He's been struggling with alcoholism for quite a while. Recently checked himself into rehab again. Truly sad, he could make just about any subject sound funny no matter how serious. I just watched One Hour Photo a few days ago, holy cow he was disturbing in it. Strange to see him in a completely non-humorous role.
Tragic news. Inspired comedian, versatile actor ... troubled soul. I watched his last comedy DVD, and while his comic creativity was evident so was the torture he was enduring. Oftentimes entertainers find airing their humanity in public to be cathartic, I wish it had worked for him. R.I.P. Robin Williams, your genius will be remembered.
Robin went thru 3 divorces. I can understand where his depression came from. Wonderful actor. Good Morning Vietnam, Jumanji, Mrs Doubtfire, and all the others.
If you're younger than, say, 45 years old, you may not be able to appreciate the huge impact this man had on comedy when he hit the scene. His improv skills in his prime were simply amazing. Every appearance was must-see TV. As goofy as Mork & Mindy was, his skills were so apparent that it was easy to fight through the lame story lines just to experience his lunacy.
He was one of the true comedic geniuses, and I long thought he burned too bright to last long in this world. I'm thankful we had him for as many years as we did.