RIP
He was hilarious, sad to hear.
He was hilarious, sad to hear.
RIP: Robin Williams (1951-2014)
- Thread starter BillsCarnage
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No disrespect to the late great, but I don't believe a chemical imbalance would be the likely diagnosis considering his life span. Times change, sometimes people do and sometimes people don't. A lot of people get intoxicated and get stuck in memory lane, or where am I now, who knows what sent him but he has always had access to everything he went to rehab for. Depression can be caused by life's events as well, I imagine his highs were so high (not a drug reference), it might have been hard on him, but now I'm just guessing, who knows. I hope his memory stays intact as one of the greatest, because the man really knew how to hold the spotlight and he was a genius in how he delivered.
Phrazbit
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Awful awful news, one of my all time favorites and very high on the list of people I would have wanted to meet in person.
I've never really been one to watch late night talk shows (Letterman, Leno, ect) but when I heard Williams was on it was an appointment viewing. As funny as he was in film the guy was bananas on live TV. Saying "you never know whats going to happen" gets tossed around a lot, but when Williams was in front of a live audience you literally had no clue where he was going next.
This is one that I will truly miss. Rest in peace Robin.
I've never really been one to watch late night talk shows (Letterman, Leno, ect) but when I heard Williams was on it was an appointment viewing. As funny as he was in film the guy was bananas on live TV. Saying "you never know whats going to happen" gets tossed around a lot, but when Williams was in front of a live audience you literally had no clue where he was going next.
This is one that I will truly miss. Rest in peace Robin.
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JS22
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I was genuinely saddened when I heard about this. Usually it's just "Wow, can't believe (insert celebrity) killed themselves."
This one stung.
This one stung.
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A childhood friend killed himself about 10 years ago. got a motel room, put towels around the bathtub, climbed inside put a gun in his mouth and shot himself. We assume the towels were so the maid wouldn't have to deal with as much blood on the floor when she found him which is what happened the next morning. You just never get over it and trying to understand why someone gets to a point where that seems like the right choice is just impossible. It makes no sense to be rational enough to worry about blood on the floor but still pull the trigger but that's what he did.
Incredibly sad he was such a funny guy and such a good actor but as others have said people like that often have demons they can't get away from apparently he did. Sad for his wife and family etc sounds like the wife wasn't totally surprised based on her initial statement she almost seemed to think this was coming.
Incredibly sad he was such a funny guy and such a good actor but as others have said people like that often have demons they can't get away from apparently he did. Sad for his wife and family etc sounds like the wife wasn't totally surprised based on her initial statement she almost seemed to think this was coming.
He is on the Mount Rushmore of comedy. A day later I still can't believe it.
I agree Cheese this one does hurt.
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BillsCarnage
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He still has 3 movies in post-prod due out in the next few months to year.
So many good movies and roles he played, but one of my favorites and probably his biggest flop - Death to Smoochy. It had a very Wallace & Ladmo vs Barney vibe to me.
So many good movies and roles he played, but one of my favorites and probably his biggest flop - Death to Smoochy. It had a very Wallace & Ladmo vs Barney vibe to me.
This.
Still truly saddened by his passing. Am hoping, if any good can come of this, that people will start talking more about depression and suicide. It still seems like a very taboo topic for many.
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Yep in reading more last night one of the movies due to come out he plays a dad whose son dies in an accident. The son was apparently very unpopular with kids his age so the dad writes a phony suicide letter and releases it and then the kids who hated the son suddenly talk about what a great guy he was. So the dad invents a phony journal, gets a book deal and gets rich off it.
I think based on his past, substance abuse, it's the polar opposite and the likely culprit. More details to come but some say he was suffering from clinical depression which means that he probably should have been on medication. Maybe he was and it didn't work. As stated above, I know someone who committed suicide and they couldn't think rationally one bit without the medication. That medication failed and stopped working without anybody knowing. Here is the thing...he couldn't help himself either. He couldn't internalize or rationalize what was going on with himself. It was never a "choice" for him to get help when he couldn't even rationalize what was going on. He was very open with us about his struggles. If it wasn't for his mother he probably wouldn't have ever been diagnosed and left this world much sooner than he did.
I guess more details will come out but what an impact this man had with all the charities and the fans he touched. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
R.I.P.
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And one of the most common side effect warnings on any depression medication is "thoughts of suicide." That is the very drug people take for depression can lead to suicidal thoughts.
As jersey said it's not a topic that people are comfortable talking about but anybody that has had someone close to them battle with depression and or commit suicide has seen the other side of it and that's why you will hear people make comments about the impact it has on those left behind.
There's also a very well known and documented tendency to have clusters of suicides which is why experts are so quick to jump in with counseling when there's a suicide in a school or office setting nowadays, they are very concerned with how others will react to it.
Yes I totally agree Wendy.
Last year my best friends brother ended his life. He literally had everything a guy could want. A beautiful family, 2 children and a great job, a devout Christian, and he was doing what he LOVED, his dream job. He knew he should have been the happiest guy in the world, but he just wasn't. He struggled with depression his whole life, and he fought it his whole life. Several stints in hospitals and tons of medication, stretches without meds and just therapy, he tried everything yet he was still constantly tormented by his illness and finally he reached the point where he just couldn't go on anymore and he ended it. He was 36 years old.
Just reading the comments, (not here) but elsewhere on the internet about this Robin Williams story, you see a lot of ignorant comments like; "how selfish." "what a jerk" "jeez he had everything what a moron."
It just shows the ignorance that is still out there concerning mental illness. The brain is an organ and just like other organs it gets sick and can start working incorrectly. It can absolutely be a chemical imbalance. This is probably why he started using in the first place in his youth, self medication. How else can things like this get explained when yes, you have someone who is loved by all the world and has made money and had success, how could someone like that want to end their life? There isn't an easy answer but as soon as people accept that mental illness is actually real and not just something sad people make up, the sooner we can move forward. You see it all the time.
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Apparently he was reluctant to go on anti-depressant medication because he was afraid it would stifle his creativity. His idol, Jonathan Winters, also had depression issues and did not go on meds for that reason.
To me, with the public attention, it's REALLY important to clarify whether he was on meds or not. I realize that it is a private issue, but I hope his family makes it clear so others trying to make that call have one more bit on info to consider.
There is conflicting stories because I just heard on the radio that he hesitation about psychotropic drugs had more to do with his worry that it would inflame his addiction issues which makes sense because even surgeons will limit the types of anesthetics they give patience with drug addiction problems. So, even if he was not on medication, I don't know that would clear much up.
NJCardFan
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It's strange how people who are so funny in their trade are really tortured people. I remember as a kid loving Chico and the Man. Freddie Prinze was a gifted talent in his own right until one day he shot himself in the head. He didn't die right away. Took a few days but I remember not understanding the issues he had. Yes I remember hearing of his heroin addiction(it's said the reason why he wore only longs sleeves on the set was to hide his track marks). He wasn't the only one. Richard Jeni, who I thought was hilarious committed suicide. People who you thought had the world on a string killed themselves.
It's hard to understand that dark place unless you've been there. I've been there and when you get to that point, nothing else matters. Williams had it all, or at least we thought he did. One of the greatest entertainers of all time. As was said, this is one of those celebrity deaths that I have genuine sadness for even though it was his own self destruction. It wasn't like John Lennon or Phil Hartman who were murdered or someone like Princess Diana who died in a car wreck, this was someone who willingly took his own life. That's a tough pill to swallow and to be honest, it's going to be a while before I sort out how I feel about it.
Yes I totally agree Wendy.
Last year my best friends brother ended his life. He literally had everything a guy could want. A beautiful family, 2 children and a great job, a devout Christian, and he was doing what he LOVED, his dream job. He knew he should have been the happiest guy in the world, but he just wasn't. He struggled with depression his whole life, and he fought it his whole life. Several stints in hospitals and tons of medication, stretches without meds and just therapy, he tried everything yet he was still constantly tormented by his illness and finally he reached the point where he just couldn't go on anymore and he ended it. He was 36 years old.
Just reading the comments, (not here) but elsewhere on the internet about this Robin Williams story, you see a lot of ignorant comments like; "how selfish." "what a jerk" "jeez he had everything what a moron."
NJCardFan
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Agreed. For my Mount Rushmore of Comedy it's:
Robin Williams
Bill Cosby
George Carlin
(some might not agree)Jeff Foxworthy
Honorable Mention: Richard Pryor
The shear ignorance of comments like that astounds me. It really shouldn't but it does. IMO that line of thinking is why it has taken so long for people to take mental illness seriously in this country.
82CardsGrad
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And this is the entire crux of the depression/mental illness issue... We have no problem talking about what type of drugs/chemo cancer patients are on... But when it comes to mental illness - suddenly it's all taboo and everyone clams up. It's a shame as so many can benefit from hearing about and learning what others are going through and how they are being treated...
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George Carlin
Robin Williams
Richard Pryor
Lenny Bruce
Honorable mention: Jerry Seinfeld and Rodney Dangerfield
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If we're talking straight stand-up comedians, I think I have to go:
Rodney Dangerfield
Richard Pryor
Louie CK
George Carlin
But Williams i think was the 2nd best combo Actor/Comedian, right behind Steve Martin.
Hmmm... and where to put Eddie Murphy? He was freaking dynamite for a solid 15 years.
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BillsCarnage
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Yeah, i'd probably agree with this. Williams was an actor that specialized in comedy, but he also played a number of non-comedy roles. To me he started as a comedian who left an actor. Much like Martin.
Carlin started as a comedian and left a comedian.
I'd have to add Don Rickles, but not sure who to replace. Maybe Dangerfield or Pryor.
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