There are a lot of things that the average fan doesn’t know about Robin Williams. He was funny but also kind. While he was funny, he also suffered from depression and took his own life.
There are 9 little-known things about Robin Williams.
1. He Stole Jokes.
Williams admitted to stealing jokes, but he didn’t do it deliberately. He would often go to comedy clubs to see other comedians perform, and sometimes he would hear someone else say something that he didn’t want to say. That’s what Williams said assuming that a comic faced him about taking a joke, he would apologize and pay him for the joke.
2. Robin Williams committed suicide because of dementia.
While Williams did suffer from depression, he also suffered from a form of dementia called Lewy body dementia. This form of dementia can cause visual hallucinations and changes in attention. Williams was diagnosed with dementia about a year before he committed suicide, and he was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s about 3 months prior. Doctors expected him to live three more years if he hadn’t ended his own life.
3. Robin Williams tried to cheer up Spielberg.
Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in 1995 after falling off a horse. Williams was the first person to see him. He pretended to be a proctologist. The gag made Reeve laugh and he knew that it was all going to be okay. The two have been friends since the 1970s.
4. The night before Belushi died, he was with him.
Belushi was drinking and hanging out with a drug dealer. Williams invited him to visit his ranch after visiting him at the Chateau Marmont. Belushi died of a drug overdose a few hours after Williams left his hotel.
5. He Visited Christopher Reeve in the Hospital.
Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in 1995 after falling off a horse. Williams was the first person to see him. He pretended to be a proctologist. The gag made Reeve laugh and he knew that it was all going to be okay. The two have been friends since the 1970s.
6. Robin Williams Prevented Oprah from Outing Nathan Lane.
In 1996, Williams and Lane appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s show to promote the film “The Birdcage. Williams diverted the conversation when Winfrey tried to bring up the topic.
7. Disney Gave Williams a Picasso.
In the 1990s, Williams was paid $8 million for each film, but he made an exception for “Aladdin. Disney used the genie to promote the film, and when they found out Williams was upset about it, they sent him a Picasso worth $1 million to try to make things right.
8. He Wanted to Play Hagrid in “Harry Potter”.
British people were cast in the role of Harry Potter. Williams was turned down because he was an American, even though he wanted to be in the film.
9. His daughter is named after a video game character.
Williams admitted to playing video games for a long time. He named her Zelda after the video game (The Legend of Zelda) character.
