Whether he was performing on a live stage or on the big screen, Robin Williams never ceased to amaze others with his infectious grin, talent, and sincerity. A little over two months ago, Academy Award-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams took his own life. Our world can learn from his personal struggles.
Robin Williams was an actor with many defining roles. In 1978, Williams left an impression on Hollywood with the role of a humorous alien character “Mork” from the sitcom Happy Days. After this role, he showcased his talents in movies that are now considered classic movies, such as Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, Aladdin, and Mrs. Doubtfire. When he was not acting for the cameras, he was onstage entertaining a crowd with his stand-up comedy, incorporating a rapid delivery of various accents and pitches.
Along with his talents, Williams was involved in several philanthropic causes. He devoted time to visiting children battling cancer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and traveled overseas through The United Service Organization to lift the spirits of the men and women serving in warzones. He spread joy to countless people, including Ridge High School student Anna Peczak ’18, who states, “He was a very versatile actor and played all of his parts perfectly, always putting a smile on my face. I wish he was still here with us today, to continue to do so.” Evidently, with his fan base consisting of teenagers of Anna’s age, as well as adults, Robin Williams’ charisma served as a bridge in today’s generational gap.
Even with all of these great achievements throughout his career, Robin Williams concealed deeper emotions behind his smile. Leading to the event of his death, he became addicted to cocaine and alcohol in the early ‘80s. After his good friend John Belushi fatally overdosed in 1982, he took the initiative to become sober, and succeeded in doing so for the successive 20 years. In 2006, he relapsed to alcohol and had been in and out of rehabilitation since that year.
Along with his addiction problems, he divorced twice, which resulted in his loss of twenty million dollars. His third widowed wife confirmed that Robin Williams received a diagnosis of early stage Parkinson’s disease and suffered from a severe case of depression weeks prior to his suicide. Although Williams was open about some of his difficulties, he did not express the full magnitude of them.
Sadly, when the cameras turned off and the spotlight dimmed, Robin Williams felt an emptiness that no amount of money or drugs could fill. Robin Williams’ death is a blatant reminder to the world of how much there is to improve on in recognizing the full effects of addictions and depression. Most importantly, we need to prevent the formation of “masks” to hide personal struggles. As a talented actor, Williams had the ability to disguise his emotions.
Regarding the importance of awareness, Robin Williams’ daughter, Zelda Williams, tweeted on October 10th: “Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay. Mental illness is often misunderstood & misrepresented, but that’s starting to change. Let’s end the stigma. Mental health IS as important as physical health, & whether there are visible signs or not, the suffering is real. It can affect EVERYONE.”
Since his death on August 11th, 2014, our memory of Robin Williams as a performing genius still lingers in the minds of many. If anything can be learned from his tragic death, it is that addiction and mental illnesses do not discriminate and can affect anyone.
Neha Patnaik ’18 reflects, “Depression is something that many people struggle with. They need all the help that they can get in order to get their life on track.” We have little control over who develops these issues; however, we do have the ability to provide accessible treatment and support, in order to reduce the likelihood of suicide.