From newscasts to social media to the word on the streets, people can not stop talking about their shock, deep sadness and disbelief after beloved comedian Robin Williams took his own life on Monday.
This loss has sounded an alarm, forcing intense dialogue about depression, suicide and whether anyone could have intervened to prevent this from happening.
For Barrington’s take on this tragic loss, 365BarringtonTV’s Gus Goetze talked to patrons at the Catlow Theater about their fond memories of Robin Williams and their reaction to the news.
Along with his partner Roberta Rapata, featured in our video, Catlow owner Tim O’Connor also weighed in on Robin’s passing.
“When the news broke, Roberta texted me and I was in disbelief. I immediately started searching the web hoping that it was just another celebrity death hoax, only to find that the sad news had been confirmed.
Roberta and I are both huge fans of comedy, and aside from Jonathan Winters, it would be hard to name another comedian who could jump from character to character the way Robin when doing standup or in interviews.
I know Robin performed many award-worthy roles, but to me, he was always a comedian first, and my favorite movie… CLUB PARADISE.
Written and directed by Harold Ramis and featuring one of the most diverse cast ever assembled for a movie – Robin, Peter O’Toole, Twiggy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin and Jimmy Cliff. It’s a classic!”
“By the way,” Tim asks, “What us your favorite Robin Williams movie?”
For me, there’s no question. Dead Poets Society is my favorite.
Through his performance, he reminds us of the immense power and influence of our life’s finest teachers. Like so many, I can’t help but wonder what we can learn and what we can do, in the wake of this heartbreaking loss.
