M8: The Kindness Of Robin Williams
There are very few people who will do just about anything for other people. When it comes to celebrities, it’s even more rare. There was one, however, who never walked past someone who needed help. He connected with anyone who was struggling and did anything he could to make them suffer less. Many of us were lucky to watch his standup and movies, but for those who got to know him, they were witness to true kindness and empathy…this is a story about the late, great comedian and actor, Robin Williams.
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M8: THE KINDNESS OF ROBIN WILLIAMS
OK… …HAPPY MONDAY…. THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO TAKE ENERGY FROM OTHERS, AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CONNECT WITH EVERYONE AROUND THEM ON A DEEPER LEVEL AND GIVE ENERGY TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. MOST OF US ARE SOMEWHERE ON THE SPECTRUM BETWEEN THE TWO EXTREMES, BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU MEET SOMEONE AT THE GIVING EXTREME.
AND WHEN SOMEONE LIKE THIS HAPPENS TO BE A CELEBRITY, WE ALL GET TO WITNESS WHEN UNCOMMON TALENT IS COMBINED WITH UNCOMMON KINDNESS. WE WERE LUCKY TO WITNESS THIS… IN THE LATE ACTOR AND COMEDIAN, ROBIN WILLIAMS.
EPISODE
ROBIN WILLIAMS WAS BORN IN CHICAGO. HIS PARENTS WERE VERY BUSY AND DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TIME FOR HIM, SO HE LEARNED EARLY IN HIS LIFE THAT THE BEST WAY TO GAIN AND KEEP HIS PARENTS’ ATTENTION, WAS TO MAKE THEM LAUGH.
THIS LED HIM TO COMEDY AND ACTING, AND HIS POTENTIAL WAS BOUNDLESS. AFTER A FEW YEARS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEATER, HE RECEIVED A FULL-SCHOLARSHIP TO JULLIARD IN NEW YORK CITY.
AFTER JULLIARD, HIS CAREER TOOK OFF, BUT WILLIAMS SUFFERED FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, WHICH FAME ONLY MADE WORSE, SO HE ATTEMPTED TO MASK HIS FEELINGS WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. EVENTUALLY, HE GOT SOBER, AND DESPITE HIS CHALLENGES, ROBIN WILLIAMS ENJOYED A BRILLIANT CAREER IN COMEDY AND ACTING. HE MASTERED TELEVISION, STANDUP, AND FILM. HE WAS NOMINATED FOR FOUR ACADEMY AWARDS AND WON ONE FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN THE 1997 FILM GOOD WILL HUNTING.
THEN IN LATE 2013, HIS MENTAL HEALTH SUDDENLY BECAME WORSE. HE WAS ABRUBTLY CRIPPLED BY FEAR, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND INSOMNIA. UNSURE OF WHAT WAS CAUSING THE SUDDEN CHANGE, HE SAW A DOCTOR AND WAS INCORRECTLY DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE. HIS CONDITION ONLY WORSENED, AND SADLY, IN 2014, IN AN EFFORT TO ESCAPE THE PAIN HE WAS IN, WILLIAMS TOOK HIS OWN LIFE AT THE AGE OF 63.
HIS AUTOPSY REVEALED THAT, INTEAD OF HAVING PARKINSON’S AS WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED, HE WAS SUFFERING FROM ONE OF THE WORST PATHOLOGIES EVER SEEN OF LEWY BODY DEMENTIA, A DISEASE THAT CAUSES A DEGRADATION IN THE BRAIN THAT LEADS TO EXTREME DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PARANOIA.
ROBIN WILLIAMS WAS A BELOVED ARTIST AND HUMAN BEING. AFTER HIS DEATH, THE PEOPLE HE TOUCHED SHARED THEIR STORIES, AND THEY’RE A REMINDER OF WHAT A LEGACY SHOULD LOOK LIKE. HERE ARE A FEW:
WHEN HE WAS FILMING MRS. DOUBTFIRE, HIS COSTAR, LISA JACOB, WHO PLAYED THE OLDER DAUGHTER IN THE FILM, LYDIA, WAS EXPELLED FROM HER HIGH SCHOOL FOR TAKING A FEW MONTHS OFF TO FILM THE MOVIE. WILLIAMS COULDN’T BELIEVE IT, AND WROTE THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL A LETTER, CALLING FOR HIM TO REINSTATE HER, SAYING THAT SHE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO GO OUT AN LEARN FROM HER WORK, SO SHE COULD BRING IT BACK TO HER CLASSMATES AND TEACH THEM WHAT SHE LEARNED. ULTIMATELY, HIS BID WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT MS. JACOB LATER SAID THAT HIM TAKING THE TIME TO STAND UP FOR HER CHANGED HER LIFE.
STEVEN SPEILBERG, THE FAMOUS DIRECTOR, AND WILLIAMS FIRST BECAME FRIENDS ON THE SET OF THE MOVIE HOOK. YEARS LATER, IN THE EARLY NINETIES, WHEN SPEILBERG WAS FILMING THE MOVIE SCHINDLER’S LIST, SPEILBERG WAS BATTLING A LOT OF EMOTIONS DUE TO HIS OWN FAMILY’S BRUSH WITH THE HOLOCAUST. WHILE HE WAS GOING THROUGH HIS MOST DIFFICULT PERIOD, SPEILBERG WOULD RECEIVE A WEEKLY PHONE CALL FROM HIM FRIEND, ROBIN WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS WOULD LAUNCH INTO ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF MATERIAL, MAKING SPEILBERG LAUGH AND FORGET WHAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH…AND THEN, ONCE HE MADE HIM LAUGH ENOUGH, AFTER DELIVERING HIS BEST JOKE, WILLIAMS WOULD SUDDENLY HANG UP. IT WASN’T UNTIL YEARS LATER THAT SPEILBERG PUT THE PHONE CALLS TOGETHER AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT ROBIN WILLIAMS HAD BEEN DOING AND WHY.
CONAN O’BRIEN TELLS A STORY ABOUT ROBIN WILLIAMS. IT WAS AROUND THE TIME WHEN CONAN WAS GOING THROUGH LANDING AND THEN LOSING THE TONIGHT SHOW IN EARLY 2010. IT WAS A VERY PUBLIC HUMILIATION AND CONAN WAS IN THE DARKEST PERIOD OF HIS LIFE. ONE DAY CONAN RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM WILLIAMS. IT STARTED WITH A VERY FAMILIA, “HOW YOU HOLDING UP, CHIEF?” AND THEN HE ASKED CONAN IF HE WAS STILL CYCLING – A LOVE THE TWO MEN OF IRISH DESCENT HAD IN COMMON. WHEN CONAN REPLIED YES, WILLIAMS TOLD HIM TO GO DOWN TO A BIKE SHOP IN SANTA MONICA – HE SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING WAITING FOR HIM. WHEN CONAN ARRIVED, HE FOUND A VERY HIGH-END ROAD BIKE FITTED FOR HIM…AND IT WAS PAINTED IT RIDICULOUS IRISH COLORS AND COVERED IN SHAMROCKS. WHEN CONAN CALLED HIM BACK TO THANK HIM, ALL WILLIAMS WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS WHETHER OR NOT IT LOOKED RIDICULOUS ENOUGH…BUT CONAN NEVER FORGOT THE KINDNESS WILLIAMS SHOWED HIM AT A TIME WHEN HE NEEDED IT MOST.
AND IT WASN’T JUST FELLOW CELEBRITIES THAT ROBIN WILLIAMS TOOK CARE OF…. THERE ARE COUNTLESS STORIES CIRCULATING OF WILLIAMS HAVING EXCHANGES WITH ORDINARY PEOPLE AND CARRYING ON LONG, GENUINE CONVERSATIONS, CARING ABOUT WHAT COMPLETE STRANGERS WERE GOING THROUGH AND OFFERING HIS HELP.
HE ALSO VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME TO SUPPORT WOMENS RIGHTS, VETERANS, AND ENTERTAIN TROOPS IN WAR ZONES THROUGH THE USO CIRCUIT. HIS WORK FOR COMIC RELIEF RAISED MILLIONS FOR THE HOMELESS.
IT WASN’T KNOWN UNTIL AFTER HIS DEATH, BUT WHENEVER WILLIAMS SIGNED A MOVIE CONTRACT, HE ALWAYS INCLUDED A RIDER THAT REQUIRED THE STUDIO TO HIRE AT LEAST TEN HOMELESS PEOPLE FOR ODD JOBS ON THE SET, GIVING A LITTLE SPENDING CASH AND SOME DIGNITY BACK TO THOSE WITHOUT A HOME.
ROBIN WILLIAMS HAS BROUGHT A LOT OF JOY TO MY LIFE…THROUGH LAUGHTER MOSTLY, BUT I THINK HIS LEGACY IS IN WHAT HE TAUGHT US ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GENUINELY CONNECTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. HE ENTERED MOST OF OUR LIVES AS THE ALIEN, MORK FROM ORK…AND MAYBE THAT ROLE WAS FITTING…BECAUSE ROBIN WILLIAM’S GREATEST GIFT WAS FINDING A CONNECTION WITH OTHERS…. HELPING THEM FEEL SEEN AND ALLOWING HIM TO FEEL HUMAN.
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/robin-williams-death-anniversary-memories
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Williams