TIBURON, CA (CelebrityAccess) — Oscar-winning actor and comic Robin Williams died in what the Marin County Sheriff's Department described as an apparent suicide. He was 63 at the time of his passing.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Sheriff's Department responded to a call about an unresponsive person at the comedian's home in Tiburon. Williams was pronounced dead at the scene.
A native of Chicago, and a graduate of John Houseman’s prestigious acting program at Julliard, Williams first caught the national attention with his performance as the quirky alien Mork on the television show "Mork & Mindy." He went on to a successful career as an actor, appearing not only in comedies like Good Morning Vietnam (1987), but serious films, such as Dead Poets Society (1989), The Fisher King (1991), and Good Will Hunting (1997).
Williams also had a successful career as a stand-up comic, on the road most recently in 2008 with his "Weapons of Self Destruction" tour, which hit 26 cities across the U.S. in 2009.
Williams also struggled with substance abuse, admitting to being addicted to cocaine during the late 1970s and early 1980s and later alcohol, checking into a substance-abuse rehabilitation facility in 2006.
Williams also struggled with depression and was recently diagnosed with the early stages of Parkinson's Disease. In a statement, Williams' widow Susan Schneider wrote:
"Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched," Schneider said. "His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.
"Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.
"It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid."
Chuck Morris, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, Rocky Mountains provided Williams with an early booking at Boulder’s Macky Auditorium after the premier of Mork & Mindy.
“Robin was one of the funniest people I’ll ever meet,” Morris told the Denver Post following the entertainer's death. “We spent a lot of time together over a few days, it was too much fun.” – Staff Writers
