Several weeks ago the birth of one of the greatest comedians of all time was celebrated and last week we mourned his loss. RobinMcLaurin Williams was born on July 21, 1951, and unfortunately took his own life on August 11, 2014, proving that even the most jovial and high spirited of us can be struggling with demons that the outside world knows nothing about.
When I think of the greatest movies of my childhood, I frequently quote this man who was an entertainer like no other. His voice work was uncannily capable of creating whole new personas as he did in “Mrs. Doubtfire” one of his most notable works, where in order to keep contact with his children after a difficult divorce with his wife he creates the persona of an old British nanny.
As great as “Mrs. Doubtfire” was, his work on the Disney animated film “Aladdin” was even more impressive in my opinion. In this role, we were able to see a wide range of voices from an aging Genie to an Asian Genie and everything in between.
While his comedic voice work will always be a beacon for my childhood and I still will watch many of his movies to this day if I catch them on television, his greatest work, in my opinion, is one people don’t frequently talk about and many have never seen. A 1989 film by the name of “Dead Poet’s Society,” which until recently I had not realized was almost as old as me, listed as one of the films that Robin Williams is known for.
This film is one of his more serious works, something along the lines of “Patch Adams,” with less comedy, but full of inspiration. In this film, Williams plays a new English teacher at a private boarding school, where he inspires his students through an after class club called “Dead Poet’s Society” to be creative, opens their eyes to the beauty that poetry can be. This film earned Williams an Oscar nomination, although he would ultimately lose the award to Daniel Day-Lewis for his role in “My Left Foot,” I movie I admittedly have never heard of. While he did not win an Oscar for “Dead Poet’s Society,” he did win for his role as a supporting actor in “Good Will Hunting.”
While his performances may not have won him many awards they still serve as an inspiration his many fans. From his role as Popeye to his role as an alien on “Mork and Mindy” to his turn as grown up Peter Pan in “Hook,” Robin Williams filled our lives with laughter and joy.
Despite his amusing nature and all the joy he brought to his many fans no one was prepared for the loss of such a comedic genius, His tragic loss opened the eyes of many to the effect mental illnesses have on people. While admittedly this is a tough conversation this is something that needs to be addressed. As sensitive as this issue is it needs to be addressed.
As the anniversary of his death passes I think about how hard this time of year must be for his family, his birthday and anniversary of his death so close together. You celebrate the life and mourn the loss back to back. Reflecting on this man whose performances made my childhood magical in so many ways I smile despite the sadness of knowing that there will never be a new performance from this amazing man again. To paraphrase one of his most iconic characters, I’ll never meet anyone like him.
