Posted on 08/12/2014 4:27:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Robin Williams seemed to have it all: fame, wealth, an Oscar, an adoring and passionate fan following — but he also had a history of battling demons.
Throughout Williams' 40-year career, his personal life was marked by extreme swings from cocaine-induced hallucinations — vividly and profanely detailed in a famous 1986 one-man show — to severe depression, which his publicist said he was battling when he was found dead Monday at his California home at age 63. While many psychologists and pop culture analysts speculated that Williams had bipolar disorder, Williams is not known to have ever said so in public himself.
Success came early to Williams. He was one of only two students admitted to the advanced acting program at The Juilliard School in 1973, and the next year, he was playing the role that would make him famous: the zany alien Mork in an episode of "Happy Days," which led to his own sitcom, "Mork & Mindy."
He never seemed to have full control of his fame, however. Williams talked of having become addicted to cocaine while he was appearing on "Mork & Mindy." By 1982, he was doing coke with John Belushi, whom he visited the night Belushi died of an overdose, according to testimony before the grand jury that investigated Belushi's death.
Cocaine, Williams told People magazine in 1988, "was a place to hide. Most people get hyper on coke. It slowed me down."
In his 1986 one-man show at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Williams revealed that he'd managed to get clean. But it was a crushing realization that the change wasn't a miraculous one. "I realized when I became a former alcoholic, I was the same a**hole," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
I am sorry he had trouble and killed himself. However, I never thought he was all that funny. The comment he made about Rush showed how classless he was.
The fact that cocaine slowed him down rather than making him hyper is a clear indication of ADHD. That quite often comes with depression as a side benefit.
CC
I hate cults of personality and I would be miserable if I had no choice but to work in show business. That’s why I don’t ever want to work again at the GM Tech Center in Warren, MI. I’d have to pretend to be something that I am not in order to go long to get along...I’d have to do a good job of making myself out to be a PC liberal. I like the work but I hate the business.
I’ve never heard Robin Williams talk about the business he was in but I assume that he loved the work.
Using cocaine is a choice.
So, another hollywood star committed suicide? I guess we will be hearing about it for the next 2 weeks to distract from the fact that obama is golfing on Martha’s Vineyard rather than attending to the scandals and crisis he is responsible for.
At first yea. But then the assiduous nature of addiction sets in for some. What are you addicted to?
Very fun man and it’s a sad loss. I loved him on TV and in the movies. He could switch from comedy to drama. His live shows? Take or leave. He was funny, but he could be filthy when he didn’t have to be, and he wasn’t all that funny when he was filthy.
PFL
I have always thought that ADHD is a political disease. But that’s just because it is first labeled on a kid by a government worker and sticks for life. One more dependent for the gov.
If he were a devout Catholic or Jew, that is all that could have helped.
My wife suffers from depression (and by association so do I). We’ve had numerous scares over the past 18 years but with support she is handling things fine lately. I keep reminding in subtle ways about taking her medication and I go with her to her shrink. I tend to notice the little things that she doesn’t realize she does and by telling the shrink we can address them as needed. I used to think mental illness was a crock but not anymore. I now believe that it is sometimes worse than a physical one (and not just for the one that has it, but their family also).
Hollywood-not the real world
Shep Smith complained that someone had tweeted that “... I never liked him and won’t miss him...” Said the person who tweeted was classless. Sorry Shep, Robin did this often to his political/social enemies.
He was sometimes funny... often very crude... was nowhere near the caliber of comedian that existed during the 50s thru 70s... As likeable as he could be... he was also very crass. I pray, as I do for all of us, that he made his peace with God. RIP... Robin.
They’ve done so much eulogizing that I was waiting this morning for Whoopi Goldberg to call for his canonization.
Best to just let the poor soul RIP.
I’ve seen depression do it’s nightmarish work on people. Prayers up for you and your wife’s struggles. No one can ever know of the depths of depression or what it’s like to see a loved one go through unless they experience it directly.
If that’s what Williams went through, yes - it’s a disability and a “silent killer”.
He doesn't get that the President of the United States of America doesn't NEED to mouth off about EVERYTHING!
What's his judgment worth if he shoots off his mouth about even the most minute and incidental aspect of American life??
Sounds like he was pretty much a lunatic. Harmless to everyone but himself and loved ones.
Post heart surgery depression is very common. My father in law was bipolar and had heart surgery in his 50s. He lived to be 84 but he went through some serious dark times.
“I guess we will be hearing about it for the next 2 weeks to distract from the fact that obama is golfing on Martha’s Vineyard rather than attending to the scandals and crisis he is responsible for.”
Right on! How many other people ( who accomplished great and honorable things) died that we hear nothing about?
He was an eccentric left wing liberal and died from that disease. If there was a story about him doing some stupid liberal thing I’m sure mast of the comments would be condemning him. However now that he killed himself, most of the comments are how great he is.
Somehow when you die you become a different person?
There are a lot of hypocrites out there who profess to be patriots and conservatives who go out and spend their money to help some left wing commie actor or actress.
Many comedians would not go on stage if he was in the audience. He was known for stealing material.
He did entertain the troops so maybe that gets him into heaven.
If not roast in he’ll ya big lib.
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