Actually you'll find many comedian types are in fact very insecure. They develop the trait as a coping mechanism/defensive shield......
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Actor Robin Williams dies
- Thread starter Looney
- Start date
Actually you'll find many comedian types are in fact very insecure. They develop the trait as a coping mechanism/defensive shield......
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
mod_note : threads merged and moved to offtopic.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
ACTOR ROBIN WILLIAMS DEAD FROM SUSPECTED SUICIDE
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams died from suspected suicide on Monday after a battle with depression, triggering an outpouring of anguished tributes to one of the most beloved entertainers of his generation.
The 63-year-old star of revered movies such as "Good Will Hunting," "Good Morning Vietnam" and "Mrs Doubtfire" was found dead at his home in Tiburon, northern California, shortly before midday, police said.
President Barack Obama led tributes to an entertainer he described as "one of a kind" while Hollywood titan Steven Spielberg, a close friend, hailed Williams as a "lightning storm of comic genius."
A statement from Marin County Sheriff's Department said Williams' death appeared to be "suicide due to asphyxia."
The veteran actor's publicist said the funnyman had been suffering from depression prior to his death, and Williams had spoken openly in the past about his battles with alcoholism and drug abuse.
"Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late," Mara Buxbaum said in a statement.
"This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time."
Heartbroken wife Susan Schneider urged the father-of-three's millions of fans to remember his genius for creating laughter.
"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings," said Schneider, who became the actor's third wife when the couple married in 2011.
"I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief.
"As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions."
After beginning his career as a stand-up comic, Williams rose to fame in the iconic US television sitcom "Mork & Mindy", channelling his anarchic, high-energy style as an extra-terrestrial struggling to fit in on Earth.
He later reeled off a string of big-screen hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s in roles which often showcased his phenomenal fast-talking, improvisational skills.
Those abilities were showcased in 1987's "Good Morning, Vietnam", where his performance as motormouth military disc jockey Adrian Cronauer earned him the first of four career Oscar nominations.
But while that role could have been tailored for Williams' comic skills, he also earned critical plaudits in weightier dramas.
He added more Oscar nominations for his performance as the inspirational English literature teacher John Keating in 1989's "Dead Poets Society" and for playing a mentally ill homeless man mourning the loss of his wife in 1991's "The Fisher King."
He finally landed a coveted Oscar for 1997's "Good Will Hunting," which earned him a best supporting actor statuette, and helped launch the Hollywood careers of co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
News of Williams' death quickly supplanted the conflict Iraq as the top item on evening news bulletins as Americans reacted with shock.
Obama, on holiday in Martha's Vineyard, referenced Williams' array of beloved performances as he led the tributes to the entertainer.
"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, " Obama said in a statement.
"He arrived in our lives as an alien -- but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit," he added, referring to Williams' breakthrough television role as the extraterrestrial visitor Mork.
"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 marginalized on our own streets."
Legendary director Spielberg paid tribute to "a comic genius."
"Robin was a lightning storm of comic genius and our laughter was the thunder that sustained him," said Spielberg.
"He was a pal and I can't believe he's gone," added Spielberg, who famously regularly phoned Williams to cheer himself up during filming of his harrowing 1994 Holocaust drama "Schindler's List."
Spielberg's tribute was echoed throughout an entertainment industry left reeling by news of the comic's death.
"I can't believe the news about Robin Williams. He gave so much to so many people. I'm heartbroken," comic and talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres said on Twitter.
Fellow comedian Steve Martin added: "I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul."
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 12 Aug 2014 03:30
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams died from suspected suicide on Monday after a battle with depression, triggering an outpouring of anguished tributes to one of the most beloved entertainers of his generation.
The 63-year-old star of revered movies such as "Good Will Hunting," "Good Morning Vietnam" and "Mrs Doubtfire" was found dead at his home in Tiburon, northern California, shortly before midday, police said.
President Barack Obama led tributes to an entertainer he described as "one of a kind" while Hollywood titan Steven Spielberg, a close friend, hailed Williams as a "lightning storm of comic genius."
A statement from Marin County Sheriff's Department said Williams' death appeared to be "suicide due to asphyxia."
The veteran actor's publicist said the funnyman had been suffering from depression prior to his death, and Williams had spoken openly in the past about his battles with alcoholism and drug abuse.
"Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late," Mara Buxbaum said in a statement.
"This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time."
Heartbroken wife Susan Schneider urged the father-of-three's millions of fans to remember his genius for creating laughter.
"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings," said Schneider, who became the actor's third wife when the couple married in 2011.
"I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief.
"As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions."
After beginning his career as a stand-up comic, Williams rose to fame in the iconic US television sitcom "Mork & Mindy", channelling his anarchic, high-energy style as an extra-terrestrial struggling to fit in on Earth.
He later reeled off a string of big-screen hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s in roles which often showcased his phenomenal fast-talking, improvisational skills.
Those abilities were showcased in 1987's "Good Morning, Vietnam", where his performance as motormouth military disc jockey Adrian Cronauer earned him the first of four career Oscar nominations.
But while that role could have been tailored for Williams' comic skills, he also earned critical plaudits in weightier dramas.
He added more Oscar nominations for his performance as the inspirational English literature teacher John Keating in 1989's "Dead Poets Society" and for playing a mentally ill homeless man mourning the loss of his wife in 1991's "The Fisher King."
He finally landed a coveted Oscar for 1997's "Good Will Hunting," which earned him a best supporting actor statuette, and helped launch the Hollywood careers of co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
News of Williams' death quickly supplanted the conflict Iraq as the top item on evening news bulletins as Americans reacted with shock.
Obama, on holiday in Martha's Vineyard, referenced Williams' array of beloved performances as he led the tributes to the entertainer.
"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, " Obama said in a statement.
"He arrived in our lives as an alien -- but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit," he added, referring to Williams' breakthrough television role as the extraterrestrial visitor Mork.
"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 marginalized on our own streets."
Legendary director Spielberg paid tribute to "a comic genius."
"Robin was a lightning storm of comic genius and our laughter was the thunder that sustained him," said Spielberg.
"He was a pal and I can't believe he's gone," added Spielberg, who famously regularly phoned Williams to cheer himself up during filming of his harrowing 1994 Holocaust drama "Schindler's List."
Spielberg's tribute was echoed throughout an entertainment industry left reeling by news of the comic's death.
"I can't believe the news about Robin Williams. He gave so much to so many people. I'm heartbroken," comic and talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres said on Twitter.
Fellow comedian Steve Martin added: "I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul."
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 12 Aug 2014 03:30
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
FUNNYMAN ROBIN WILLIAMS GAVE COMEDY A DARKER EDGE
Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams shot to fame for his madcap standup act and his offbeat alien Mork, but his most famous roles showed a depth of pain behind the comedian's mask.
The wildly popular 63-year-old funnyman, whose career spanned more than three decades, was known for rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness improvisations and impersonations.
On screen, his characters were often offbeat and eccentric -- from the zany alien Mork from the planet Ork, the television role in the 1970s that first catapulted him to fame, to the divorced dad who transforms himself into a elderly British nanny in Mrs. Doubtfire.
His skill at imitating voices was often showcased -- as in his portrayal of the genie in the 1992 Disney adaptation of "Aladdin," in which his character runs through a string of celebrity impressions.
But he also found success in darker roles, including an Oscar-winning turn as psychologist Sean Maguire, a Vietnam veteran and widower who counsels troubled genius Will Hunting.
But for all Williams Hollywood success and outsize public persona, the comedian faced private demons, including recurring battles with drugs, alcohol and mental illness.
He quit drinking and cocaine in the early 1980s, when his first son was born, but after 20 years sober, he started drinking again while filming in Alaska in 2003, he told the Guardian newspaper in 2010.
"It was that thing of working so much, and going '****, maybe (drinking) will help?' And it was the worst thing in the world," he told the newspaper, adding, however, he did not start taking drugs again.
It took him another three years to get back to sobriety, after a family intervention led him to rehab, he said, blaming his drinking for the breakup in 2008 of his 19-year-second marriage.
"You know, I was shameful, and you do stuff that causes disgust, and that's hard to recover from."
It was health problems -- and open heart surgery -- in 2009 that he credits with being the true turning point.
"It breaks through your barrier, you've literally cracked the armor. And you've got no choice, it literally breaks you open. And you feel really mortal," he said.
During the three-hour surgery, doctors replaced Williams' aortic valve, repair his mitral valve, and correct an irregular heart beat.
The actor was also reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and in July, 2014, he checked into a Minnesota rehab facility for help maintaining sobriety after a grueling year-and-a-half of work.
One of Williams' most famous roles was as radio disk jockey Adrian Cronauer, whose loud and drawn out "Gooooooood morning, Vietnaaaaaam" started each broadcast and was the title of the film.
The character bucks authority on the air, bringing US troops the 1960s rock music and lifestyle they missed from home, playing unapproved songs and riffing in quick-fire improvisations in between.
Although he brings humor to his portrayal of the character, the film, set amid one of the longest and deadliest US wars abroad, is hardly a comedy.
And even his more light-hearted films touch on deeper sadness, including slapstick "Mrs. Doubtfire," the cross-dressing character created by divorced dad Daniel Hillard in desperation to see his kids, who were living with a wife who sees him as irresponsible.
Williams was beloved as inspirational prep-school teacher John Keating, in the "Dead Poets Society," another character that defied authority with an unorthodox teaching style that ultimately gets him fired.
And in yet another dramatic role in "Awakenings," Williams played Malcolm Sayer, a doctor with a ward full of catatonic patients.
Sayer finds success with a treatment, shepherding his newly-awakened charges into an unfamiliar world decades after their mental freeze, but it is ultimately temporary.
But Williams left behind his darker side in films for children, including as the voice behind the genie in Disney's "Aladdin," singing the iconic, and award-winning, song "Friends Like Me," and in kids' romp "Jumanji" about a boardgame that comes to life.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 12 Aug 2014 03:22
Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams shot to fame for his madcap standup act and his offbeat alien Mork, but his most famous roles showed a depth of pain behind the comedian's mask.
The wildly popular 63-year-old funnyman, whose career spanned more than three decades, was known for rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness improvisations and impersonations.
On screen, his characters were often offbeat and eccentric -- from the zany alien Mork from the planet Ork, the television role in the 1970s that first catapulted him to fame, to the divorced dad who transforms himself into a elderly British nanny in Mrs. Doubtfire.
His skill at imitating voices was often showcased -- as in his portrayal of the genie in the 1992 Disney adaptation of "Aladdin," in which his character runs through a string of celebrity impressions.
But he also found success in darker roles, including an Oscar-winning turn as psychologist Sean Maguire, a Vietnam veteran and widower who counsels troubled genius Will Hunting.
But for all Williams Hollywood success and outsize public persona, the comedian faced private demons, including recurring battles with drugs, alcohol and mental illness.
He quit drinking and cocaine in the early 1980s, when his first son was born, but after 20 years sober, he started drinking again while filming in Alaska in 2003, he told the Guardian newspaper in 2010.
"It was that thing of working so much, and going '****, maybe (drinking) will help?' And it was the worst thing in the world," he told the newspaper, adding, however, he did not start taking drugs again.
It took him another three years to get back to sobriety, after a family intervention led him to rehab, he said, blaming his drinking for the breakup in 2008 of his 19-year-second marriage.
"You know, I was shameful, and you do stuff that causes disgust, and that's hard to recover from."
It was health problems -- and open heart surgery -- in 2009 that he credits with being the true turning point.
"It breaks through your barrier, you've literally cracked the armor. And you've got no choice, it literally breaks you open. And you feel really mortal," he said.
During the three-hour surgery, doctors replaced Williams' aortic valve, repair his mitral valve, and correct an irregular heart beat.
The actor was also reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and in July, 2014, he checked into a Minnesota rehab facility for help maintaining sobriety after a grueling year-and-a-half of work.
One of Williams' most famous roles was as radio disk jockey Adrian Cronauer, whose loud and drawn out "Gooooooood morning, Vietnaaaaaam" started each broadcast and was the title of the film.
The character bucks authority on the air, bringing US troops the 1960s rock music and lifestyle they missed from home, playing unapproved songs and riffing in quick-fire improvisations in between.
Although he brings humor to his portrayal of the character, the film, set amid one of the longest and deadliest US wars abroad, is hardly a comedy.
And even his more light-hearted films touch on deeper sadness, including slapstick "Mrs. Doubtfire," the cross-dressing character created by divorced dad Daniel Hillard in desperation to see his kids, who were living with a wife who sees him as irresponsible.
Williams was beloved as inspirational prep-school teacher John Keating, in the "Dead Poets Society," another character that defied authority with an unorthodox teaching style that ultimately gets him fired.
And in yet another dramatic role in "Awakenings," Williams played Malcolm Sayer, a doctor with a ward full of catatonic patients.
Sayer finds success with a treatment, shepherding his newly-awakened charges into an unfamiliar world decades after their mental freeze, but it is ultimately temporary.
But Williams left behind his darker side in films for children, including as the voice behind the genie in Disney's "Aladdin," singing the iconic, and award-winning, song "Friends Like Me," and in kids' romp "Jumanji" about a boardgame that comes to life.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 12 Aug 2014 03:22
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
OBAMA TRIBUTE TO 'ONE OF A KIND' ROBIN WILLIAMS
President Barack Obama and the US first family joined a national outpouring of grief Monday to pay tribute to the deceased actor and comedian Robin Williams.
"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, " Obama said.
"He arrived in our lives as an alien -- but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit," Obama added, referring to Williams' breakthrough television role as the extraterrestrial visitor Mork.
"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 marginalized 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," the statement concluded.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 12 Aug 2014 02:59
President Barack Obama and the US first family joined a national outpouring of grief Monday to pay tribute to the deceased actor and comedian Robin Williams.
"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, " Obama said.
"He arrived in our lives as an alien -- but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit," Obama added, referring to Williams' breakthrough television role as the extraterrestrial visitor Mork.
"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 marginalized 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," the statement concluded.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 12 Aug 2014 02:59
I.am.Sam
Honorary Master
RIP Robin Williams
Kornhub
Blackburn Fan
I didn't believe it 
R.I.P
R.I.P
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
Dead Poets Society will be watched this weekend...
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
Fitting tribute!
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
Will watch Bicentennial Man again.
Sinbad
Honorary Master
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Cos he's the frikking genie
You're not the only one. Normally I don't give a **** about this kind of thing but damn... I grew up with this guys movies, and later saw his stand up. He made me laugh so much.
Rest in Peace Robin. You gave me some wonderful memories.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
RIP Robin. Loved him in the serious role of One Hour Photo
Randux
Expert Member
R. I. P
Compton_effect
Honorary Master
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I've spent the entire morning listening to his stand-up comedy. Still his best work.
This weekend the kids will get to watch Jumanji and Aladdin for the first time.
And I'm watching Fisher King again.
This weekend the kids will get to watch Jumanji and Aladdin for the first time.
And I'm watching Fisher King again.