In case you haven't heard, and you probably have because this blog is not about breaking news, Robin Williams passed away yesterday at the age of 63. Given the past history of comedians with substance abuse issues, we're lucky he was with us that long.
Too often an artist passes and the word icon is used. The word loses its impact we hear it so much. Robin Williams was an icon. A soul so monumentally talented, not one piece you read will capture it. From his stand up in the 70s to his film work beginning in the 80s his uniqueness was evident. I mean, who else did improvisational bits on stage in the manner of Shakespeare? Like Richard Pryor, he was able to take things inherently unfunny like drug use, bigotry, or as taboo as sexuality and in a near-manic delivery make us see it in a ridiculous context making it both sidesplittingly funny, and poignantly tragic. That was the genius of his stand up.
Like Steve Martin, his filmwork was memorable because he was able to bring the stand up's "just beneath the surface darkness," or "what's he gonna say next" anxiety to any role - comedic or dramatic. It made the characters he portrayed so compelling. Be it Garp, Adrian Cronauer, John Keating, Peter Pan, whomever, they were all so good. Shit, he was even funny in The Best Of Times opposite Kurt Russell. There are too many to list.
I remember watching him on an HBO Young Comedians special. His beret, tight 70s tee shirt, and the way he went from voice to voice, and idea to idea as he migrated from stage to audience - it was so captivating. The Mr Rogers voice as he would delve into drugs, or sex. The thick Shakespearean accent as he would segue way into penis references. I remember Robin Williams: Live At The Met going from Robin Leach's voice to his son Zach's kiddy voice and a "Fuck it." I remember him singing Springsteen's "Fire" in Elmer Fudd voice. It was like watching a master chef just grabbing ingredients and mixing them up without any concern at the moment of the outcome. The drunk asshole voice, the hippy voice, the dumb guy voice - I can hear them all.
I remember his pained expression on "The World According To Garp" when he discovered his wife's infidelity. I remember his hopeful countenance as he counseled troubled genius Will Hunting. The smile he shows as recounting meeting his wife to be and missing Game 6 and "Fisk's homah" without regretting - so human.
Instead of recounting them all, just go to YouTube, and search "Robin Williams." Watch them all. Use the boss's bandwidth. Hell, call your boss over to watch some of them. They're probably bummed too.
Robin Williams, such a human. We're told we're made in the image of The Creator. If that is the case, then creativity is our most divine ability. I'll miss him so much.
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