We GeekMoms have been incredibly saddened by Robin Williams’ tragic death Monday morning.
We are on Twitter discussing our favorite Robin Williams films, television, and Broadway shows. We are on Facebook sharing photos, videos, and quotes. It’s known that his passing might have been related to his battle with depression, and the discussions on social media tonight are covering that, but I’m glad we’re also smiling with some of our happiest, funniest memories of him.
I might be dating myself here, but I remember Robin Williams’ earliest days with the ABC sitcom Mork and Mindy. It was one of our family’s favorites. I was young enough to not quite understand some of the innuendos of the show, and when we showed it to our sons earlier this year when it was syndicated on Hub Network, I couldn’t believe I was enjoying some of those jokes at age 5!
Over the years, we have enjoyed his incredible range of acting, from the jokester in Good Morning, Vietnam (where he played a US Air Force Airman, whoo hoo!), to a reluctant Peter Pan in Hook, to a Southie therapist in Good Will Hunting, to a frightening, socially inept stalker in One Hour Photo. I’ve also enjoyed his standup comedy, although that’s definitely not for children!
"Gooood morning Vietnam! It's 0600 hours. What does the "O" stand for? O my God, it's early!" #RobinWilliams as Airman Cronauer. #USAF #RIP
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) August 12, 2014
My sons know and enjoy Williams more through his family-friendly personas: the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, Fender in Robots, and the Adelie penguin Ramón in Happy Feet. They also know him from his leading role in Jumanji, one of their favorite films.
I also hold Williams in high esteem for his service to deployed servicemembers throughout the world. The USO issued condolences on Facebook Monday evening. Williams amassed scores of performances, and I wish I could have seen one. One of his more memorable standup comedy routines is from Christmas 2007 in Kuwait. I leave you to enjoy this video from that particular performance, and I hope we all remember Robin Williams with smiles for many years to come.
PS: Geeky fact! Did you know Williams’ oldest daughter is named Zelda? And yes, it was because of his affinity for the video game!
