Anyway, the theme tune finished and then Janice Long (the presenter) said "that was played in memory of Robin Williams who died today."
I had to park the car up because I was in total shock! I cried too, and I don't mind admitting it!
Like many others I never really knew the guy, but I loved him. Something else that I don't mind admitting.
When I was a child they showed Mork & Mindy on the television here in the UK, on ITV I think - there were only three channels in the UK then, and no alternative was available - no satellite or cable service!
It was probably 1978 or so I suppose, and I was still just seven years old. Being born in November means I'm just later having a birthday than most from the year I was born! I don't know why I said that, but I did. I'll leave it there.
Mork & Mindy was being shown on the TV though and, although I probably didn't understand everything, I knew there were bits that I loved about the show, and most of what I loved was Robin himself and the character he portrayed, for it was a character, and he was acting! The character was zany, said some very silly (funny things), and also found it difficult to fit in, much like myself to a point.
I was incredibly shy as a child and, as I still do to a degree, I found myself getting lost in my own little world where I felt secure. In a way the programme sort of showed me that it was good to at least try to interact with people. It didn't always work, but eventually I did make friends. I still have that shyness to a degree, but I have learnt to realise when and how to push a situation to try and get to know people. It used to manifest itself at times as a paranoia, hence my eventual nickname of Marv- Marvin the paranoid android you see! Marv for short!
Anyway, at various points in my life I saw Robin Williams along the way. I always intended to watch the film Popeye from 1980, but never did. At a video shop (yes video tapes people - tapes) when I was eleven or twelve I saw the film The World According to Garp on display - "oh look, it's Mork!" "Hmm, I'm not bothered about that," came the response. I hope to get to see that sometime because I've heard that it's okay. The guy has been in a lot of films - A LOT OF FILMS! I haven't seen them all but I have not disliked a single film that I have seen him in! That is the total truth!
During the mid to late eighties I caught a film coming on the television called Moscow on the Hudson, and it starred Robin Williams. In fact, I think it was in 1988 because I was living on my own in a bedsit - a bedsit you couldn't live in until you were over eighteen, but I lied because I was seventeen at the time. Necessity made me have to lie. I couldn't live at my mum's because of certain reasons, and I also couldn't live with my dad because I wasn't sure where I stood there at the time. I had been thrown out of where I was living because of violence as a result of drunkenness and possibly drug use, I don't completely remember now to be honest, but things weren't good then!
Anyway, the period where the drunkenness occurred was short-lived, and now I was living in a bedsit (a bedroom to myself that had JUST ENOUGH SPACE for a single bed, a wardrobe, and a television on a stand), and the film Moscow on the Hudson came on. "Okay," I thought, "this is the guy who made me laugh so much in Mork & Mindy, it'll be great!" It started... I got so far through it, and thought "hmm, this is a bit serious and where is Mork?" After a little while, I realised that the guy with the funny Russian accent was Mork, but in a serious role. "It's a bit dramatic this, but he's really good," I thought. I watched the whole film and thought it was good.
I had already seen the advertisements for the film Good Morning Vietnam that was at the cinema the previous year, and I didn't know what to make of that. I'd heard that Williams was fabulous in it, but the only bits I saw on trailers and such were humorous bits which sort of bugged me at the time, what with the war being incredibly deadly - I wasn't sure if it took it seriously. The clips I saw were unclear on this.
When I did eventually see the film, I thought that it was astounding, but that wasn't for a long time!
Funnily enough, the next film I saw him in was the fantastic film The Awakenings, in which he co-starred with Robert DeNiro. What a film! The fact that it was a true story as well made it even more poignant to me. I want to watch that film again actually because it has been a while!
Anyway, over the years I have watched (and have yet to watch) a good few of his films. Hook, Aladdin, A Night at the Museum (1 & 2), Jumanji (I loved it), Robots, Mrs Doubtfire (oh yeah - the humour and the drama both together, the pain you feel for the character and the times you laugh in the same film!)... The list is endless.
In between Mork and all of this though, I also saw him on the music video for the fabulous Bobby McFerrin song Don't Worry Be Happy - one of my favourite songs in fact! I smile every time I see that film, and I hope that I still will now.
I also remember him taking part in the George Martin album In My Life. George Martin was basically picking songs from his career that include pieces he'd written himself, as well as other songs such as obviously some Beatles songs (I love the whole album to be honest with you). George says that he asked Bobby McFerrin to come in and do the John Lennon-written song Come Together, to which Bobby turned up at Abbey Road studio saying "I've brought a friend with me to help." It was Robin! What they did was so inspired in my opinion, and is right there in my memory forever. Brilliant - Robin and Bobby doing that song together is fabulous I think.
However, much later than when it first came out I watched Dead Poet's Society. It was on the television think (or perhaps rented out on video - I'm not sure). I sat down, watched, and was absolutely lost for words. Robin's performance in that film to me was outstanding, as was the acting by everybody in the whole film! The character of John Keating was such a great character, and the iconic ending of the film was definitely one of the greatest endings to a film that I have ever seen! Emotion, humour in places, and so much in there. The score in fact jumped out at me as well by the way, but that's not Robin!
I've seen a few of his stand-up pieces over the years as well, and the interviews with him have some amazing improvised on the spot moments that have made me fall about laughing. His ability to do that and then to have been able to play those incredibly dramatic roles such as John Keating, Adrian Cronauer (there is drama and comedy in that role, perfectly put across by some exemplary acting), and much more shows that he was an individual with so much character within him. Outwardly you didn't normally get to see much more in interviews and the likes other than the jokes, because he seemed to me to be a very guarded person about his private life, although he was incredibly honest and joked about his addictions over the years - a comedian making a joke out of something that was so serious after all!
The drugs and alcohol were possibly something to help him with that awful illness that many people suffer from - depression! It affects so many people, and yet remains in the background brushed aside - hidden away. I can't even imagine how he was feeling towards the end, even though in the late eighties I too tried to commit suicide once. All that happened though was that I made myself sick by taking too many paracetamol - what did I know?
I have encountered spells of depression in my life, but I would call mine "light depression" looking back with a revisionist's eye. Anything is light when placed into this context. I feel so saddened that Robin took his own life in the end, despite how much love he both gave to people all over the world, and how much so many people around the world gave their love back to him. He wanted to make people smile with his absolute uniqueness - there was no forcing from him, he was just like that! An incredible person that will be missed.
But, don't forget what he has left behind. The films are there to be enjoyed, you can see his stand-up routines on DVD or whatever still. You may shed a tear or be a little sad watching, but then when he says something that is hysterically funny it will make you laugh so much, while crying perhaps at the same time. Happy laughter and sad crying? That's the two sides to life in a nutshell right there, brought to you by the wonderful human being that was the inimitable Mr Robin Williams.
We miss you Robin. Rest in peace. We love you xx
 |
| Moscow on the Hudson |
During the mid to late eighties I caught a film coming on the television called Moscow on the Hudson, and it starred Robin Williams. In fact, I think it was in 1988 because I was living on my own in a bedsit - a bedsit you couldn't live in until you were over eighteen, but I lied because I was seventeen at the time. Necessity made me have to lie. I couldn't live at my mum's because of certain reasons, and I also couldn't live with my dad because I wasn't sure where I stood there at the time. I had been thrown out of where I was living because of violence as a result of drunkenness and possibly drug use, I don't completely remember now to be honest, but things weren't good then!
Anyway, the period where the drunkenness occurred was short-lived, and now I was living in a bedsit (a bedroom to myself that had JUST ENOUGH SPACE for a single bed, a wardrobe, and a television on a stand), and the film Moscow on the Hudson came on. "Okay," I thought, "this is the guy who made me laugh so much in Mork & Mindy, it'll be great!" It started... I got so far through it, and thought "hmm, this is a bit serious and where is Mork?" After a little while, I realised that the guy with the funny Russian accent was Mork, but in a serious role. "It's a bit dramatic this, but he's really good," I thought. I watched the whole film and thought it was good.
I had already seen the advertisements for the film Good Morning Vietnam that was at the cinema the previous year, and I didn't know what to make of that. I'd heard that Williams was fabulous in it, but the only bits I saw on trailers and such were humorous bits which sort of bugged me at the time, what with the war being incredibly deadly - I wasn't sure if it took it seriously. The clips I saw were unclear on this.
 |
| "Gooooood morning Vietnaaaam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" |
When I did eventually see the film, I thought that it was astounding, but that wasn't for a long time!
 |
| The Awakenings |
 |
| Jumanji |
In between Mork and all of this though, I also saw him on the music video for the fabulous Bobby McFerrin song Don't Worry Be Happy - one of my favourite songs in fact! I smile every time I see that film, and I hope that I still will now.
 |
| Mrs Doubtfire |
However, much later than when it first came out I watched Dead Poet's Society. It was on the television think (or perhaps rented out on video - I'm not sure). I sat down, watched, and was absolutely lost for words. Robin's performance in that film to me was outstanding, as was the acting by everybody in the whole film! The character of John Keating was such a great character, and the iconic ending of the film was definitely one of the greatest endings to a film that I have ever seen! Emotion, humour in places, and so much in there. The score in fact jumped out at me as well by the way, but that's not Robin!
I've seen a few of his stand-up pieces over the years as well, and the interviews with him have some amazing improvised on the spot moments that have made me fall about laughing. His ability to do that and then to have been able to play those incredibly dramatic roles such as John Keating, Adrian Cronauer (there is drama and comedy in that role, perfectly put across by some exemplary acting), and much more shows that he was an individual with so much character within him. Outwardly you didn't normally get to see much more in interviews and the likes other than the jokes, because he seemed to me to be a very guarded person about his private life, although he was incredibly honest and joked about his addictions over the years - a comedian making a joke out of something that was so serious after all!The drugs and alcohol were possibly something to help him with that awful illness that many people suffer from - depression! It affects so many people, and yet remains in the background brushed aside - hidden away. I can't even imagine how he was feeling towards the end, even though in the late eighties I too tried to commit suicide once. All that happened though was that I made myself sick by taking too many paracetamol - what did I know?
I have encountered spells of depression in my life, but I would call mine "light depression" looking back with a revisionist's eye. Anything is light when placed into this context. I feel so saddened that Robin took his own life in the end, despite how much love he both gave to people all over the world, and how much so many people around the world gave their love back to him. He wanted to make people smile with his absolute uniqueness - there was no forcing from him, he was just like that! An incredible person that will be missed.But, don't forget what he has left behind. The films are there to be enjoyed, you can see his stand-up routines on DVD or whatever still. You may shed a tear or be a little sad watching, but then when he says something that is hysterically funny it will make you laugh so much, while crying perhaps at the same time. Happy laughter and sad crying? That's the two sides to life in a nutshell right there, brought to you by the wonderful human being that was the inimitable Mr Robin Williams.
We miss you Robin. Rest in peace. We love you xx
