Robin Williams

Monday night I was just settling down to sleep, but not before I had one last look at my Facebook news feed. I had no idea what was coming next....

A friend posted on his wall that he was putting his phone down to go to bed and the notification pinged in. That notification was that the actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead in his home in Tiburon, California. He had hanged himself.



Normally when a celebrity dies I generally don't get affected. It's not that I have a heart of stone, I'm quite the opposite, very sensitive. This time it was different. I had hoped that the Facebook post was a hoax, so I checked the BBC News App, in my opinion if it's on the BBC it's official.
I went through to the living room to break the news to my sister and turned on the television. Sure enough on the BBC News channel, the news was coming through just right there and then. There it was in bold, red writing: ROBIN WILLIAMS DEAD AT 63. I then told my mum and at first she didn't believe me, but she checked her iPad and of course there it was. Robin Williams was gone.

I just couldn't comprehend how such a talented actor could be gone so soon. As kids, my sister and I loved watching Robin Williams especially in Mrs Doubtfire, where he proved that he could be anyone he wanted to be through his impersonations. Many actors can either be funny or be serious, with no in between. Robin Williams could make you laugh one minute, then cry the next. His switch between his comedic and serious acting was impeccable. He was the actor and still is the actor which no one dislikes. It's devastating to have lost perhaps one of the best actors and comedians in Hollywood. It goes to show that fame and money isn't everything and even those who are so incredibly gifted still suffer. They are human after all.



I don't want to go into too much about depression, but there are people out there right now who are suffering from it and have no one to talk to. It must be awful with all these thoughts bottled up inside and feeling like you have no one to talk to. Suicide seems like an easy option, as Robin Williams had said in an earlier interview: "Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem." Believe me, it is not the only option. Your life is too precious to throw away, no matter what problems you're facing. If you're going through depression and anxiety right now, talk to someone. It may help save your life. For Robin Williams, it was too late. However, we shall remember him for the wonderful roles he played in film and television throughout the years. It's not goodbye, it's "Genie, you're free."

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Robin Williams 1951-2014