t be real,” Hillard says. “You would know. We’d be acting. You can’t act 24 hours a day—I’m not that good of an actor. Today proved that. Life’s more real and wonderful than that.”

It’s a touching heart-to-heart between a father and daughter, but also a very poignant reflection of Williams’ own tragic story.

The second scene takes place after Sally Fields’ character has found out the truth about Daniel masquerading as Mrs. Doubtfire. Their verbal brawl is overhead by their kids who silence their parents by exclaiming how they hate them. Naturally, Fields and Williams look completely gutted, as any parents would be.

Director Chris Columbus said the scenes were cut from the theatrical release because they would have been ‘too heartbreaking’ for audiences, but they truly show what great emotion the film could have conveyed as well as the amazing range Robin Williams had as an actor.

August 11, 2014 was a devastating day. In fact, many of us probably remember where we were when we found out Robin Williams had died. He was a comedy legend, a world-class actor, and a father and friend with an intense love for others. Of course, these famous characteristics were not enough to overcome the intense physical and emotional distress that plagued him later in life.

Now, five years after his passing, Robin’s kids are reflecting on precious interactions with their father and doing their best to honor his legacy while combating the stigma surrounding mental illness.

“Being Robin Williams’ son was wonderful in so many ways [but] having to share him with the world was hard at times,” Zachary Williams said in a recent interview with Good Morning Britain. “When he was having challenges and going through certain things it was heartbreaking because he still went out and wanted to share his feelings of laughter and humor with the world.”

In 2013, Robin began experiencing a wide variety of serious physical ailments that were seemingly unconnected. He had trouble seeing and sleeping, constantly suffered indigestion and cramps, and had symptoms of cogwheel rigidity, where a limb would randomly stop itself at certain fixed points in its range of motion.

“It was like this endless parade of symptoms, and not all of them would raise their head at once,” Robin’s wife, Susan, said. “It was like playing whack-a-mole. Which symptom is it this month? I thought, is my husband a hypochondriac? We’re chasing it and there’s no answers, and by now we’d tried everything.”

For nearly a year, his health continued to deteriorate, worsening his already substantial levels of anxiety and depression. Finally, on May 28, 2014, Robin and Susan received the first of two explanations as to his strange combination of varying symptoms: Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disorder that attacks the central nervous system, impairing motor functions and cognition until it eventually takes the victim’s life.

Devastated and terrified, Robin shared the news with his children and others who were closest to him

“I never heard him afraid like that before,” recalled long-time friend and fellow comedian, Billy Crystal. “This was the boldest comedian I ever met—the boldest artist I ever met. But this was just a scared man.”

Robin’s kids began reaching out more often to provide all the love and support they could, in whichever ways possible. Zak still remembers his sense of helplessness trying to diminish his father’s suffering during this time.

“It was really difficult to see someone suffering so silently,” Zak said. “But I think that there were a series of things that stacked, that led to an environment that he felt was one of pain, internal anguish, and one that he couldn’t get out of. And the challenge in engaging with him when he was in that mindset was that he could be soothed, but it’s really hard when you then go back into an environment of isolation. Isolation is not good for Dad and people like him. It’s actually terrible.”

As the disease ran its course, Robin became more and more reclusive. The work and creative outlets that used to bring him so much joy—acting and stand-up comedy—seemed unattainable now. Robin simply didn’t think he was capable of being funny anymore.

On an evening in early August, when Susan was away, Robin visited Zak in San Francisco. He acted as a stranger in his son’s home, walking on eggshells the entire time as if he was somehow intruding. When he eventually got up to leave, Zak asked what it would take to make him stay overnight—would he have to tie him up and throw a bag over him?

“Well, that was a joke,” Zak said in an interview with Vanity Fair with a bittersweet laugh. “To be clear, that was a joke. But we didn’t want someone who seemed like he was in so much anguish to leave. We wanted him to stay with us. We wanted to take care of him.”

Mere days later after returning home, on July 11, 2014, Robin was found dead in his bedroom.

Robin Williams’ eldest son Zak reflects on his father’s struggles, as the fifth anniversary of the actor’s death approaches ???? pic.twitter.com/krlYkTAh3r

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) July 21, 2019

“Sharing the grieving process with the world was hard. At times it was hard to differentiate what involved private grieving, and experiencing that loss, versus public grieving and experiencing that type of community interaction and communicating. I wasn’t prepared,” Zak said. “It was challenging. But I’m very grateful for the outpouring of love and support that continued… Here we are almost five years later. I feel the massive impact and difference he made.”

Zak now serves as a board member for Bring Change To Mind, an organization with the goal of fighting the stigma and discrimination that surrounds mental illness.

According to the Bring Change To Mind website, they “create multimedia campaigns, curate storytelling movements, and develop youth programs to encourage a diverse cultural conversation around mental health.”

 

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“There’s no education in place to tell you how to deal with this. To balance how to grieve privately with your family and then also to have to grieve publicly. While it was nice to be heard, I was spending time on the outer layer instead of on the inside. It wasn’t just the survivor network for me, it was the whole world.” Zak is the son of beloved comedian Robin Williams- a suicide loss survivor, entrepreneur, investor, and mental health advocate. He serves on the board for Bring Change To Mind, an org whose mission is to end the stigma and discrimination around mental illness by creating campaigns, storytelling movements, and youth programs to encourage diverse and cultural conversation around mental health. I prepared for days before, even venting to a dear friend moments before Zak arrived. Would I make a fool of myself? Would I accidentally say ‘Oh Captain, My Captain’ and burst into tears? I was overwhelmed.Then my friend said something important -they said, “Be yourself, share your pain. His pain is the same.Remember who you are and why you’re there.” So that’s what I did. In front of me sat a man who lost a loved one to suicide. A man who understood the same level of devastation as I did, as so many of us do. I shared my story, of attempt and loss. Then I was honored that he shared with me his feelings of loss, devastation and growth. THAT is what I strive for: To create a safe space for ANYONE who’s been touched by suicide so they feel able to share. For 90 min, we were just 2 people who had lost someone, and found a common ground in our pain. After he left, I packed up, got in my car and started to drive.Then immediately I realized, OH YEAH, I’m not ok. I pulled over to the nearest park and I sobbed for 30 minutes. The tears were a culmination of what I’d accomplished in 18 months, they were hearing this man tell me my project was “extraordinary” and that he was happy to be part of it. That somehow, through the death of my sweet brother, I’ve been able to provide a safe space for Zak Williams and so many other people. It was a defining moment for me and for my project. I’m so fortunate to share words and photos from Zak’s session with you all week.

A post shared by Mariangela Abeo (@facesoffortitude) on May 28, 2019 at 7:43am PDT

Robin’s daughter, Zelda, wrote an Instagram post in 2018 detailing the whirlwind of emotion and grief that surrounds the anniversary of her father’s death every year:

It’s that time of year again. Everyone who has dealt with loss knows the pain of certain anniversaries, moments full of memory that come round like clockwork and usurp all others, no matter how hard you may try to prepare for or avoid them. These weeks are the hardest for me, and thus, you’ll see me a lot less, if at all.

For all the internet’s good intentions in expressing to me their fondness for dad, it’s very overwhelming to have strangers need me to know how much they cared for him right now. It’s harder still to be expected to reach back.

So while I’ve got the strength, consider this my one open armed response, before I go take my yearly me time to celebrate his and my birthdays in peace. Thank you for loving him. Thank you for supporting him and his life’s work. Thank you for missing him. I do too.

She went on, encouraging fans to celebrate her father by giving back to their community in tangible ways, just as he preferred to do:

If you’d like to do something in his honor, volunteer at your local homeless shelter, or look up how to make homeless aid backpacks. Give one in his name. He’d have loved that. Otherwise some great orgs he loved include @cafoundation, @dswt, and @reevefoundation. Mostly, try to spread some laughter and kindness around.

And creatively swear a lot. Everytime you do, somewhere out there in our vast weird universe, he’s giggling with you… or giving a particularly fat bumblebee its wings. Happy early birthday, Poppo.
Miss you every day, but especially these ones.

 

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It’s that time of year again. Everyone who has dealt with loss knows the pain of certain anniversaries, moments full of memory that come round like clockwork and usurp all others, no matter how hard you may try to prepare for or avoid them. These weeks are the hardest for me, and thus, you’ll see me a lot less, if at all. For all the internet’s good intentions in expressing to me their fondness for dad, it’s very overwhelming to have strangers need me to know how much they cared for him right now. It’s harder still to be expected to reach back. So while I’ve got the strength, consider this my one open armed response, before I go take my yearly me time to celebrate his and my birthdays in peace. Thank you for loving him. Thank you for supporting him and his life’s work. Thank you for missing him. I do too. If you’d like to do something in his honor, volunteer at your local homeless shelter, or look up how to make homeless aid backpacks. Give one in his name. He’d have loved that. Otherwise some great orgs he loved include @cafoundation, @dswt and @reevefoundation. Mostly, try to spread some laughter and kindness around. And creatively swear a lot. Everytime you do, somewhere out there in our vast weird universe, he’s giggling with you… or giving a particularly fat bumblebee its wings. Happy early birthday, Poppo. Miss you every day, but especially these ones. ♥️

A post shared by Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) on Jul 19, 2018 at 1:04pm PDT

She continues to pay tribute to his sense of humor and kindness, most recently honoring what would have been his 69th birthday.

Robin’s youngest son, Cody, even went as far as to schedule his own wedding in his father’s birthday this year as a way to honor his memory.

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The 21st of July has meant many things to me over the years. It’s the birthday of one of my favorite souls still on this earth, @junotemple. It’s the day Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon (as a space nerd, that’s pretty damn important). And it was the day my Dad was born, and the last day I got to see him. That last one had begun to usurp the joy of the first two in recent years… that is, until two days ago, when it became something new. On the 21st of July, 2019, it became the day I officially gained a new sister! To @mariaaafloresssswilliams and Cody, you are a light in all of our lives. I’m so grateful to have paid witness to your love over the years, to have watched you grow and care for each other in ways we should all be so lucky to experience. You were already part of the family in my eyes, but now there’s an official slip of paper somewhere that agrees! Zak, Mom and I love you both dearly, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM!!! ???????????????????????? ♥️ Photos by @cassievalentephoto

A post shared by Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) on Jul 23, 2019 at 1:33pm PDT

Robin Williams is the prime example of one’s external life not necessarily reflecting the internal. Despite being one of the most beloved actors, comedians, and fathers, he eventually succumbed to the pain and anguish he was suffering with privately.

Shortly after his passing, an autopsy revealed that Robin had an advanced form of Lewy Body Dementia, a deadly neurodegenerative disorder, that finally explained the series of symptoms he was dealing with. It also shed light on how strong Robin actually was given the full scope of what he coping with. This is the focus of a new documentary titled, “Robin’s Wish” set to debut this Septemeber.

Robin’s legacy lives on through his kids and even his grandchildren. On May 22, 2019, Zak and his fiancee, Olivia June, welcomed his first child into the world, paying tribute to Zak’s father by naming their son McLaurin Clement Williams—McLaurin being Robin’s middle name.

And of course, his legacy lives on through his comedy. Earlier this year his estate launched a Robin Wiliams YouTube channel which was well-received amid a pandemic.

If you or someone you know has been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Everyone loved Robin Williams, his energy, spontaneity, and unbridled creativity thrilled stand-up audiences, TV viewers, and moviegoers alike for decades. It was a tragedy and something of a shock to the general public when the legendary comedian took his own life.

When Robin Williams committed suicide five years ago, the world lost one of it’s brightest, most joyful presences. The loss we feel, of course, is nothing compared to what his family had to endure, including his eldest son Zak Williams.

 

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You’re a grown man now and I’m so proud of you. A little bit of you will always be my “Mr Pym”. Happy Birthday, @zakpym!

A post shared by therobinwilliams (@therobinwilliams) on Apr 11, 2014 at 11:15am PDT

On May 22nd, via an exclusive report from People, Zak and his fiancee Olivia Williams welcome their first child, and Zak paid tribute to his late father with the name they chose. The 8lb baby is named McLaurin Clement Williams, which might not sound like a tribute to Robin until you learn that the unique “McLaurin” was Zak’s father’s middle name.

Zak’s sister, Robin’s daughter Zelda, posted photos of her nephew on Instagram, in which she reveals that McLaurin will go by “Mickey.”

 

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News is finally out: I’m an auntie! ???? Meet Mclaurin Clement Williams, aka Mickey, aka Dr. Baby! He’s a squishably cute pterodactyl cooing tiny wonder and I love him so much already ♥️ big shoutout to Mickey on being the fastest swimmer, and huge congrats to @heyoliviajune and my big bro @zakpym on creating this little joy (and poop) factory! ???????? by Zak and Olivia ???? by me

A post shared by Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) on Jun 12, 2019 at 8:56pm PDT

Zak is an entrepreneur, but after his father took his own life, his son became a staunch mental health advocate as well. In the aftermath of his father’s death, when the actor, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, it was revealed that some of his symptoms were also a result of diffuse Lewy body dementia.

In an excerpt from a biography of his father, printed in Vanity Fair after his dad’s passing, Zak expressed regret over not spending more time with Robin in those final few months

I’m kicking myself for not visiting him during that time. Because I think that was a very lonely period for him. In retrospect, I feel like I should have been there, spending time with him. Because someone who needs support was not getting the support he needed.

With the birth of his son and the use of McLaurin as his son’s name, Zak is paying sweet tribute to his father.

The 1994 blockbuster hit Mrs. Doubtfire is, at its core, a meditation on the difficulties of being a dad. More accurately, a meditation on the difficulties of rubber bodysuits.

The late, great Robin Williams stars Daniel Hillard, an out-of-work cartoon voice actor. Daniel is a father of three at the outset of a divorce with his workaholic wife, Miranda, portrayed by Sally Field. What, you ask, brought about this divorce? The best birthday party in the history of San Francisco, that’s what.

After the world’s lamest neighbor files a noise complaint, Miranda races home to find sparsely supervised anarchy grinding its dirty heels into her furniture. The logistics of this party, in retrospect, make little, if any sense. Daniel’s son, Chris, has just turned 12, yet every kid at this party appears to be in elementary school. Daniel also appears to be the only adult in attendance. It’s utter mayhem.

Miranda promptly files for divorce from Daniel, who then goes to stay with his brother. At their court hearing, a judge pledges to grant Daniel joint custody if he is able to secure a job and apartment. A fair ruling, given how notoriously inexpensive it is to live alone in San Francisco.

When Miranda tells Daniel she’s currently looking for a housekeeper, Daniel does what any of us would do in that situation: cloaks himself in makeup and prosthetics to assume the identity of an elderly Scottish nanny so he can see his kids. Sounds crazy, but, keep in mind, this was still some 17 years before the advent of FaceTime.

Daniel lands the housekeeping gig and keeps house to the pure oblivion of his inattentive ex-
wife and children. Miranda, meanwhile, falls head-over-heels for a pre-James Bond Pierce
Brosnan, much to the dismay of a quietly wistful Daniel.

His jealousy is understandable. Sure, Pierce Brosnan’s character has an impossibly alluring smile, chiseled, sultry facial features, a fiercely suave demeanor, and the keys to a Mercedes-Benz. But Daniel Hillard can do a Porky Pig impression. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that all that matters?

Daniel’s children eventually catch onto him after one of them catches Mrs. Doubtfire peeing while standing up. They panic and threaten her with a tennis racket, because it was 1993.

My, how far we’ve come!

Anyway, Daniel’s ruse comes to a head when one night at a five-star restaurant he attempts to alternate covertly between a TV pitch meeting, dressed as himself, and Miranda’s birthday dinner, dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire. The evening, as expected, goes horribly awry, since the Hillards appear to be damned with what I can only assume is some sort of Family Birthday Curse.

Seriously, why is this family virtually incapable of enjoying a birthday? First, Chris’s birthday serves as the catalyst for a divorce, and now this? What gives? What was his daughter Natalie’s last birthday party like? Did the magician have a massive, fatal stroke in the middle of a card trick? My guess: Probably.

The Good
Daniel has such a sweet, engaging relationship with his three children. They’re everything to him. He’s everything to them. His funny voices fuel them. They’re laughter fuels him. It’s an unconditional love of the highest mutuality. The sheer absurdity of the lengths to which he goes to ensure his kids maintain a prominent role in his day-to-day life should inspire every father who watches this.

The Bad
Sucks at cleaning.

It’s sweep THEN vacuum, dude.

Verdict
When it’s all said and done, Daniel Hillard goes above and beyond for his kids. His devotion is
truly remarkable. You’ll hear a lot of dads say self-congratulatory things like, “I would take a
bullet for my kid.” Yeah? Would you defy court orders by secretly leading a double life as their
vaguely-European babysitter? Oh, you would? Actually preferable to taking a bullet, you say?
Okay. Sorry. Carry on.

Daniel Hillard’s Final Dad Grade: A-