[to troops in Iraq] "....I'm looking at a group of heavily armed people here. I'm telling myself "If you're not funny, it's a problem.".
​​If EVER there was a Hollywood handbook glossary of legends with IMMEASURABLE talent ... Robin would DEFINITELY be listed in the no brainer section!  
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​If EVER there were a person that the visionaries who founded Hollywood's movie industry, pictured as THE solid picture on poster of everything Hollywood and showbiz embodied - indeed it 'TWAS ROBIN!  ​The man could do annnything!!   ANNNNYTHING, or ANNNY character you needed!  Drama, Action, Comedy, Cartoon. Foreign. Whatever you put Robin up to sell?  He could sell and sell it well... & guarantee a nice spiffy tip to boot!!  The sheer range of Robin held ABSOLUTELY NO limits!  It's unspeakable and IMPOSSIBLE to put into words, the range of talent Robin had!  I first got introduced to him, in Popeye as a kid!  What a RIOT!  And showed up FRONT, how MUCH Robin could embody the full character!  It needs to be mentioned, that Broadway, dimmed the lights upon Robin's death.. Broadway has dimmed for ONLY a select few! 

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Robin with his mom, as a kid - & an adult..  He had a heart of PURE GOLD for people!  Even da ANIMALS loved him!  SERIOUSLY!!  Upon the wrapping of the film, Mrs. Doubtfire.. It was learned by Robin that his co-star child, Lisa Jacobs, had been expelled from her school, for the number of days missed while filming.. Robin wrote the school on her behalf!

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Few embody (with their whole being), pure talent - Robin?? DID DAT! He shoo did!

He was born at St. Luke's Hospital, in Chicago, Illinois on July 21, 1951.  According to friends he grew up with - he was a shy kid who didn't demand attention, but through reactions and on-spot antics... usually got it!  Talent was bursting, you could say, and friends were seeing a preview of who was to come! 

 

On a side note.. I have seen in MULTIPLE bts sets where multiple directors have said that Robin does his best delivery... when improv-ing.  Steven Spielberg was said to have phoned Robin to improve for the crew of Schindler's List.

He grew up on this street... and within the safe (iamsure), confines of this comfy home... He attended Gorton Elementary School (now Gorton Community Center)... and Jr. High at Deer Path Junior High School (now Deer Path Middle School).  He was on the school's football team, wrestling team, basketball team, track team, and became class president.

Robin's entertainment "point of no return,' 'reportedly', came in 8th grade when he won a poetry contest.... that is of course.. the werrd (aka speculation). 

As a rule - unless I can verify it, I don't put it on my site.  As is the case with several specs on Robin, I wanna reiterate..(as far as I know, he never said that publicly).  He HAS  publicly stated in numerous interviews that, he himself, in fact was a quiet and shy child who did not overcome his shyness until he became involved with his high school drama department.. which, btw, played out on THIS stage.   I felt it worthy to add the previous - because I had heard it several times upon news of his death.  (Thanks to Connie Smithers for the Detroit photos!) After 8th grade - Robin and his family moved from his hometown of Chicago, to Bloomfield, Michigan.. They lived in a 40 room farmhouse - nestled upon 20 acres, btw!  He attended this High School... Here's an aerial ..  As you can see - It's HUGE!  Robin would live in the confines of the farmhouse, until the end of his junior year in high school.. when his father took an early retirement and moved to California.  It was JUST the change Robin needed... & no doubt fate, was working it's mojo,,,, fosho!

​​Upon landing in Cali - Robin & family lived here, in Tiburon, & attended Redwood High School in nearby Larkspur. Excelling in soccer (no doubt upon this here field!)  At the time of his graduation in 1969, he was voted "Most Likely Not to Succeed" and "Funniest" by his classmates.  Who knew he would SUCCEED via the ladder..haha!)
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Robin enrolled at Claremont Men's College in (guess where??)..THAT'S RIGHT!! Claremont, Cali, to study political science, fate said NO, no, NOO, & inevitably, fate would win (it always does!)

Robin dropped out to pursue acting!  Fate now... beyond working mojo - sheza now PUSHING!  He enrolled & went three years at the College of Marin, a community college in Kentfield, Cali... & now?  Fate twas saying' YAS!  Robin made quite a buzzy buzz at the college.  It was at the Community College of Marin, that first reports of Robin's improv was to take-a-spotlight... and would continue throughout his career.  Very often, he would leave his fellow drama classmates - in uncontrollable laughter.  As teachers are notorious for spewing known facts as the obvious.. His teacher reportedly called his wife after one late-nights rehearsal to tell her that Williams "was going to be something special." Her response wasn't reported - though I can imagine it went something like.."NO shit?!?" psshhh! <click> {teacher hears dial tone} ... THAT call, 'twas a no-brainer fosho! 

In 1973, Robin was granted a scholarship to the famed Julliard School, in NYC!  One of only 20 accepted into the Advanced classes that year. Robin razz-a-ma-dazzled'em..

Classmates included Christopher Reeve, William Hurt, and Mandy Patinkin.  THAT class officially named to be, AWESOMELY LEGENDARY!  Robin and Christopher were to become lifelong friends!  Zak Williams, Robin's son, said "they were like brothers in their friendship," and that, "Chris was always to me, like an Uncle."  

After Julliard, Robin moved back to the San Francisco area and started waiting tables & longing to do stand-up comedy​​.. aaand his first performance took place at work - the Holy City Zoo, a comedy club in San Francisco, where he worked his way up from tending bar - to getting on stage (Holy City Zoo, did their tribute when he died..)  From his FIRST performance - he was a SENSATION!  In a later interview, Robin said, "it was this period (late 60s/early 70s), that I found out about "drugs and happiness"...adding that he "saw the best brains of my time turned to mud." He continued.." Jonathan Winters became my "idol" early in life; I first saw him on television at age 8 and loved him since!" "He gave me a sense that anything is possible, that anything can be funny. .if presented the right way. . He gave me the idea that it can be free-form, that you can go in and out of things pretty easily." That, along with sage advice from his father, "never be afraid to speak what's on your mind..." he had this comedy thang tamed fosho!

Robin ​​moved to Los Angeles in 1976, and was doing stand-up at the famed Comedy Club, in 1977.  It was here that producer George Schlatter, (looking for new talent), saw him perform. Schlatter asked him to perform stand-up on a 'new show with familiar tones' he was re-starting up... The Laugh-In Show. The first show aired in late 77, and was Robin's TV debut. (with bitch diva Joan Rivers!) Yeee-Haaww!  SENSATION!  Here are Robin and Joanie in 2011.  He went on to perform on HBO, and other comedy circuits in and around Los Angeles.  Being spotted by several producers who saw QUICKLY,  Robin's solid & massive potential of future importance in the bizz! 
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While others were seeing an explosive telent?... Robin, found himself seeing STRESS!... And A LOT of it! As word grew - so did the demand of a busy schedule. Robin turned to drugs to deal with it all!..

​​** Here... I'd like to add a side note if I may...(just skip the red if you don't wanna read my opine!)  ANY legend that I write about on this site.. aside from the occasional sarcastic remark... I always write with a dignity & respect fitting to their legacy that I KNOW did not come easily. It's a HARD road to have a nice legacy in Hollywood. It NEVER comes without grit, shit, and EXTREME determination. Your passion MUST be the glue that holds you together in the world of show and the stronger the passion - the larger the legacy. NOONE on this site - got to where they did in film without passion and a careful awareness of image sustainability. Whenever I write on ANY legend here - I always keep that in mind!! ANY entertainer I write on here - is to highlight their success and bring creedence, and hopefully, a golden spotlight on their career... And write their story with dignity and respect they deserve.. preserving truth throughout! That said, often with truth - the good, cannot be written without shedding light on the bad. Drug use, is in MANY of the stories I do here. As a blessing for me - the legend's legacy, will NOT be overshadowed by any circumstance... including drug use. When a LARGER THAN LIFE celebrity is taken out by drugs - it's often wondered, 'how,' & 'why?' When it comes to drugs, especially narcotics... those who become dependant on them (celebrity or non), usually becomes dependant on them to sustain inner pain. It works, and works quite well. Oxycodone, for example, is made to take away pain we feel... numbing the nerves of the person seeking relief. When a person is dealing with emotional pain, or the pain of a very demanding schedule, or the inner pain of depression... the Oxycodone then works much the same as it does for physical pain that it is manufactured for. When one becomes persistent in dealing with their emotional pain this way... very often, it's a crap shoot & can go either way! It can save a life.... or take a life! If you have ever been on drugs then you know what I am saying... If you haven't? Then NO explanation I can give will help you understand what I am saying. Dr OZ - gives the BEST explanation I have ever heard for artists with these addictions, upon the news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death. He said... "When your an artist? Drugs do the norm for the user, numbing their emotional pain as it does anyone else who becomes dependant on them... but if your an artist - the drug then puts you on a whole other plain where ideas and creativity are BURSTING within' you. Creativity comes at you faster than you can grab it!"....
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Such was the case for Robin.  As a stand-up comic in very high demand... it sustained the pain of the stress, and gave him immeasurable creative power! While Robin was able to control & maintain himself on them, others are not so fortunate. Uncontrolled, things can go bad quick. The longer your on them - the more you need them to maintain that creative higher plain your put on... It can become a juggle of a struggle to maintain & sustain... In Robin's own words, according to his Wiki page, he spoke about the demands of some in show... "It's a brutal field, man. The burn out?? It takes its toll. Plus, the lifestyle—partying, drinking, drugs... If you're on the road, it's even more brutal. You gotta come back down to mellow your ass out, and then performing takes you back up. They flame out because it comes and goes. Suddenly they're hot, and then somebody else is hot. Sometimes they get very bitter. Sometimes they just give up. Sometimes they have a revival thing and they come back again. Sometimes they snap. The pressure kicks in. You become obsessed and then you lose that focus that you need."
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Aannywwayy - Robin was on a roll, and rolling on-top! INTENSELY on a roll! How intense? Critic (CRINGE! I DETEST critics normally, but film critic), Vincent Cambey's late 1970s remark after seeing one of Robin's shows... was spot on when he said, "Robin Williams' monologues are so intense that it seemed as though at any minute - his creative process could reverse into a complete meltdown!" This was consistent with other critics & entertainment writers that saw him as well during this period. INTENSE!?! FoSho! 

​NOTHING, it seemed, was off-limits to Robin on-stage. He was UNstoppable & now, L.A. and Hollywood as a whole... were raising an eyebrow to take notice!  By the end of '78... Robin was reaching a 'larger-than-ever,' audience. After his tv success on, The Laugh-In Show, & appearing alongside another legend, Richard Pryor, on his NBC show....came acclaim in the form of a space suit as Mork (nanu nanu), in a 1978 episode of the hit TV series Happy Days.  Robin impressed BIGTIME!  That appearance as 'Mork,' was so popular with viewers that it led to the spin-off hit television sitcom Mork & Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982. Robin's character of Mork was featured on posters, coloring books, lunch-boxes, TIME magazine, lunch boxes (my brother had one), and other merchandise! Robin was riding high on a wave of success, and that waves possibilities were ENDLESS! On August 23, 1979, Robin appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, with the cover photograph taken by famed photographer Richard Avedon... the wave Robin was on - was getting larger and larger! 

​As 1980 rolled in - so did Robin, on top!  Robin followed up on an HBO special he'd done in 1978, with a new dressed & pressed special titled, "An Evening with Robin Williams 1982." Robin rolled the 80s in with a schmeggle of films, and another HBO special in 1986... "Robin Williams: Live at the Met"... aaannnd as Robin was on-top in 1986 - he was asked to co-host the Academy Awards! I remember that year and MUST say that to this date - I've NEVER seen a better host of the Oscars! NEVER! What they were thinking when they asked that NO TALENT darked haired fuzzy Q-tip Billy Crystal is beyond me!  I know Robin and Billy were friends (I always kinda thought Robin took pity on Billy, fosho!)  To me - & IMO - Billy Crystal is proof posse that ANYONE can make it in Hollywood.. even those with no talent can slip in the back door! Psssh! 
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Robin's success is well-known... and a full repertoire of his films can be found with a clickity claq right here... Through the years - Robin NEVER lost his appeal! NEVER! There are films that I would have NEVER seen if not for Robin! Because he was in it .. I watched and 'hey, hey!'... I LAUGHED HARD! Comedy, drama, action, horror... oh and Good Will Hunting! He did them ALL and SOLD them ALL!!  YEaaaHHss!
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​August of 2014, Robin was living in this plush sea front hizzle,(See the back?? Living?? Pool??), in Tiburon, Cali!  Video by CNN??

 

A couple of weeks before his death, he sent out this video, to a terminal cancer patient - who was a fan...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Three nights before... he had been at a party livin it up and out...  Made a stop by DQ..  And all seemed fine and dandy. Indeed, Robin was faking it though, as he had many-a-time before. This time, however, the inner demon was HUGE... and deadly..  Indeed - this one??  Robin just could not face.. Or was simply tired of facing!   He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's.  A fact he'd kept hidden from fans.  Though docs don't believe this was the cause of his death...REALLY?!?  Ya THINK?!? (mayybee the "thought" of it? Just maybe, I dunno?!? 🙄)  If the Parkinson's was bothering him - this woulda REALLY sunk his Titanic.. Robin's autopsy revealed he had another killer lurking in in him to which he was unaware... dementia! Ishh!  
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On August 11, 2014, Robin was slated to have brunch with his manager. Robin was a no-show. His manager drove to his home and found him, in the closet, dead.

 

He had hung himself at his home in Tiburon, California. He was 63. The initial autopsy report released on August 12, the Marin County Sheriff's Office deputy coroner stated Robin had hung himself with a belt and died from asphyxiation. It was revealed following his death that Williams had been suffering from severe depression, and had been sleeping in a different room from his wife due to restlessness and anxiety caused by his Parkinson's. 
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His star was flogged with memorandums.. People flocked to his San Fran residence.. & to the Mrs. Doubtfire home..  Media embarks on a crazed blitz!!  Broadway theaters in New York dimmed their lights for one minute in his honor. Broadway NEVER dims their lights, but for ONLY a few! His body was cremated and his ashes were spread in San Francisco Bay on August 21. You can leave your non-wilting, digi flowers and a comment, here! 

 

Thanks for all the laughs Robin - may you FINALLY get some peace! In your words...

 

TA TA! RA RA!  You will ALWAYS BE!!... to me!

​COOL TRIVIA

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According to Find a death.com, my buddy Scott adds.... "I saw Williams once on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. He was with his second wife, the babysitter he left his first wife for. Second wife was walking around with a pissed off look shooting the stink eye at everyone around them. If you've ever been in a relationship with a famous person you might know that look." Scott has a GREAT story on Robin's death... 

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#RobinWilliams