I can still remember where I was when I heard that the beloved comedian had passed away. I was sitting at a table, having breakfast with my co-workers at a summer camp where I was working. Somebody mentioned something about his death, and I thought it was a joke. But when my boss confirmed the news, I was shocked. I had to excuse myself from the table so I could go into the restroom and sob. All I could think was, "He'll never get to meet my little brother, who's his biggest fan! Robin Williams will never know what an inspiration he was to my brother and me." Two years have gone by, and he still comes up in conversations. Why?!
First of all, he was a genius when it came to comedy. He made one of his first TV appearances on the show "Happy Days" as an alien. His character wasn't even real! He was a weird part of somebody's dream on the show. However, he did so well that his alien became Mork on "Mork and Mindy." His conversations with Orson were definitely some of the highlights of the show.
He was also a master of improvised acting. When appearing on "The Carol Burnett Show," he took the opportunity to outshine his hostess. After they finished their routine on her show, he asked if he could do it again... while they were still live on television and in-front of a studio audience! He did this, so that he could throw Carol off, and make this time even funnier for her and the audience.
Second, he was a caring person who was able to connect with audiences. According to "Look to the Stars," he supported over fifty different charities and causes during his lifetime, including the Dream Foundation, Love Our Children USA, and the YMCA.
Since his death, many people have made videos on YouTube highlighting the inspirational things he said as his characters and the things he said in interviews. A few of these quotes include: "You're only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it," and "No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change this world." Both of these are from "Dead Poets Society."
And while he often out-shined his co-stars, he was humble and always gave people motivation to do their best, and have fun.
Lastly, his characters were memorable because he made them memorable. If you've seen at least five movies he has in, then you know that he didn't always have the lead roles. In fact, some of the roles he played may have never gotten noticed, if it weren't for his brilliant characterization. For instance, if absolutely none of his other films, then you've most likely seen him in Disney's "Aladdin" as the Genie. He was not the leading actor, but he was definitely the one that people were talking about as they exited the theaters.
Often when I work early morning shifts, my manager at work will yell, "GOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOORRRRRRRNNNNING!!!!!!!!" And I wil respond, "VIIIIIEEETNAAAAAAMM!" I haven't even seen that movie, but I know what it's from.
Whenever he is quoted, people tend to jump in and try quoting as much as they can remember from him as possible. It's like he was this distant relative of ours, who we always loved because they made us laugh and comforted us in our saddest moments. So when we see that someone else knew him too, then it's like we've found a part of the family that we didn't realize we were missing. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I believe he is still talked about today, and will continue to be for years to come.