Robin Williams, RIP

I know it's cliche to lament the loss of a famous individual because his or her career served as a marker for our own lives, but with Robin Williams, it seems especially true. From my introduction to him as Mork when I was a kid to mediocre movies that I liked more than most other people (The Survivors, e.g.) to his more recognized dramatic work (Good Will Hunting, Fisher King, Dead Again, Dead Poets Society, et al.), he truly was a genius with impressive range. And in another cliche, the glimpses of his dark places is probably what captivated us the most. So sad.

"You start off as a kid seeing Robin Williams as a funny man. You come of age realizing many of his roles are about keeping darkness at bay" (Bilge Ebiri via RogerEbert.com).

"A big tenacious overflowing hyperkinetic eruption of compassion would be best tribute to Williams rembered being so moved by his ..." (John Cusack).

and from Pres. Obama:

Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.
He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalised on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.

Here is the link to his IMDB filmography--more impressive than you remember:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/

ThinkProgess gives seven social issues we think about differently because of Robin Williams:

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2014/08/12/3470260/robin-williams-social-issues/ 


(per Matt V's recommendation--thanks, btw)

Conan's tribute to Robin Williams: