I have not said much about the passing of Robin Williams. There is just so much grief going on all over the net. And you know what? That is actually great to see! I love knowing that Robin has touched so many lives through his acting career. Someone mentioned that they have not seen this many touched by a persons loss since even before Michael Jackson's death.
Through the lens, we could tell Robin was definitely a sweet and caring man. Full of laughter and joy. His specials Live at the Roxy, An Evening with Robin Williams and Self Destruction made me burst with laughter! I can't say they got me through hard times, but I'm sure they did in some way or another. As a child growing up in the 80's and 90's, I adored his classics. He was the voice of laughter to me and my parents and I will always cherish that.
But what about the darker side? Robin made folks laugh for years and years and wanted to push himself even further. In 2002 we saw a whole new side of Williams with one single film. One Hour Photo.
The film was based around the man at the local photo hut. How he sees everything about your life through photos. We never knew who that man was or what they did on their down time. But we just handed over our lives in a tiny canister. The film also showed how loneliness can really get to a person. How it slowly eats away at people on the inside looking out.
Going through social media I've noticed not one person has mentioned this film in Robin's larger than life legacy. I really feel we got to see a brief glimpse at the man inside. Now, I'm not saying Robin was a horrific creep like his roll in the picture. Far from it! But there is always that underlining to a person. Something that one grasps to and really takes with him or her. This was that roll for Mr. Williams.
I think he really enjoyed playing something different, something dark while keeping face to the common crowd. He pushed himself at the same time he let go and pulled off something brilliant that is rarely ever seen in cinema.
I am constantly asked "Why do you like horror movies? You are such a nice guy! How can you like scary things?" The answer is quite simple. I read somewhere that inside all of us there are monsters that we need to tame, or that we fight. Under the facade, we all have our own demons to battle. Monsters and mad men remind us that there is real evil in this world. There's darkness inside all of us. It's good to be reminded of that from time to time. And the darkness, monsters and demons can all be conquered -- just like in the horror pictures.
I really feel Robin gave himself to that theory and opened up to it in this picture and gave one hell of a performance! Sadly for Mr. Williams, in the end, he could not conquer his demons. I feel we will never truly know what was going through his mind on August 11th 2014. But we all need to be aware that loneliness and depression lies within us all. Even the really funny and nice ones.The ones that make you laugh hysterically at lunch or at the bar. The ones who stay positive through it all. Facades can be strong, but the human emotion inside is much, much stronger.
Someone said today that they now think Robin was a coward for leaving us the way he did, and that his legacy means nothing to them anymore. That is truly heart breaking and depressing to hear.
I don't want to leave this post on a down note. So I'm going to leave you with my favorite memory of Robin Williams. One that I think will stick with me till my death bed, and hopefully yours. This video shows how truly loving and caring Robin was. Just because he needed to fight his own demons off inside does not mean he wasn't a truly generous and caring person all around. We'll all deeply miss you Robbie.
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