Robin Williams, boisterous comedy star, dead at 63 from apparent suicide
By Haven Daley and Hillel Italie ,AP
August 13, 2014, 12:02 am TWN
August 13, 2014, 12:02 am TWN
SAN FRANCISCO -- He was the funniest guy in the room,
something that made it all the harder for friends and fans to accept that
beneath that reservoir of frenetic energy and seemingly endless good humor
resided demons so dark they could push Robin Williams to suicide.
It was no secret that the Oscar-winning actor had
suffered for years from periodic bouts of substance abuse and depression — he
made reference to it himself in his comedy routines. But word that he had
killed himself Monday at his San Francisco Bay Area home left both friends in
the Hollywood community and neighbors in the
quiet neighborhood of Tiburon that he called home equally stunned and
grief-stricken.
“It was so sudden and he was such a great guy and it's
such a loss to the whole community,” said Daniel Jennings who lived across the
street from Williams in the quiet neighborhood where the actor was often seen
riding his bike and stopping to talk to neighbors. One thing he never did,
residents said, was act like a celebrity.
“He was really nice to all the neighbors,” Daniels said.
“Really appreciated his kindness.”
He was last seen alive at home about 10 p.m. Sunday,
according to the Marin
County Vietnam
Sheriff's officials said a preliminary investigation
determined the cause of death was suicide due to asphyxia. Williams was 63.
“This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend,
while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human
beings. I am utterly heartbroken,” said Williams' wife, Susan Schneider. “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.”
Battling Depression
Williams had been battling severe depression recently,
said Mara Buxbaum, his press representative. Just last month, he announced he
was returning to a 12-step treatment program he said he needed after 18 months
of nonstop work. He had sought treatment in 2006 after a relapse following 20
years of sobriety.
Williams joked about that fall off the wagon during a
comedy tour, saying, “I went to rehab in wine country to keep my options open.”
Likewise, when word spread about his struggles with drugs
in the early 1980s, Williams responded with a joke that for a time became a
catchphrase for his generation's recreational drug use: “Cocaine is God's way
of telling you you are making too much money.”
His struggles never seemed to affect his talent.
From his breakthrough in the late 1970s as the alien in
the hit TV show “Mork & Mindy,” through his standup act and numerous hit
films, the short, barrel-chested Williams ranted and shouted as if just sprung
from solitary confinement. Loud, fast and manic, he parodied everyone from John
Wayne to Keith Richards, impersonating a Russian immigrant as easily as a pack
of Nazi attack dogs.
He was a riot in drag in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” or as a
cartoon genie in “Aladdin.”
He could do drama, too, winning his Academy Award as an
empathetic therapist in the 1997 film “Good Will Hunting.”
He won Golden Globes for “Good Morning, Vietnam
Other film credits included Robert Altman's “Popeye” (a
box office bomb), Paul Mazursky's “Moscow on the
Hudson
“Robin was a lightning storm of comic genius and our
laughter was the thunder that sustained him. He was a pal and I can't believe
he's gone,” Spielberg said.
As word of his death spread, tributes from inside and
outside the entertainment industry poured in.
“Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a
nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in
between. 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 — from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our
own streets,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement.
Structure of the Lead：
WHO-Robin Williams
WHEN-August 13, 2014
WHAT-
WHY-because of severe depression
WHERE-at his home in San Francisco
HOW-not given
Keywords：
1. suicide 自殺
2. resided 居住
3. substance 物質
4. preliminary 初步的
5. asphyxia 窒息
6. depression 抑鬱症
7. empathetic 移情的
8. relapse 復發
9. sobriety 清醒
10. immeasurable 不可計量的
5. asphyxia 窒息
6. depression 抑鬱症
7. empathetic 移情的
8. relapse 復發
9. sobriety 清醒
10. immeasurable 不可計量的
It is a pity that we lost such a good person. Though he had severe depression, he still kept working to make more marvelous films. Wherever he was, there was a lot of laughter. Although he has passed away, his dedication will leave in people's heart forever.
回覆刪除Many celebrities always seem to be optimistic outside but pessimistic inside, They have much stress because they have many works to do and can't rest. They are very great because they always bring us happiness.
回覆刪除I feel so sorry for Robin's die. Depression should be pay attention. We should be more concerned about the people around us to help to get rid of this invisible disease.
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