Posted on 08/13/2014 1:07:30 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Robin Williams resented having to work on films such as the second Mrs Doubtfire but felt compelled in order to keep money coming in, a close friend of the actor has told the Telegraph.
Williams, who had been working on four projects when he was believed to have taken his own life this week, was said to have been dreading making more films as they "brought out his demons".
He had committed to starring in sequels to the hugely successful Mrs Doubtfire and Night in the Museum, as well as comedy Merry Friggin Christmas, and the drama Boulevard.
But according to his neighbour and friend of over a decade, he no longer wanted to work on films as he felt they were not conducive to his mental well-being.
"Robin had promised himself he would not do any more as he invested so much in his roles that it left him drained and particularly vulnerable to depressive episodes, the friend told the paper.
"He signed up to do them purely out of necessity. He wasnt poor, but the money wasnt rolling in any more and life is expensive when you have to pay off two ex-wives and have a family to support.
His friend, who declined to be named, said he last saw the actor three weeks ago when the two of them went on one of their regular bike rides around their hometown of Tiburon just north of San Francisco.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
After writing it, he asked me humbly if I could spare $5 so he could buy lunch!
Aw man, tell me you didn't miss the chance to share lunch with you? You would have had a good time and a bunch of great stories to tell.
I once worked for a firm that had theatrical agents and small casting/audition spaces in NYC. Among the people I ran into was Roddy Piper and another big name wrestler, the name escapes me, big white bandito mustache. These guys were as nice as could be to the wannabe actresses and workers waiting for elevators. As Roddy turned to enter the elevator he glanced my way and said, " You look like you might have a career in the ring.". And mentioned the name of his agent in the building.
One celebrity who comes to mind is Marie Osmond (because I've met her several several times).
She and her brother Donny had a popular TV show from 1976-1979. Each also had popular singles on the radio, but they faded from public view after their TV show ended.
For a while, she dabbled in acting and Broadway, she had an independent talk radio show, and for a year or two a TV talk show with Donny.
She eventually began a second career in crafting, scrapbooking, and collectible doll designing/sculpting. She appeared frequently on QVC to sell her products. This may have been more of a necessity than a career desire due to her second divorce (and large alimony payments) while being a single mother of 8 children (two natural, the rest adopted). Compare this with Williams' claim that he made movies to pay the bills. Marie had bills, too, and she became an entrepreneur to do so.
Fast forward a few years, and Marie appeared as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars, where she came in 3rd place and reintroduced the Osmonds to America. Two seasons later, brother Donny wins the contest. The following year, she closed down her longtime Provo Utah crafting office and staff and reassembled the music and dance team from the early days and they signed a contract to headline at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, where they are still the marquee act on the Strip.
With her entertainment career back in the foreground, and at the top of their game, Marie just recently announced that she's ended her doll business completely, and now her entertainment career is a strong as it's ever been.
She had her demons to deal with, too. Marie wrote a book about her struggles with post-partem depression. One of her sons committed suicide a few years ago. At least she found happiness again and remarried her first husband.
-PJ
How many sequels of movies did they make in the golden age of movies? Not that many. I’m aware of the Cavalry pictures with Wayne. But imagine sequels of Gone With the Wind, or Modern Times, or Some Like It Hot, the list could go on and on. But they had good writers in those days and a lot of creativity and competition among the studios. These days the movies are dull and uninspiring.
They didn’t make a lot of sequels to the big films we remember but they did make film series. Think: Bowery Boys and such where they made multiple films using the same characters.
$20 million among his two ex wives, neither of whom did anything that would have been worth $20M in a fair world.
Robin's problem seems to have been that he was too much of a nice guy to survive among the Hollywood lawyers.
The Charlie Chan series with Warner Oland, then Sidney Toler, then Roland Winters.
The Sherlock Holmes series with Basil Rathbone and Nigel (the) Bruce.
-PJ
there was one with a female redhead reporter/detective too
Of course, but there is truth in that few people will feel sorry for him on that account when they have to go to work every day to a job they dislike.
That sounds like good advice, but sports/show biz celebs live in a different universe. They have to mingle with their peers, the ‘successful’ in their field. They have to live ‘the lifestyle.’
Few can go it alone socially, without the bling. In part, it’s that networking that gets them the next offer, the attention that attracts the endorsements, etc.
LOL! I have no sympathy for him. Nobody told him to get married three times, and nobody talked him into using drugs or alcohol. I'd like to know how much money he blew on illegal drugs over the years versus the alimony he had to pay. He's lucky he was still able to get acting jobs at this point in his life. Most of these actors get famous, and live high on the hog. Then when the acting jobs slow down they panic about not being able to live the lifestyle they've been used to.
Dear God, people...let the man rest in peace.
And they don’t plan for the day when the income dries up.
Like a lot of pro athletes.
Didn’t pay attention to the ant and the grasshopper story.
Then he should have found another line of work that didn't trigger his addictions.
Aw, diddums. Ever lived with a substance abuser? They deserve combat pay.
1. Money. Enough to buy lots and lots of 2. and 3.
2. Drugs.
3. Alcohol.
Yeah, but he also earned himself those divorces by being blatantly unfaithful. As I recall, the second of his three wives was a live-in nanny.
Not casting stones at the dead; I loved his work and his private life is no one's business.
If the law would punish divorce instead of rewarding it, or creating a "winner" and a "loser" in every divorce, there would be less of it.
Yep. They live for today, and care nothing about what the future may bring.
Lol. Our son, is a financial advisor and handles quite a few, or did, pro football athletes money. No names, of course, but Monday mornings are hell on earth for our son and his staff. The phones start ringing at 8 am with panicked guys wanting their accounts to be re-filled to cover either their weekend expenditures or their families expenditures/ indiscretions for the weekend. They fight long term financial planning, and when funds are gone or there is huge tax ramifications, guess who is to blame? Our son has systematically gotten rid of these guys. More than once, he has to cover bail for the athlete or a relative.
Not really. What is tragic is that his "sever[e] depression/mental health issues " were due to cocaine, alcohol and godless liberalism. There are cures for all those things. That he didn't allow curative thoughts, self-discipline and healing actions to pierce his indulgent lifestyle and selfish death inflicted on his family? Not tragic: evil.
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