Contemporary off profitable the Academy Award in 1998 for his efficiency in “Good Will Searching,” Robin Williams had reached a brand new apex of his profession. He loved respect as an artist, was a prime box-office attract films and gave the impression to be fortunately married to his second spouse and cherished being the daddy of three youngsters.
But, he appeared to actor star Sam Neill, Williams’ then co-star within the 1999 movie “Bicentennial Man,” to be “inconsolably solitary and deeply depressed.”
“He had fame, he was wealthy, individuals cherished him, nice children — the world was his oyster,” Neil has written in his new memoir, “Did I Ever Inform You This?” In accordance to the Every day Mail, Neill additionally wrote, “And but I felt extra sorry for him than I can specific. He was the loneliest man on a lonely planet.”
Williams died by suicide in August 2014 at age 63 in his residence in Marin County. He had been battling despair and nervousness following a analysis of Parkinson’s illness. However after Williams’ dying, it was realized that he had been struggling with Lewy physique dementia, a progressive illness that causes a decline in psychological skills and mobility. Williams’ widow, his third spouse Susan Schneider Williams, referred to the illness as “the terrorist” inside his mind and stated it had worsened earlier than his dying to incorporate reminiscence loss, paranoia and delusions.
Years earlier than his dying and all through his grownup life, Williams had publicly struggled with psychological well being points and habit. Neill stated he noticed some elements of Williams’ struggles once they labored collectively on “Bicentennial Man,” a science-fiction comedy-drama wherein Williams performed an android who goes to work as a housekeeper for a household headed by Neill.
In his guide, the “Jurassic Park” star fondly recalled having “nice chats” with the actor and comic of their trailers on the movie’s set.
“We might speak about this and that, generally even in regards to the work we have been about to do,” Neill wrote. Whereas Williams revealed “the darkish house inside” throughout these discussions, he was a distinct particular person when the doorways to their trailers “flung open” they usually returned to the set, Neill wrote.
“He was irresistibly, outrageously, irrepressibly, gigantically humorous,” Neill stated. “Humorous stuff simply poured out of him. And all people was in stitches, and when all people was in stitches, you possibly can see Robin was completely satisfied.”
Sadly, “Bicentennial Man” was considered one of Williams’ most infamous misses, regardless of its $100 million funds and its director being Chris Columbus from “Mrs. Doubtfire.” It didn’t break even, solely incomes $87.4 million, and critics hated it with Roger Ebert saying the film is “a letdown” with a script that's “robotic” and “cornball.”
Since Williams’ dying, his youngsters have publicly mentioned their father’s psychological well being struggles and supported the work of Carry Change to Thoughts (BC2M), a San Francisco-based psychological well being nonprofit co-founded by Glenn Shut, Williams’ co-star in his break-out dramatic function within the 1982 movie “The World In accordance with Garp.”
As a part of its gala fundraisers, the nonprofit provides out a Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter award to different celebrities to showcase the ability of humor to break down peoples’ defenses and spur troublesome conversations about psychological sickness. It introduced the award to Melissa McCarthy at its newest fundraiser in San Francisco in October.
In a 2020 interview on The Dr. Oz Present, Williams’ oldest son, Zak Williams, talked about at all times being aware of his father’s struggles with despair, in response to the Every day Mail.
“It manifested in habit at instances, and he took nice lengths to help his well-being and psychological well being, particularly when he was challenged,” Zak Williams stated. “It was one thing that was a day by day consideration for him.”
“The primary factor for me was noticing how he went to nice lengths to help himself whereas he may present up for others,” Zak Williams stated.
For those who or somebody you already know is battling emotions of despair or suicidal ideas, the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline gives free, round the clock help, info and assets for assist. Attain the lifeline at 988 or see the SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
Correction: An earlier model of this text misstated the yr of Williams’ dying. It was 2014, not 2017.