- Extended coverage: Outpouring of grief for Robin Williams
- Favourite moments from Robin Williams career
- Fans remember Robin Williams
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams has died 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 on Monday, police said.
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."
His daughter Zelda Williams, who recently celebrated her 25th birthday, posted an excerpt from French poet and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery's El Principito on Twitter, which read: "You - you alone will have the stars as no one else has them... In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night ... You - only you - will have stars that can laugh."
She added: "I love you. I miss you. I'll try to keep looking up."
Offbeat and zany characters remembered
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 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.
'Lightning storm of comic genius'
US President Barack Obama led tributes to an entertainer he described as "one of a kind".
“Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan and everything in between,” he said, in a statement.
“But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien, but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.
“He made us laugh, He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most.”
President Obama offered condolences to Williams’ family, his friend “and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.”
Hollywood titan Steven Spielberg, a close friend of Williams, hailed him as a "lightning storm of comic genius."
Private demons, health problems
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 Zak was born in 1983, 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 'F..., 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 to Marsha Garces, Zak's nanny whom he married in 1989, a year after his first marriage ended in divorce. They had two children, Zelda, 25, and Cody, 22.
"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 armour. 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 gruelling year-and-a-half of work.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
Share
