Robin Williams' life and career – Oscar win, rare brain disease and tragic death

Robin Williams was one of the world’s most beloved actors and comedians in Hollywood.

Known for his improvisational skills and ability to create characters in dramas and comedies alike, Robin is regarded by many as one of the greatest comedians of all time.

Robin took his own life after suffering from Lewy body dementia, a neurodegenerative disorder and his sudden and tragic death sent shockwaves through the country as fans mourned his loss.

Barack Obama gave tribute to him and said he touched “every element of the human spirit” in his career.

Today marks the seventh anniversary of his passing, so we took a look back on his life and his death.

Early beginnings

Robin McLaurin Williams was born on July 21, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois.

He said that he first began using humour to gain his mum’s attention as a child and was voted “Most Likely Not To Succeed” and “Funniest” in his 1969 high school graduation book.

He soon dropped out of his political science degree to go into acting, studying at the prestigious Juilliard School alongside Christopher Reeve and William Hurt.

In the mid-1970s, he began performing a “manic” style of stand-up, which got him noticed in 1977, and he landed a spot on the TV show Laugh-In.

Robin later said that partly due to the stress of performing stand-up, he started using drugs and alcohol early in his career.

He then starred in The Richard Pryor Show and was cast as alien Mork in Happy Days, when he impressed the producer with his quirky sense of humour when he sat on his head when asked to take a seat for the audition.

As Mork, Robin improvised much of his lines and was so popular that he landed his own spin off TV show Mork & Mindy.

The show was a hit with audiences and credited with turning Robin into a “superstar”.

Hollywood career

Robin’s Hollywood movie breakthrough came when he was cast as the lead in 1980’s Popeye, catapulting him to stardom.

His next big movie hit was in 1987 with Good Morning Vietnam, which saw him play a radio shock jock who keeps the troops entertained with comedy and sarcasm.

Robin improvised most of his performance and he netted a Golden Globe plus his first Oscar nomination for the role.

He was unforgettable in Dead Poets Society in 1989, playing an inspirational English teacher and showing that he was able to do emotional scenes as well as comedy and garnered him another Oscar nod.

Later he starred in two Disney films, the titular Hook in 1991 and in 1992 he voiced the memorable Genie in Aladdin.

Originally unwilling to take on the role, Robin changed his mind saying: “I’m doing it basically because I want to be part of this animation tradition. I want something for my children.”

One of his most beloved roles was in Mrs Doubtfire, where he played a father desperate to stay in his kids’ lives so dresses up as an imaginary female nanny.

He continued his string of family-friendly hits with Jumanji and the sci-fi caper Flubber.

Robin won his first and only Oscar for Best Supporting actor his role as a therapist in Good Will Hunting in 1997.

He also had roles in Bicentennial Man, One Hour Photo, Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia and played Theodore Roosevelt in three Night At The Museum movies.

His final role was in Terry Jones’ Absolutely Anything, voicing Dennis The Dog.

Personal life

The actor was married three times throughout his life.

He first married Valeria Velardi in June 1978, after meeting while Robin was working as a bartender at a tavern in San Francisco.

They have one son together, Zachary Pym “Zak,” born in 1983.

The couple divorced in 1988 after it was reported that Robin had begun an affair with his son’s nanny Marsha Garces two years before.

In April 1989, Williams married Marsha, who was six months pregnant with his child.

The couple had two children together, Zelda Rae and Alan.

In March 2008, Marsha filed for divorce from Williams, citing irreconcilable differences.

Robin married graphic designer Susan Schneider in October 2011 and they were together until his death.

Death

Robin Williams died at the age of 63 at his home in Paradise Cay, California on August 11, 2014.

The actor committed suicide after being misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s and falling into a deep depression.

Robin had been suffering from diffuse Lewy body dementia, a type of progressive dementia that leads to the decline of one’s thinking, reasoning and independent function.

In an opinion piece published in the journal Neurology titled, The terrorist inside my husband’s brain, his widow Susan explained how Robin was “losing his mind” while living with the disease.

Susan says the first symptoms appeared in October 2013 and included fear and anxiety, constipation, urinary difficulty, heartburn, sleeplessness and insomnia, a poor sense of smell, stress, and a slight tremor in his left hand.

“Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it. Can you imagine the pain he felt as he experienced himself disintegrating?” she wrote.

Robin’s ashes were scattered at San Francisco Bay on August 12.

After his death Susan said: “I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken.”

His daughter Zelda Williams responded to his death by saying: “The entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence.

“We’ll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk