1 00:00:08,675 --> 00:00:10,969 Robin! Robin! 2 00:00:10,969 --> 00:00:12,387 My name is now Robin Williams. 3 00:00:12,387 --> 00:00:13,555 Robin... 4 00:00:13,555 --> 00:00:16,308 Williams! 5 00:00:16,308 --> 00:00:18,435 Robin Williams is top 10 legendary of all time. 6 00:00:18,435 --> 00:00:19,603 Oh, yeah. 7 00:00:19,603 --> 00:00:22,022 [narrator] Robin Williams was a comedy giant... 8 00:00:22,022 --> 00:00:24,149 Look, it's him, Robin Williams. 9 00:00:24,149 --> 00:00:25,567 He was a rock star. 10 00:00:25,567 --> 00:00:28,820 It must've been what it was like to be with The Beatles. 11 00:00:28,820 --> 00:00:31,073 He just came onto the scene, and it was just, 12 00:00:31,073 --> 00:00:32,950 you knew some shit was going down. 13 00:00:32,950 --> 00:00:35,953 With a talent that seemed superhuman. 14 00:00:35,953 --> 00:00:38,288 Allison, this is the police. We know you're in there. 15 00:00:38,288 --> 00:00:40,290 The first time you see somebody like that, 16 00:00:40,290 --> 00:00:42,000 it's like a ----ing comet. 17 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,126 [Meowing] 18 00:00:43,126 --> 00:00:45,879 His mind is so quick, and just goes with it. 19 00:00:45,879 --> 00:00:48,298 -They're back... -[Laughing] 20 00:00:48,298 --> 00:00:51,426 Dead poets, they're angry, they're back, they're rhyming. 21 00:00:51,426 --> 00:00:52,552 [Laughing] 22 00:00:52,552 --> 00:00:53,971 Onstage, he was a tornado. 23 00:00:53,971 --> 00:00:55,889 I mean, now we can do like the old water ballet movies! 24 00:00:55,889 --> 00:00:57,933 -[Singing] -[Laughing] 25 00:00:57,933 --> 00:01:00,477 He can make you laugh, he can make you cry. 26 00:01:00,477 --> 00:01:02,104 He can make you cry, laughing. 27 00:01:02,104 --> 00:01:04,773 He can make you laugh through your tears. 28 00:01:04,773 --> 00:01:06,024 Sunrise... 29 00:01:06,024 --> 00:01:08,694 His range, I couldn't believe that one person 30 00:01:08,694 --> 00:01:11,488 could do all those voices. 31 00:01:11,488 --> 00:01:13,865 Really just lit me up as a kid 32 00:01:13,865 --> 00:01:16,159 And the Oscar goes to... 33 00:01:16,159 --> 00:01:17,911 Robin Williams, in 'Good Will Hunting'! 34 00:01:17,911 --> 00:01:19,371 [Cheering & applauding] 35 00:01:19,371 --> 00:01:22,999 He was a big kid, and the world was his toy box. 36 00:01:22,999 --> 00:01:25,127 You know, cocaine is God's way of saying you're making 37 00:01:25,127 --> 00:01:26,920 too damn much money, you know that. 38 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,213 [Laughing] 39 00:01:28,213 --> 00:01:29,965 Audiences laughed along as he triumphed 40 00:01:29,965 --> 00:01:32,759 over immense personal hardship. 41 00:01:32,759 --> 00:01:34,136 And alcohol is especially dangerous 42 00:01:34,136 --> 00:01:35,512 for people like myself. 43 00:01:35,512 --> 00:01:37,556 -Alcoholics. -[Laughing] 44 00:01:37,556 --> 00:01:39,933 Laughter, for him, was a life preserver. 45 00:01:39,933 --> 00:01:41,393 Does it help you? I mean... 46 00:01:41,393 --> 00:01:44,646 It's cheaper than therapy. Much cheaper. 47 00:01:44,646 --> 00:01:46,648 He had known such deep pain, 48 00:01:46,648 --> 00:01:49,735 and known how to turn it into something funny, 49 00:01:49,735 --> 00:01:51,320 But behind the scenes, 50 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,280 Robin's life became a nightmare. 51 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,700 There was just more anxiety and depression. 52 00:01:56,700 --> 00:01:58,618 And I would hear murmurings and things that 53 00:01:58,618 --> 00:02:00,287 there was a struggle going on. 54 00:02:00,287 --> 00:02:02,289 I just didn't know that it was this bad. 55 00:02:02,289 --> 00:02:04,666 Was he losing his mind? 56 00:02:04,666 --> 00:02:07,002 Yes, absolutely. 57 00:02:07,002 --> 00:02:09,629 I got a call, you know, Robin died. 58 00:02:09,629 --> 00:02:14,384 It was like, Robin who? I couldn't even imagine. 59 00:02:14,384 --> 00:02:17,054 Everybody was running amok with nonsense. 60 00:02:17,054 --> 00:02:21,516 Nobody seemed to have any clue why or what had happened. 61 00:02:21,516 --> 00:02:24,478 Shocked fans and friends were left asking, 62 00:02:24,478 --> 00:02:27,814 "What really happened inside the mind of Robin Williams?" 63 00:02:27,814 --> 00:02:29,900 ♪ 64 00:02:29,900 --> 00:02:30,984 [Overlapping voices] Ladies and gentlemen, 65 00:02:30,984 --> 00:02:32,319 you're about to be entertained! 66 00:02:32,319 --> 00:02:34,571 Getting the laugh is the greatest addiction... 67 00:02:34,571 --> 00:02:35,739 ...They want more of it, they want more of it. 68 00:02:35,739 --> 00:02:36,948 She was getting death threats... 69 00:02:36,948 --> 00:02:39,284 It [beep] with your head! He's out of his skull! 70 00:02:39,284 --> 00:02:40,952 That's what took her down. This is a crazy story. 71 00:02:40,952 --> 00:02:46,458 ♪ 72 00:02:46,458 --> 00:02:48,293 Robin Williams grew up in an upscale suburb 73 00:02:48,293 --> 00:02:50,253 of Detroit, Michigan. 74 00:02:50,253 --> 00:02:51,797 ♪ 75 00:02:51,797 --> 00:02:53,465 His father was a Ford executive. 76 00:02:53,465 --> 00:02:55,801 His mother had a very active social life and so, 77 00:02:55,801 --> 00:02:59,471 he spent a large amount of time alone as a little boy. 78 00:02:59,471 --> 00:03:01,223 I'm Stanley Wilson. 79 00:03:01,223 --> 00:03:03,934 Robin was my best friend for 42 years. 80 00:03:03,934 --> 00:03:06,561 That's where the fertile imagination comes from. 81 00:03:06,561 --> 00:03:08,772 If you're an only child, which sounds like a, 82 00:03:08,772 --> 00:03:10,357 kind of a blue cliche, 83 00:03:10,357 --> 00:03:11,775 but you can only play with yourself. 84 00:03:11,775 --> 00:03:14,236 [Laughing] Remember that, Lumpy? 85 00:03:14,236 --> 00:03:16,363 [Laughing] 86 00:03:16,363 --> 00:03:18,865 But it was basically you had to create things, 87 00:03:18,865 --> 00:03:20,867 I mean, I had this army of toy soldiers, 88 00:03:20,867 --> 00:03:23,078 and I'd make all the voices and that's where it began. 89 00:03:23,078 --> 00:03:26,081 No, that's muscle. 90 00:03:26,081 --> 00:03:29,876 But, Robin's comedic strength lies in his DNA. 91 00:03:29,876 --> 00:03:31,962 I'll never forget when I hitchhiked out to 92 00:03:31,962 --> 00:03:33,713 spend the summer at their house. 93 00:03:33,713 --> 00:03:36,341 His mother was hilarious, a real card. 94 00:03:36,341 --> 00:03:38,135 She also had a wonderful psych gag we can't do here 95 00:03:38,135 --> 00:03:39,678 where she cuts a rubber band in half and goes- 96 00:03:39,678 --> 00:03:41,179 [Sucking] 97 00:03:41,179 --> 00:03:43,765 Just this wonderful, joyous southern belle... 98 00:03:43,765 --> 00:03:45,684 who was the life of the party. 99 00:03:45,684 --> 00:03:47,018 Mom, you're gonna do this! 100 00:03:47,018 --> 00:03:50,689 Oh! [Laughing] 101 00:03:50,689 --> 00:03:52,441 When his mother would come home, she was 102 00:03:52,441 --> 00:03:55,444 his audience, and he would try to make her laugh. 103 00:03:55,444 --> 00:03:57,863 He lived on a street two streets over from me, 104 00:03:57,863 --> 00:04:00,282 and I'd known a lot of people that wrestled with him 105 00:04:00,282 --> 00:04:02,075 in high school and friends of mine. 106 00:04:02,075 --> 00:04:04,077 They were saying he was just- 107 00:04:04,077 --> 00:04:06,037 would be walking around talking to himself, 108 00:04:06,037 --> 00:04:09,958 making goofy voices and stuff just like that. 109 00:04:09,958 --> 00:04:11,376 As Robin gets older, 110 00:04:11,376 --> 00:04:14,463 he gets serious about his career. 111 00:04:14,463 --> 00:04:16,715 He discovered the theatre, 112 00:04:16,715 --> 00:04:19,301 and became really interested in it. 113 00:04:19,301 --> 00:04:23,513 He found freedom and a way to escape himself by being 114 00:04:23,513 --> 00:04:27,017 on stage with other people, and that was acting. 115 00:04:27,017 --> 00:04:28,727 He applies to one of the most prestigious 116 00:04:28,727 --> 00:04:31,229 theatre schools in the country. 117 00:04:31,229 --> 00:04:34,441 When you get your acceptance letter to Juilliard, 118 00:04:34,441 --> 00:04:37,027 this was like the holy grail, man. 119 00:04:37,027 --> 00:04:39,988 At Juilliard, Robin studies alongside future 120 00:04:39,988 --> 00:04:42,365 celebrity actor, Christopher Reeve. 121 00:04:42,365 --> 00:04:44,409 Chris and I were roommates, and Robin would 122 00:04:44,409 --> 00:04:46,286 come to our apartment all the time... 123 00:04:46,286 --> 00:04:48,622 And, we would just have fun, and... 124 00:04:48,622 --> 00:04:50,916 go out and try to meet girls on the East Side. 125 00:04:50,916 --> 00:04:53,877 We were his best friends. We three were like brothers. 126 00:04:53,877 --> 00:04:56,087 Robin was extraordinary. 127 00:04:56,087 --> 00:04:58,131 It was like, good God, man. 128 00:04:58,131 --> 00:04:59,549 I thought, this guy is probably the most 129 00:04:59,549 --> 00:05:01,635 talented person I've ever met. 130 00:05:01,635 --> 00:05:03,136 Professor said, "We've taught you 131 00:05:03,136 --> 00:05:04,846 everything we can teach you. 132 00:05:04,846 --> 00:05:07,349 Being another year here would just hold you back." 133 00:05:07,349 --> 00:05:09,976 I think he was just saying, "You're gonna have no trouble 134 00:05:09,976 --> 00:05:12,020 if you want to leave here because you're going to 135 00:05:12,020 --> 00:05:13,647 have a huge career ahead of you." 136 00:05:13,647 --> 00:05:14,898 Did you get your degree from Juilliard? 137 00:05:14,898 --> 00:05:16,274 No, I have no degree. 138 00:05:16,274 --> 00:05:18,443 I have an honourary degree from Juilliard, which is... 139 00:05:18,443 --> 00:05:20,278 kind of like a Nerf vibrator, you know? 140 00:05:20,278 --> 00:05:21,821 [Laughing] 141 00:05:21,821 --> 00:05:23,698 Nice to look at, but doesn't do a lot. 142 00:05:23,698 --> 00:05:25,325 [Laughing] 143 00:05:25,325 --> 00:05:28,036 After leaving Juilliard, Robin falls in love with 144 00:05:28,036 --> 00:05:30,622 a dancer named, Valerie Velardi. 145 00:05:30,622 --> 00:05:32,749 Valerie helped him develop his very beginnings of 146 00:05:32,749 --> 00:05:34,751 his stand-up act. 147 00:05:34,751 --> 00:05:36,753 Together, the couple moves to LA 148 00:05:36,753 --> 00:05:39,172 to pursue his dreams. 149 00:05:39,172 --> 00:05:40,924 He was classically trained from Juilliard, 150 00:05:40,924 --> 00:05:44,344 and he wasn't gonna throw that away for nothing. 151 00:05:44,344 --> 00:05:46,304 He was gonna use the hell out of that. [Laughing] 152 00:05:46,304 --> 00:05:47,722 My name is Rick Overton. 153 00:05:47,722 --> 00:05:51,685 I am a comedian, an actor, and an improviser. 154 00:05:51,685 --> 00:05:54,729 In 1976, when I was a comedian at 155 00:05:54,729 --> 00:05:56,147 Catch A Rising Star, 156 00:05:56,147 --> 00:05:57,857 Robin would burst on the stage, 157 00:05:57,857 --> 00:05:59,526 and he would start talking in Shakespearean verse, 158 00:05:59,526 --> 00:06:00,777 "Ah, m'ladies, m'lords." 159 00:06:00,777 --> 00:06:02,445 Does anyone have drugs to ease my pain? 160 00:06:02,445 --> 00:06:05,115 [Laughing] 161 00:06:05,115 --> 00:06:06,992 My kingdom for a Quaalude! 162 00:06:06,992 --> 00:06:08,368 [Laughing] 163 00:06:08,368 --> 00:06:11,162 Going from doing Shakespeare to watching Robin do 164 00:06:11,162 --> 00:06:13,748 stand-up Shakespeare was a real treat. 165 00:06:13,748 --> 00:06:15,834 Oh, live at 5, live at 5! 166 00:06:15,834 --> 00:06:18,878 Half the things that he said, I didn't hear. 167 00:06:18,878 --> 00:06:20,755 And then, I would turn to the person next to me and go, 168 00:06:20,755 --> 00:06:21,715 "What was that? What was that?" 169 00:06:21,715 --> 00:06:23,258 And then, I don't- And then he's on to 170 00:06:23,258 --> 00:06:24,634 another one and you couldn't ask, "What was that?" 171 00:06:24,634 --> 00:06:26,595 Because he was onto something else. 172 00:06:26,595 --> 00:06:27,679 Let's just keep walking back this way and 173 00:06:27,679 --> 00:06:28,930 check the people who are... 174 00:06:28,930 --> 00:06:31,683 it's alright, it's almost- we're going to learn 175 00:06:31,683 --> 00:06:33,351 some new words tonight. 176 00:06:33,351 --> 00:06:34,728 [Laughing] 177 00:06:34,728 --> 00:06:40,025 His ability to interact with an audience was amazing. 178 00:06:40,025 --> 00:06:42,777 They loved him, and he loved them. 179 00:06:42,777 --> 00:06:44,529 To life, and to happiness. 180 00:06:44,529 --> 00:06:47,574 May we all stay crazy and live the bitchin' life! 181 00:06:47,574 --> 00:06:51,244 -Salut! -[Cheering] 182 00:06:51,244 --> 00:06:53,038 First time I ever saw Robin Williams was 183 00:06:53,038 --> 00:06:54,539 at the Westwood Comedy Store. 184 00:06:54,539 --> 00:06:56,999 You know what it is? Anybody have any idea? 185 00:06:56,999 --> 00:07:00,170 And he stands out, the funniest guy, 186 00:07:00,170 --> 00:07:02,547 meaning a regular- like a Boosler, 187 00:07:02,547 --> 00:07:04,132 a Letterman, they were funny. 188 00:07:04,132 --> 00:07:05,925 Not like Robin. 189 00:07:05,925 --> 00:07:07,427 In the Soviet Union, not laugh, go- 190 00:07:07,427 --> 00:07:09,054 [Clapping] Funny. 191 00:07:09,054 --> 00:07:10,388 [Laughing] 192 00:07:10,388 --> 00:07:13,725 I remember he was introduced as Russia's top comedian, 193 00:07:13,725 --> 00:07:15,143 Nikki Lennon. 194 00:07:15,143 --> 00:07:16,770 We have a special guest tonight, 195 00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:19,481 the limousine just pulled up from the Russian Embassy. 196 00:07:19,481 --> 00:07:22,942 This is the height of the Cold War, and Robin in this... 197 00:07:22,942 --> 00:07:27,906 blue suit with a t-shirt and a funny beanie hat 198 00:07:27,906 --> 00:07:29,658 with a chicken in his hand. 199 00:07:29,658 --> 00:07:31,785 Ran up to the stage, and he ran around before 200 00:07:31,785 --> 00:07:34,871 he said anything, and then he went, "America! 201 00:07:34,871 --> 00:07:39,125 ---- a duck!" And the crowd- never seen anything like it- 202 00:07:39,125 --> 00:07:40,502 they went crazy. 203 00:07:40,502 --> 00:07:43,171 And he just went on and on in this character for... 204 00:07:43,171 --> 00:07:45,423 15 minutes, without breaking. 205 00:07:45,423 --> 00:07:48,343 ----- a duck. -[Laughing] 206 00:07:48,343 --> 00:07:50,303 Cheap shot, no way. 207 00:07:50,303 --> 00:07:52,263 He just came onto the scene, and it was just, 208 00:07:52,263 --> 00:07:54,099 you knew some shit was going down, you know, 209 00:07:54,099 --> 00:07:55,225 with this guy. 210 00:07:55,225 --> 00:07:57,268 I shall die here on this big broke sauna. 211 00:07:57,268 --> 00:08:00,814 [Laughing] 212 00:08:00,814 --> 00:08:03,525 I'm melting! 213 00:08:03,525 --> 00:08:06,361 -[Shrieking] -[Applauding] 214 00:08:06,361 --> 00:08:11,324 Industry heavyweights recognized Robin's raw talent. 215 00:08:11,324 --> 00:08:14,577 Gary Marshall was the king of sitcom. 216 00:08:14,577 --> 00:08:16,830 ♪ Sunday, Monday, Happy Days! ♪ 217 00:08:16,830 --> 00:08:20,083 Gary Marshall's son had an idea for him to play 218 00:08:20,083 --> 00:08:22,711 a space guy on 'Happy Days'. 219 00:08:22,711 --> 00:08:24,045 Wait a minute, who are you? 220 00:08:24,045 --> 00:08:25,547 I am Mork, from Mork. 221 00:08:25,547 --> 00:08:27,966 Kapazza! [Laughing] 222 00:08:27,966 --> 00:08:30,927 [Indistinct buzzing] [Laughing] 223 00:08:30,927 --> 00:08:34,305 Gary Marshall was so thrilled with Robin's appearance 224 00:08:34,305 --> 00:08:37,434 that he created the show for him. 225 00:08:37,434 --> 00:08:40,520 ♪ 226 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:41,730 He called me going, "You won't believe it. 227 00:08:41,730 --> 00:08:44,190 I was on 'Happy Days', and now I have my own series." 228 00:08:44,190 --> 00:08:47,652 Mork is an alien who arrives on planet Earth. 229 00:08:47,652 --> 00:08:49,988 Oh, wow, surf's up! 230 00:08:49,988 --> 00:08:51,740 They wrote the right show for him, an alien. 231 00:08:51,740 --> 00:08:53,366 Where the hell did he come from? 232 00:08:53,366 --> 00:08:54,826 Fly, be free! 233 00:08:54,826 --> 00:08:56,870 [Laughing] 234 00:08:56,870 --> 00:08:59,122 But I was there for the shooting of the pilot. 235 00:08:59,122 --> 00:09:01,499 No one could know what to expect. 236 00:09:01,499 --> 00:09:04,878 Your honour, the defence rests. 237 00:09:04,878 --> 00:09:07,297 He was so good in that pilot, and he and 238 00:09:07,297 --> 00:09:09,924 Pam Dawber were so beautiful together... 239 00:09:09,924 --> 00:09:12,385 -Like this? -Yeah. 240 00:09:12,385 --> 00:09:13,595 It just clicked! 241 00:09:13,595 --> 00:09:14,971 Something strange over there... 242 00:09:14,971 --> 00:09:16,222 He had jokes going. 243 00:09:16,222 --> 00:09:18,308 You would see he got a new thought, 244 00:09:18,308 --> 00:09:21,186 and that sparkle in his eyes, 245 00:09:21,186 --> 00:09:24,314 they literally sparkled like jewels. 246 00:09:24,314 --> 00:09:27,108 ♪ 247 00:09:27,108 --> 00:09:29,027 I remember, it aired. 248 00:09:29,027 --> 00:09:32,197 The next day, he was a superstar. 249 00:09:32,197 --> 00:09:35,283 To see him go from just a guy that we all knew was 250 00:09:35,283 --> 00:09:38,203 gonna be huge, to the next day, 251 00:09:38,203 --> 00:09:41,498 he's on People Magazine, US Magazine, 252 00:09:41,498 --> 00:09:44,292 everybody else knew what we knew. 253 00:09:44,292 --> 00:09:45,418 And when it first starts happening, you're going, 254 00:09:45,418 --> 00:09:47,170 they know who I am! 255 00:09:47,170 --> 00:09:48,421 You can start getting tables at restaurants. 256 00:09:48,421 --> 00:09:49,798 Before, they went, "I'm sorry, Monsieur, 257 00:09:49,798 --> 00:09:51,841 we don't take your type." 258 00:09:51,841 --> 00:09:53,927 Newly famous and newly married, 259 00:09:53,927 --> 00:09:57,263 Robin's life is an exhilarating whirlwind. 260 00:09:57,263 --> 00:09:59,849 Everybody in Hollywood and New York 261 00:09:59,849 --> 00:10:01,726 just wanted to party with Robin. 262 00:10:01,726 --> 00:10:04,604 You just loved being around Robin Williams. 263 00:10:04,604 --> 00:10:06,314 You get happy. 264 00:10:06,314 --> 00:10:08,983 I just thought, man, this guy has it all. 265 00:10:08,983 --> 00:10:12,320 So talented, he married the prettiest woman 266 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:14,447 I'd ever seen in my life at that point. 267 00:10:14,447 --> 00:10:16,366 And so sweet and nice. 268 00:10:16,366 --> 00:10:18,326 He's got everything. 269 00:10:18,326 --> 00:10:19,786 And the money was great. 270 00:10:19,786 --> 00:10:22,455 The whole world was his oyster. 271 00:10:22,455 --> 00:10:25,124 But that sudden fame comes at a price- 272 00:10:25,124 --> 00:10:27,335 he can't get away from the spotlight. 273 00:10:27,335 --> 00:10:29,379 It's a little scary. I mean, today's scary, 274 00:10:29,379 --> 00:10:31,673 all the crowds, and people surround you asking for stuff. 275 00:10:31,673 --> 00:10:33,216 When you're that famous, 276 00:10:33,216 --> 00:10:35,301 everybody wants something from you. 277 00:10:35,301 --> 00:10:38,096 Outside of Paramount, people would be lined up. 278 00:10:38,096 --> 00:10:41,766 When we went to location, people were lined up 279 00:10:41,766 --> 00:10:43,768 just to get a peek at him. 280 00:10:43,768 --> 00:10:45,395 It's a like a drug, the fame and success. 281 00:10:45,395 --> 00:10:47,605 So, part of him likes it because he loves people. 282 00:10:47,605 --> 00:10:49,774 But, he cherished his time alone, 283 00:10:49,774 --> 00:10:52,068 when he didn't have to be on, or when he didn't 284 00:10:52,068 --> 00:10:54,028 have to make everybody laugh. 285 00:10:54,028 --> 00:10:57,615 He was always kind, and smiling, and appreciative. 286 00:10:57,615 --> 00:11:00,243 But I also saw the other side. 287 00:11:00,243 --> 00:11:03,496 He has turned down all requests for interviews, 288 00:11:03,496 --> 00:11:06,040 photos, and filming of his act. 289 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,668 Robin's highs were so high, 290 00:11:08,668 --> 00:11:10,837 and his lows were often low. 291 00:11:10,837 --> 00:11:14,674 It's a paradox he'll battle for the rest of his life. 292 00:11:14,674 --> 00:11:15,675 When you're a celebrity, everybody wants 293 00:11:15,675 --> 00:11:18,177 a piece of you, sir. Unless you can say, 'No', 294 00:11:18,177 --> 00:11:20,096 there will be no pieces left for yourself. 295 00:11:29,272 --> 00:11:31,190 This is something that I think would make 296 00:11:31,190 --> 00:11:32,901 any person in show business. 297 00:11:32,901 --> 00:11:34,485 I mean, it's the cover of Time Magazine. 298 00:11:34,485 --> 00:11:35,695 Did you ever imagine it would get to that? 299 00:11:35,695 --> 00:11:37,488 No, it's still a little strange. 300 00:11:37,488 --> 00:11:39,407 That is incredible. 301 00:11:39,407 --> 00:11:41,534 Robin Williams breaks out as Mork 302 00:11:41,534 --> 00:11:44,203 at the start of the new comedy boom. 303 00:11:44,203 --> 00:11:46,581 It was the new rock and roll. 304 00:11:46,581 --> 00:11:49,417 1978, stand-up comedy is hotter than 305 00:11:49,417 --> 00:11:51,085 you could ever imagine. 306 00:11:51,085 --> 00:11:55,798 Every club, even those clubs in cities that are hosting 307 00:11:55,798 --> 00:12:00,219 unknowns like myself are lined up for 3 shows a night, 308 00:12:00,219 --> 00:12:03,598 just to get a seat to sit in front of a stand-up comic. 309 00:12:03,598 --> 00:12:05,266 Robin Williams! 310 00:12:05,266 --> 00:12:07,143 But even as a massive TV star, 311 00:12:07,143 --> 00:12:09,145 Robin keeps popping up in small clubs 312 00:12:09,145 --> 00:12:11,022 around North America. 313 00:12:11,022 --> 00:12:13,232 ♪ 314 00:12:13,232 --> 00:12:16,527 Robin shows up to do a set in Toronto, Canada 315 00:12:16,527 --> 00:12:20,198 and his reputation preceded him as the hottest 316 00:12:20,198 --> 00:12:24,285 young comic out of LA and from television. 317 00:12:24,285 --> 00:12:26,579 I was working out in San Francisco, 318 00:12:26,579 --> 00:12:29,749 at a little urine-smelling, beat up log cabin of a club 319 00:12:29,749 --> 00:12:31,459 called The Holy City Zoo. 320 00:12:31,459 --> 00:12:33,336 And one night, he comes in, he's wearing a beret, 321 00:12:33,336 --> 00:12:35,129 and I go, "That's not him. Is it him? 322 00:12:35,129 --> 00:12:37,048 What would he be doing here? Nah, it's not him." 323 00:12:37,048 --> 00:12:38,967 This is really too much fun, too early. 324 00:12:38,967 --> 00:12:41,177 -[Laughing] -This is scary. 325 00:12:41,177 --> 00:12:43,388 My drugs are coming on now too, look. [Zooming] 326 00:12:43,388 --> 00:12:46,182 He could never get enough stage time. 327 00:12:46,182 --> 00:12:48,351 He could never- he needed it. 328 00:12:48,351 --> 00:12:51,604 [Laughing] 329 00:12:51,604 --> 00:12:53,189 Hold on... 330 00:12:53,189 --> 00:12:54,857 Watch now, he can either be very funny 331 00:12:54,857 --> 00:12:56,317 or break his ass. 332 00:12:56,317 --> 00:12:57,777 [Laughing] 333 00:12:57,777 --> 00:12:59,821 Robin has to balance his stand-up gigs with a 334 00:12:59,821 --> 00:13:03,533 demanding schedule on 'Mork & Mindy'. 335 00:13:03,533 --> 00:13:05,660 We'd shoot two shows on Friday. 336 00:13:05,660 --> 00:13:07,203 It was a long day. 337 00:13:07,203 --> 00:13:09,205 We'd start at 10AM in the morning, 338 00:13:09,205 --> 00:13:12,083 and after we wrapped Friday night, 339 00:13:12,083 --> 00:13:14,585 we would then go to the Comedy Store, 340 00:13:14,585 --> 00:13:16,421 where Robin would do a set there. 341 00:13:16,421 --> 00:13:18,381 And then, we'd book it over to The Improv. 342 00:13:18,381 --> 00:13:19,924 And then sometimes after that, 343 00:13:19,924 --> 00:13:22,719 we'd go to The Candy Store. 344 00:13:22,719 --> 00:13:25,096 Because, it hadn't been a long enough day. 345 00:13:25,096 --> 00:13:26,556 You know, people see you and they probably think 346 00:13:26,556 --> 00:13:28,683 you experiment with, ah... 347 00:13:28,683 --> 00:13:30,309 Foreign substances in your body. 348 00:13:30,309 --> 00:13:32,478 -Medication, you mean. -Yeah, something like that. 349 00:13:32,478 --> 00:13:34,063 What makes you say that anyway? 350 00:13:34,063 --> 00:13:35,732 -[Laughing] -No... 351 00:13:35,732 --> 00:13:36,649 Not me. 352 00:13:36,649 --> 00:13:38,109 He was so hyper onstage, 353 00:13:38,109 --> 00:13:40,611 we thought that the cocaine was... 354 00:13:40,611 --> 00:13:42,488 pumping him up. 355 00:13:42,488 --> 00:13:44,699 Did Robin do drugs? 356 00:13:44,699 --> 00:13:47,368 I'm not sure, but I know he went to the back of 357 00:13:47,368 --> 00:13:49,412 The Comedy Store. I'll tell you that. 358 00:13:49,412 --> 00:13:50,413 I know what was going on in the 359 00:13:50,413 --> 00:13:51,581 back of The Comedy Store. 360 00:13:51,581 --> 00:13:53,082 He was funny onstage, and he went to 361 00:13:53,082 --> 00:13:54,834 the back of The Comedy Store. 362 00:13:54,834 --> 00:13:56,461 Yeah, he did drugs. 363 00:13:56,461 --> 00:13:59,922 In the early 80s, cocaine was just something 364 00:13:59,922 --> 00:14:03,634 that was around, and that people would do. 365 00:14:03,634 --> 00:14:05,636 I saw him do one thing, 366 00:14:05,636 --> 00:14:08,556 and I had a talk right then when it happened. 367 00:14:08,556 --> 00:14:10,975 He said, ah... 368 00:14:10,975 --> 00:14:12,518 "Know anybody with any blow? 369 00:14:12,518 --> 00:14:14,771 I have to go on, I can't go on without the blow." 370 00:14:14,771 --> 00:14:17,065 And I sat down and go, "I'm gonna help you." 371 00:14:17,065 --> 00:14:18,274 He goes, "You have blow?" I go, 372 00:14:18,274 --> 00:14:20,068 "No. Are you out of your ----ing mind? 373 00:14:20,068 --> 00:14:23,905 You're Robin Williams!" And then after that, 374 00:14:23,905 --> 00:14:26,908 I don't think he would get high when he had to perform. 375 00:14:26,908 --> 00:14:29,368 You know, afterwards was another story. 376 00:14:29,368 --> 00:14:31,454 You'd walk offstage, and people would just 377 00:14:31,454 --> 00:14:33,498 walk up to you and go, "Hey, you want a bump? 378 00:14:33,498 --> 00:14:35,541 You want a bump? You want to snort?" 379 00:14:35,541 --> 00:14:37,627 When you did have that kind of fame, 380 00:14:37,627 --> 00:14:41,130 drugs were just given to you. 381 00:14:41,130 --> 00:14:42,965 One night, we went to this place called 382 00:14:42,965 --> 00:14:45,843 Flipper's Discotheque, in Hollywood. 383 00:14:45,843 --> 00:14:49,806 And I had like a, like a gram of coke. 384 00:14:49,806 --> 00:14:51,557 Robin said, "Ooh, let me take that. 385 00:14:51,557 --> 00:14:53,684 Do you mind if I grab a hit off that in the bathroom?" 386 00:14:53,684 --> 00:14:57,522 And I- he came back, and it was empty. 387 00:14:57,522 --> 00:15:00,066 You know, it was like, whoa, you know, 388 00:15:00,066 --> 00:15:02,652 it was like 8:15 at night. 389 00:15:02,652 --> 00:15:05,196 It's like, "Robin, you did a whole gram?" 390 00:15:05,196 --> 00:15:07,281 "It was an accident, I'm sorry." 391 00:15:07,281 --> 00:15:11,994 With drugs, he was a monster. 392 00:15:11,994 --> 00:15:16,207 In 1980, Robin experiences another kind of high... 393 00:15:16,207 --> 00:15:19,752 a leading role in a major studio film. 394 00:15:19,752 --> 00:15:21,754 Do you have any preconceived notion of 395 00:15:21,754 --> 00:15:23,381 how you're gonna do Popeye? 396 00:15:23,381 --> 00:15:25,258 Ah, can you talk about that at all? 397 00:15:25,258 --> 00:15:26,634 No, I'm just starting to train for it now. 398 00:15:26,634 --> 00:15:27,760 Do a lot of acrobatics and work- 399 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,095 and some man's helping with voice. 400 00:15:29,095 --> 00:15:30,471 I'm just, he's just- It's a lot of- 401 00:15:30,471 --> 00:15:32,974 [Nasal vocalizations] 402 00:15:32,974 --> 00:15:34,475 -Is that the voice? -Not yet. 403 00:15:34,475 --> 00:15:35,810 -Ah. -[Laughing] 404 00:15:35,810 --> 00:15:37,186 That's just like the beginning of the voice. 405 00:15:37,186 --> 00:15:40,189 It's like a baby, but like, [Nasal vocalizations] 406 00:15:40,189 --> 00:15:45,778 'Popeye' was a wonderful, big break for him to enter film, 407 00:15:45,778 --> 00:15:47,822 being, you know, in that, strange, 408 00:15:47,822 --> 00:15:51,534 safe place that being a character- "Ah-ga-ga-ga". 409 00:15:51,534 --> 00:15:53,202 How do you pull off Popeye? 410 00:15:53,202 --> 00:15:56,581 What am I? I'm Popeye, the sailor. 411 00:15:56,581 --> 00:15:59,208 We were shooting 'More & Mindy' when he did 'Popeye'. 412 00:15:59,208 --> 00:16:02,336 And, he would have trainers come to the set for dancing, 413 00:16:02,336 --> 00:16:04,338 or singing, or different things. 414 00:16:04,338 --> 00:16:06,299 He was very excited about it. 415 00:16:06,299 --> 00:16:08,885 I thought it was great because I knew 416 00:16:08,885 --> 00:16:12,972 he always wanted to do something weightier than 417 00:16:12,972 --> 00:16:15,391 'Mork And Mindy' was for him. 418 00:16:15,391 --> 00:16:17,685 This is his way to get away from Mork. 419 00:16:17,685 --> 00:16:18,853 I think he thought that this is 420 00:16:18,853 --> 00:16:20,688 his real shot at movie stardom. 421 00:16:20,688 --> 00:16:22,940 I thought 'Popeye' was a whole lot of fun. 422 00:16:22,940 --> 00:16:24,859 I recommend it for the whole family. 423 00:16:24,859 --> 00:16:27,862 I remember when we all stood in line for 'Popeye', 424 00:16:27,862 --> 00:16:29,280 it seemed like it was, you know, 425 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,991 destined to be a big hit. 426 00:16:31,991 --> 00:16:36,704 But Robin's film debut is a box office disappointment. 427 00:16:36,704 --> 00:16:38,873 'Popeye' was a huge flop. 428 00:16:38,873 --> 00:16:43,169 'Popeye' is an unsung masterpiece that 429 00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:45,129 came out at the wrong time. 430 00:16:45,129 --> 00:16:49,425 If you released it now, people would go crazy for it. 431 00:16:49,425 --> 00:16:52,428 I think Robin was really scared about 432 00:16:52,428 --> 00:16:56,641 what his future film career may be. 433 00:16:56,641 --> 00:16:59,393 He had a whole lot on his shoulders. 434 00:16:59,393 --> 00:17:02,104 And his marriage was having some troubles at that point. 435 00:17:02,104 --> 00:17:06,067 It was hard for Robin to balance his personal life and 436 00:17:06,067 --> 00:17:09,445 try to be a good husband, and be... 437 00:17:09,445 --> 00:17:12,240 be owned by the world. 438 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:14,575 Robin starts showing up late and exhausted to 439 00:17:14,575 --> 00:17:16,410 the 'Mork & Mindy' set. 440 00:17:16,410 --> 00:17:20,623 It's clear that something is off. 441 00:17:20,623 --> 00:17:22,458 Hold on, we'll get lots of people in here! 442 00:17:22,458 --> 00:17:24,460 Yo, free cocaine, come on in! 443 00:17:24,460 --> 00:17:25,836 [Laughing] 444 00:17:25,836 --> 00:17:28,631 I can't tell you how many times Robin came onstage at 445 00:17:28,631 --> 00:17:33,261 The Comedy Store and a big part of his routine was 446 00:17:33,261 --> 00:17:36,222 cocaine and, and the drugs that he had done. 447 00:17:36,222 --> 00:17:37,723 And even though everybody was laughing, 448 00:17:37,723 --> 00:17:40,309 and it was really funny, he was really doing a 449 00:17:40,309 --> 00:17:43,312 lot of cocaine, you know, so... 450 00:17:43,312 --> 00:17:45,940 he found the funny side of it, 451 00:17:45,940 --> 00:17:49,193 but ultimately, it was real. 452 00:17:49,193 --> 00:17:53,030 And really, it's not funny, but that's who he is. 453 00:17:53,030 --> 00:17:55,658 You're lying in bed, in a big pool of your own sweat, 454 00:17:55,658 --> 00:17:58,661 with Buddy Rich on your heart going- [Drumming] 455 00:17:58,661 --> 00:18:02,623 I remember, there was an evening at The Candy Store 456 00:18:02,623 --> 00:18:05,084 when it had been closed down to everyone, 457 00:18:05,084 --> 00:18:09,046 and Robin would talk about the evils of cocaine 458 00:18:09,046 --> 00:18:11,382 at 5 o'clock in the morning when... 459 00:18:11,382 --> 00:18:13,301 you know, no one else was there. 460 00:18:13,301 --> 00:18:15,678 [Snorting] Agh! 461 00:18:15,678 --> 00:18:17,096 What was in that, man? 462 00:18:17,096 --> 00:18:18,764 Fiberglass. 463 00:18:18,764 --> 00:18:22,059 There was a very famous line that Robin had... 464 00:18:22,059 --> 00:18:23,936 You know, cocaine is God's way of saying, 465 00:18:23,936 --> 00:18:27,023 "You're making too damn much money, you know that?" 466 00:18:27,023 --> 00:18:30,276 Robin was running with a lot of really scary figures, 467 00:18:30,276 --> 00:18:34,905 and Robin himself was kind of a scary figure for a while. 468 00:18:34,905 --> 00:18:37,616 No one is more notorious for hard partying 469 00:18:37,616 --> 00:18:40,453 than Robin's pal, John Belushi. 470 00:18:40,453 --> 00:18:42,872 John and Robin were both wild men, 471 00:18:42,872 --> 00:18:45,291 because they would say and do anything. 472 00:18:45,291 --> 00:18:47,293 But Robin and I went to On The Rocks, 473 00:18:47,293 --> 00:18:49,337 which was a club and, we were up there, 474 00:18:49,337 --> 00:18:51,047 and John was in there. 475 00:18:51,047 --> 00:18:54,008 John had his own bungalow at the Chateau Marmont, 476 00:18:54,008 --> 00:18:58,721 and John invited Robin over to see him on his way home. 477 00:18:58,721 --> 00:19:01,682 So, he stopped in at the Chateau, saw John, 478 00:19:01,682 --> 00:19:04,852 and then he left and went home in the wee, wee hours, 479 00:19:04,852 --> 00:19:06,312 'cause he had to shoot 'Mork & Mindy' the next morning, 480 00:19:06,312 --> 00:19:08,689 at 8 in the morning. 481 00:19:08,689 --> 00:19:11,359 I went over the next day to visit him on the set, 482 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:14,236 and Pam Dawber came over, looking very distraught 483 00:19:14,236 --> 00:19:16,864 and said, "You won't believe it, John is dead." 484 00:19:16,864 --> 00:19:19,575 Robin said, "John who?" And she goes, "John Belushi." 485 00:19:19,575 --> 00:19:21,786 ♪ 486 00:19:21,786 --> 00:19:24,580 He goes, "Bullshit, I just saw him. I just saw him 487 00:19:24,580 --> 00:19:26,791 3 or 4 hours ago." She goes, 488 00:19:26,791 --> 00:19:30,002 "No, he's died of a drug overdose." 489 00:19:30,002 --> 00:19:31,253 Just like someone threw a 490 00:19:31,253 --> 00:19:33,964 bucket of ice cold water on him. 491 00:19:33,964 --> 00:19:36,092 Robin just looked like a ghost. 492 00:19:44,975 --> 00:19:47,686 Comic actor John Belushi died today at the rented 493 00:19:47,686 --> 00:19:50,689 hotel bungalow in the Hollywood Hills. 494 00:19:50,689 --> 00:19:53,943 In 1982, Robin Williams is reeling from 495 00:19:53,943 --> 00:19:57,696 the overdose of his friend, John Belushi. 496 00:19:57,696 --> 00:20:00,074 After John Belushi passed away, 497 00:20:00,074 --> 00:20:02,076 that scared the hell out of him. 498 00:20:02,076 --> 00:20:03,577 When you're in your early 30s, 499 00:20:03,577 --> 00:20:05,579 you're in the prime of physical health, 500 00:20:05,579 --> 00:20:07,164 you don't think that, you know, 501 00:20:07,164 --> 00:20:09,458 you can die by going out and partying too much. 502 00:20:09,458 --> 00:20:11,419 This guy was as strong as anybody you could ever meet. 503 00:20:11,419 --> 00:20:12,336 I mean, a bull. 504 00:20:12,336 --> 00:20:14,505 John, for a laugh, could run into that wall. 505 00:20:14,505 --> 00:20:16,966 He'd get up and do it again. So, if it took him out, 506 00:20:16,966 --> 00:20:20,761 you realize that, you know, we're all pretty mortal. 507 00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:23,556 As one of the last to see Belushi alive, 508 00:20:23,556 --> 00:20:26,142 Robin is asked to testify before a grand jury 509 00:20:26,142 --> 00:20:28,853 investigating his death. 510 00:20:28,853 --> 00:20:31,355 On top of being sad, he's freaked completely out that 511 00:20:31,355 --> 00:20:33,441 John was dead, the fact that what you do at night, 512 00:20:33,441 --> 00:20:35,401 you can end up talking about it in court, 513 00:20:35,401 --> 00:20:37,528 that's a scary thing. 514 00:20:37,528 --> 00:20:41,490 He's also taking on a life -changing responsibility. 515 00:20:41,490 --> 00:20:42,992 I don't think we have seen each other since 516 00:20:42,992 --> 00:20:44,034 you became a father. 517 00:20:44,034 --> 00:20:45,244 Your wife had a baby, right? 518 00:20:45,244 --> 00:20:46,454 Oh, yes, oh, I find the hardest part of 519 00:20:46,454 --> 00:20:47,830 being a father is breastfeeding. 520 00:20:47,830 --> 00:20:49,540 [Laughing] 521 00:20:49,540 --> 00:20:52,543 The child's going, "There's nothing there!" 522 00:20:52,543 --> 00:20:54,420 Fatherhood is everything to him. 523 00:20:54,420 --> 00:20:55,713 All of these things conspired to 524 00:20:55,713 --> 00:20:58,048 really help him clean up. 525 00:20:58,048 --> 00:20:59,592 He stopped partying. 526 00:20:59,592 --> 00:21:01,218 He stopped partying, you know, 527 00:21:01,218 --> 00:21:03,804 before people were done partying with him. 528 00:21:03,804 --> 00:21:04,930 You can't do cocaine with a baby. 529 00:21:04,930 --> 00:21:05,848 You can't come at a 5 o'clock, going, 530 00:21:05,848 --> 00:21:07,349 "Hey, 5 o'clock in the morning, play time!" 531 00:21:07,349 --> 00:21:08,392 [Laughing] 532 00:21:08,392 --> 00:21:10,478 "Do you love, Daddy? I know you don't. 533 00:21:10,478 --> 00:21:13,564 Here's the key, look at the key, look at the key, woo!" 534 00:21:13,564 --> 00:21:16,275 "Father, please!" 535 00:21:16,275 --> 00:21:18,652 Robin just did it cold turkey, man. 536 00:21:18,652 --> 00:21:21,363 He knew what an amazing instrument that he had, 537 00:21:21,363 --> 00:21:23,574 and that it all is related to his mind, 538 00:21:23,574 --> 00:21:25,576 and his imagination, and his wit. 539 00:21:25,576 --> 00:21:27,411 And the more stuff you do to deaden that, 540 00:21:27,411 --> 00:21:29,997 the more you're gonna burn some more brain cells. 541 00:21:29,997 --> 00:21:32,166 And Robin didn't want to do that. 542 00:21:32,166 --> 00:21:35,211 [Cheering & applauding] 543 00:21:35,211 --> 00:21:38,380 Newly sober, Robin's career soars. 544 00:21:38,380 --> 00:21:41,425 Ah, damn, what the ---- am I doing here? 545 00:21:41,425 --> 00:21:42,426 This is incredible. 546 00:21:42,426 --> 00:21:43,427 How do you get to The Met? 547 00:21:43,427 --> 00:21:46,639 Money. Lots and lots of money. 548 00:21:46,639 --> 00:21:48,682 'Robin Williams Live at The Met' was 549 00:21:48,682 --> 00:21:52,478 a real breakthrough kind of show for him 550 00:21:52,478 --> 00:21:54,772 because he had his act together, 551 00:21:54,772 --> 00:21:56,982 put certain habits behind him. 552 00:21:56,982 --> 00:21:58,067 A little sip of Perrier here. 553 00:21:58,067 --> 00:21:59,777 I had to stop drinking alcohol because I used to 554 00:21:59,777 --> 00:22:01,570 wake up nude in my car with my keys in my ass. 555 00:22:01,570 --> 00:22:03,239 [Laughing] 556 00:22:03,239 --> 00:22:05,074 He could still talk about all the things that 557 00:22:05,074 --> 00:22:07,409 he had let go, but from the perspective, 558 00:22:07,409 --> 00:22:08,911 you're on the other side of it. 559 00:22:08,911 --> 00:22:10,162 You have this dream where you're doing cocaine 560 00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:11,247 in your sleep, and you can't fall asleep, 561 00:22:11,247 --> 00:22:12,206 and you're doing cocaine in your sleep, 562 00:22:12,206 --> 00:22:13,290 and you can't fall asleep. 563 00:22:13,290 --> 00:22:15,417 And you wake up and you're doing cocaine, bingo! 564 00:22:15,417 --> 00:22:17,169 [Laughing] 565 00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:19,547 His movie career is in full flight. 566 00:22:19,547 --> 00:22:21,257 It's called 'Hello, Vietnam'. 567 00:22:21,257 --> 00:22:22,508 'Good Morning, Vietnam'. 568 00:22:22,508 --> 00:22:23,467 'Hello, Vietnam' would've been better. 569 00:22:23,467 --> 00:22:25,427 Then we could do it as a musical. 570 00:22:25,427 --> 00:22:27,555 [Singing] Hello, Vietnam! 571 00:22:27,555 --> 00:22:29,056 A lot of actors, 572 00:22:29,056 --> 00:22:32,309 you have a 'Popeye' on your resume, 573 00:22:32,309 --> 00:22:34,103 and you're probably not gonna get 574 00:22:34,103 --> 00:22:36,355 serious roles after that. 575 00:22:36,355 --> 00:22:40,776 But, somehow, Robin was able to adapt. 576 00:22:40,776 --> 00:22:43,112 My name is Jenny Fields. Are you a prostitute? 577 00:22:43,112 --> 00:22:44,572 -What's it to you? -Hello! 578 00:22:44,572 --> 00:22:45,614 My name is Garth. 579 00:22:45,614 --> 00:22:46,657 My mother and I were just passing- 580 00:22:46,657 --> 00:22:47,992 Your mother? 581 00:22:47,992 --> 00:22:52,037 The comics didn't know he's a Juilliard trained performer. 582 00:22:52,037 --> 00:22:55,416 So, when the acting comes around, it's like, boom! 583 00:22:55,416 --> 00:22:57,418 It's not a comic gonna try to act. 584 00:22:57,418 --> 00:22:58,877 It's an actor. 585 00:22:58,877 --> 00:23:01,213 The nominees for best performance by an actor... 586 00:23:01,213 --> 00:23:03,382 After he stopped staying out half the night 587 00:23:03,382 --> 00:23:04,883 many nights a week... 588 00:23:04,883 --> 00:23:07,094 Robin Williams, 'Moscow on the Hudson'. 589 00:23:07,094 --> 00:23:09,096 ...you have more time to think about your career, 590 00:23:09,096 --> 00:23:11,140 and choose your roles carefully. 591 00:23:11,140 --> 00:23:15,769 Robin Williams in 'Good Morning, Vietnam'! 592 00:23:15,769 --> 00:23:17,605 That was his shining dime. 593 00:23:17,605 --> 00:23:20,899 Robin Williams, for 'Dead Poet's Society'. 594 00:23:20,899 --> 00:23:23,110 But while Robin's career is on overdrive, 595 00:23:23,110 --> 00:23:26,614 his personal life gets torn apart by the press. 596 00:23:26,614 --> 00:23:29,992 Him and his wife had separated, but not publicly. 597 00:23:29,992 --> 00:23:32,620 And he sat down to do this interview with 598 00:23:32,620 --> 00:23:34,913 People Magazine, where he talked all about 599 00:23:34,913 --> 00:23:37,458 his new girlfriend and how she was really 600 00:23:37,458 --> 00:23:40,419 bringing a breath of fresh air into his life. 601 00:23:40,419 --> 00:23:43,297 And, they completely flipped the narrative. 602 00:23:43,297 --> 00:23:45,633 [Barbara Walters] This cover appeared in 1988, 603 00:23:45,633 --> 00:23:48,344 it implied that Robin had divorced his wife and 604 00:23:48,344 --> 00:23:50,137 run off with his son's nanny. 605 00:23:50,137 --> 00:23:51,722 So, that was all bullshit. 606 00:23:51,722 --> 00:23:53,349 You know, we didn't become involved until- 607 00:23:53,349 --> 00:23:56,226 it was a year after I'd been separated. 608 00:23:56,226 --> 00:23:57,686 When you're dealing with fame, 609 00:23:57,686 --> 00:23:58,979 no matter what you do, 610 00:23:58,979 --> 00:24:00,606 the general public's gonna believe what the hell 611 00:24:00,606 --> 00:24:01,857 they want to believe anyway. 612 00:24:01,857 --> 00:24:04,109 Alright, listen to me... 613 00:24:04,109 --> 00:24:05,611 I am not... 614 00:24:05,611 --> 00:24:07,821 -...who you think I am. -Yeah, no shit. 615 00:24:07,821 --> 00:24:10,199 What your mouth, young man. 616 00:24:10,199 --> 00:24:11,450 And the winner is... 617 00:24:11,450 --> 00:24:13,285 Professionally, Robin is still 618 00:24:13,285 --> 00:24:14,912 a box office sensation. 619 00:24:14,912 --> 00:24:16,872 -Mrs. Doubtfire! -[Cheering] 620 00:24:16,872 --> 00:24:19,833 Well, Robin thanked everyone except himself. 621 00:24:19,833 --> 00:24:23,462 But another personal blow threatens to derail him. 622 00:24:23,462 --> 00:24:25,964 ♪ 623 00:24:25,964 --> 00:24:28,676 Robin called me and said, "Brother Reeve's in trouble." 624 00:24:28,676 --> 00:24:31,136 However, the actor does remain paralyzed and on a 625 00:24:31,136 --> 00:24:35,099 respirator, his long-term prognosis still is unknown. 626 00:24:35,099 --> 00:24:36,642 It was awful... 627 00:24:36,642 --> 00:24:37,685 it was awful. 628 00:24:37,685 --> 00:24:39,228 There were people making decisions whether or not to 629 00:24:39,228 --> 00:24:41,772 keep him, you know, on life support, 630 00:24:41,772 --> 00:24:44,024 and I came in dressed as a doctor and I said I was 631 00:24:44,024 --> 00:24:46,485 a Russian proctologist. -[Laughing] 632 00:24:46,485 --> 00:24:48,362 And most of the other doctors, "Oh, no." 633 00:24:48,362 --> 00:24:49,196 And he looked up and he kind of went, 634 00:24:49,196 --> 00:24:51,198 "Hey, Brother, what's up?" And I said, "Would you mind, 635 00:24:51,198 --> 00:24:53,117 I'm just gonna do a brief exam. Like what you said, 636 00:24:53,117 --> 00:24:55,202 if you feel two fingers, it's your luck." 637 00:24:55,202 --> 00:24:57,246 [Laughing] 638 00:24:57,246 --> 00:24:59,248 Thank God I wear a seatbelt in this chair because 639 00:24:59,248 --> 00:25:01,083 I would've fallen out laughing. 640 00:25:01,083 --> 00:25:03,293 They told him, "Don't make him laugh too much 641 00:25:03,293 --> 00:25:04,503 because he's on a ventilator." 642 00:25:04,503 --> 00:25:06,630 It's funny, in the middle of a tragedy like this, 643 00:25:06,630 --> 00:25:10,008 in the middle of recuperation... 644 00:25:10,008 --> 00:25:12,010 you can still experience genuine joy, 645 00:25:12,010 --> 00:25:15,764 and laughter, and love, and... 646 00:25:15,764 --> 00:25:17,307 Anybody who says life's not worth living is 647 00:25:17,307 --> 00:25:19,768 totally wrong, totally wrong. 648 00:25:19,768 --> 00:25:21,770 He rehabbed for months and months. 649 00:25:21,770 --> 00:25:23,772 We had no idea how strong Chris was. 650 00:25:23,772 --> 00:25:26,859 And then Robin said, "I don't think I could ever do this. 651 00:25:26,859 --> 00:25:30,571 If I had to do that, I would go." 652 00:25:30,571 --> 00:25:34,658 And the Oscar goes to... 653 00:25:34,658 --> 00:25:36,910 Robin Williams in 'Good Will Hunting'! 654 00:25:36,910 --> 00:25:39,371 [Cheering & applauding] 655 00:25:39,371 --> 00:25:43,792 Robin manages to push through his pain. 656 00:25:43,792 --> 00:25:46,086 I think 'Good Will Hunting' might be 657 00:25:46,086 --> 00:25:48,380 his strongest dramatic role, for me. 658 00:25:48,380 --> 00:25:50,174 Don't ---- with me. 659 00:25:50,174 --> 00:25:52,217 The scene where he's telling Matt Damon, 660 00:25:52,217 --> 00:25:53,469 "It's not your fault." 661 00:25:53,469 --> 00:25:54,928 It's not your fault. 662 00:25:54,928 --> 00:25:56,472 Don't ---- with me, alright! 663 00:25:56,472 --> 00:25:58,223 Don't ---- with me, Sean, not you. 664 00:25:58,223 --> 00:25:59,683 It's not your fault. 665 00:25:59,683 --> 00:26:01,268 When he went deep, it's like as deep as 666 00:26:01,268 --> 00:26:02,853 you've ever seen anybody go. 667 00:26:02,853 --> 00:26:04,480 [Sobbing] I'm sorry. 668 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,566 And the pain, and so, pain can take many forms. 669 00:26:07,566 --> 00:26:11,570 It doesn't have to come from one set of circumstances. 670 00:26:11,570 --> 00:26:16,492 Any part he did that didn't call upon his comedic tools 671 00:26:16,492 --> 00:26:19,119 was kind of more interesting to me because 672 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,371 it allowed me to see... 673 00:26:21,371 --> 00:26:25,584 I think, to get a, more of a grasp of who he was. 674 00:26:25,584 --> 00:26:27,127 I'm just looking for anything interesting. 675 00:26:27,127 --> 00:26:28,587 Things that kind of change perception. 676 00:26:28,587 --> 00:26:29,963 I'm looking for... 677 00:26:29,963 --> 00:26:31,632 obviously, darker roles, 'cause everyone thinks 678 00:26:31,632 --> 00:26:32,883 I'm warm and cuddly. 679 00:26:32,883 --> 00:26:34,426 There was something today in the paper that said, 680 00:26:34,426 --> 00:26:37,179 "A Cuddle Fest with Robin Williams." Oh... 681 00:26:37,179 --> 00:26:38,180 So, you'd like to play a villain? 682 00:26:38,180 --> 00:26:40,349 -Maybe a killer or something. - A killer? 683 00:26:40,349 --> 00:26:42,893 -Yeah. Could you do that? -Yeah, I could very easily. 684 00:26:42,893 --> 00:26:45,437 Just once again to show the darker side too. 685 00:26:45,437 --> 00:26:47,523 We all have it. 686 00:26:47,523 --> 00:26:50,192 Friends start noticing a darker side of Robin 687 00:26:50,192 --> 00:26:52,486 bubbling to the surface. 688 00:26:52,486 --> 00:26:56,156 In 2004, Bob Saget, my brother, 689 00:26:56,156 --> 00:26:59,159 had his Scleroderma charity events, 690 00:26:59,159 --> 00:27:01,954 and I saw Robin before the show... 691 00:27:01,954 --> 00:27:05,082 and, he just looked disheveled. 692 00:27:05,082 --> 00:27:09,044 And, it was a look that I had never seen before. 693 00:27:09,044 --> 00:27:11,922 He just looked a little bit different. 694 00:27:11,922 --> 00:27:14,758 There was something going on. 695 00:27:14,758 --> 00:27:16,718 It was just a feeling that was different, 696 00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:18,512 for me, personally. 697 00:27:18,512 --> 00:27:20,722 I really kind of made a mental note of, gee, 698 00:27:20,722 --> 00:27:22,516 I hope this guy's okay. 699 00:27:22,516 --> 00:27:24,518 I saw a picture of him at The Comedy Store with 700 00:27:24,518 --> 00:27:27,521 a glass in his hand. "Oh, man, don't do that." 701 00:27:27,521 --> 00:27:29,565 I spoke to him about it later on. 702 00:27:29,565 --> 00:27:32,150 And, he just started drinking again. 703 00:27:32,150 --> 00:27:33,986 He tried to keep it to himself. 704 00:27:33,986 --> 00:27:35,779 Do the math. 705 00:27:35,779 --> 00:27:37,739 Made by this woman in a thong. 706 00:27:37,739 --> 00:27:39,074 Do the math! 707 00:27:39,074 --> 00:27:42,286 At this Cannes Film Festival, he was at a charity auction. 708 00:27:42,286 --> 00:27:46,373 It was kind of like everyone was there- Sharon Stone, 709 00:27:46,373 --> 00:27:49,209 Ivanka Trump, Fergie The Duchess of York. 710 00:27:49,209 --> 00:27:51,545 Kanye West. Get real, people! 711 00:27:51,545 --> 00:27:53,881 And then, walking out of these clubs and these 712 00:27:53,881 --> 00:27:57,009 restaurants, and there being walls of paparazzi. 713 00:27:57,009 --> 00:28:00,012 And, he was walking around in sunglasses 714 00:28:00,012 --> 00:28:02,180 because he was intoxicated. 715 00:28:02,180 --> 00:28:04,600 Robin's increasingly erratic behaviour 716 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:06,894 is now in plain sight. 717 00:28:06,894 --> 00:28:09,688 During this auction, he spent $80,000 718 00:28:09,688 --> 00:28:11,982 for a private performance by Wyclef, 719 00:28:11,982 --> 00:28:14,026 and then another $40,000 for this 720 00:28:14,026 --> 00:28:15,527 Armani necklace. 721 00:28:15,527 --> 00:28:18,238 Just crazy amounts of money. 722 00:28:18,238 --> 00:28:20,115 And he was inside of his own head, 723 00:28:20,115 --> 00:28:22,826 knowing that the world was going to find out, 724 00:28:22,826 --> 00:28:25,162 "I have a real problem." 725 00:28:25,162 --> 00:28:27,623 He fell off the wagon and, once you do, 726 00:28:27,623 --> 00:28:29,458 I mean, if you have that... 727 00:28:29,458 --> 00:28:32,878 gene in you that needs to open not one little bottle, 728 00:28:32,878 --> 00:28:35,464 but if you open one, you open 15 of them. 729 00:28:35,464 --> 00:28:37,674 After two decades of sobriety, 730 00:28:37,674 --> 00:28:41,053 Robin's drinking has spiralled out of control. 731 00:28:41,053 --> 00:28:43,722 I think he just went down into a little dark hole for 732 00:28:43,722 --> 00:28:46,683 a while and, said, "To hell with everything." 733 00:28:46,683 --> 00:28:48,936 The family started to say, "We need to get him into 734 00:28:48,936 --> 00:28:50,979 rehab before he kills himself." 735 00:28:57,110 --> 00:29:00,030 -How are you? -I'm well, very well. 736 00:29:00,030 --> 00:29:02,240 -It is a good thing. -Is it a good thing? 737 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,242 -Oh, yeah, it's nice. -Two months? 738 00:29:04,242 --> 00:29:06,870 Two months. Club medicated. 739 00:29:06,870 --> 00:29:11,124 Away, quiet time. Good though, I'm back. 740 00:29:11,124 --> 00:29:13,835 Two months out of rehab, the public sees 741 00:29:13,835 --> 00:29:16,755 a more subdued Robin emerge. 742 00:29:16,755 --> 00:29:19,299 -It was just alcohol? -Just alcohol. 743 00:29:19,299 --> 00:29:20,968 -That's enough, really. -Yeah. 744 00:29:20,968 --> 00:29:22,636 It's hard admitting it, and then, 745 00:29:22,636 --> 00:29:24,846 once you've done that, it's real easy. 746 00:29:24,846 --> 00:29:26,431 You think that people don't notice. 747 00:29:26,431 --> 00:29:29,643 And then you find out later on, "We knew." 748 00:29:29,643 --> 00:29:33,063 Humiliations give you humility, literally. 749 00:29:33,063 --> 00:29:36,441 But the relapse will cost him his second marriage. 750 00:29:36,441 --> 00:29:37,943 I really am happy that you're here. 751 00:29:37,943 --> 00:29:41,321 And, how are- I'll ask, how are things at home? 752 00:29:41,321 --> 00:29:42,781 Things are okay. I mean, I'm in the 753 00:29:42,781 --> 00:29:44,700 middle of a divorce, but we're trying to... 754 00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:47,577 kind of do it the way we got married, with love. 755 00:29:47,577 --> 00:29:50,163 Divorce, from the old Latin word divortium, meaning, 756 00:29:50,163 --> 00:29:51,832 having your genitals torn out through your wallet. 757 00:29:51,832 --> 00:29:53,458 [Laughing] 758 00:29:53,458 --> 00:29:54,835 I think whatever gratification Robin 759 00:29:54,835 --> 00:29:56,920 didn't get in life, he got onstage. 760 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,923 If he was sad, it would help change his mood. 761 00:29:59,923 --> 00:30:02,259 If he was stressed out about something, 762 00:30:02,259 --> 00:30:04,052 Robin got to go to clubs and 763 00:30:04,052 --> 00:30:06,346 work his shit out in front of people. 764 00:30:06,346 --> 00:30:08,056 To me, that means something, improv! 765 00:30:08,056 --> 00:30:10,892 That means, jerk off a lot of people at once! 766 00:30:10,892 --> 00:30:12,310 It was just outrageous. 767 00:30:12,310 --> 00:30:13,478 Does it help you? 768 00:30:13,478 --> 00:30:15,480 Yeah, it's cheaper than therapy. 769 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:17,733 Much cheaper and, very few therapists 770 00:30:17,733 --> 00:30:19,818 have a two-drink minimum. 771 00:30:19,818 --> 00:30:21,570 It's- and I have such a good time 772 00:30:21,570 --> 00:30:23,822 because I can talk about anything. 773 00:30:23,822 --> 00:30:25,574 [Cheering & applauding] 774 00:30:25,574 --> 00:30:28,493 There is no better distraction from anything 775 00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:30,787 negative than to be in the moment. 776 00:30:30,787 --> 00:30:35,459 You don't have room to let your own... 777 00:30:35,459 --> 00:30:39,337 inner demons make any noise. 778 00:30:39,337 --> 00:30:41,631 It's a whole other thing. Performing, for me, 779 00:30:41,631 --> 00:30:42,924 is the greatest release in the world. 780 00:30:42,924 --> 00:30:44,384 It's ah, it is a drug. 781 00:30:44,384 --> 00:30:45,719 He didn't have to leave the stage, 782 00:30:45,719 --> 00:30:47,179 he wouldn't leave the stage. 783 00:30:47,179 --> 00:30:49,389 If he could get to a stage and there was a club open, 784 00:30:49,389 --> 00:30:51,892 and there was an audience, he wanted to be there. 785 00:30:51,892 --> 00:30:56,104 It seemed like he needed to do that. 786 00:30:56,104 --> 00:30:59,399 Many of us in the business have an addictive personality, 787 00:30:59,399 --> 00:31:03,653 whether it be drugs, alcohol, or comedy, 788 00:31:03,653 --> 00:31:05,155 it's all the same thing. 789 00:31:05,155 --> 00:31:07,240 Well, performing is a drug, and this has been an OD. 790 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:08,909 [Laughing] 791 00:31:08,909 --> 00:31:12,079 Maybe because comedy is a good substitute for drugs... 792 00:31:12,079 --> 00:31:14,998 and that is more socially acceptable In, 793 00:31:14,998 --> 00:31:17,793 if you can get laughs, you can stick around. 794 00:31:17,793 --> 00:31:20,295 No matter how busy Robin would get, 795 00:31:20,295 --> 00:31:22,380 he had to get a live set in. 796 00:31:22,380 --> 00:31:24,257 And, this is even when- 797 00:31:24,257 --> 00:31:25,801 you can be rewarded on set, 798 00:31:25,801 --> 00:31:27,469 you did something funny on the set, 799 00:31:27,469 --> 00:31:29,638 they have to wait 'til you hear "Cut!", 800 00:31:29,638 --> 00:31:31,515 but then you'll hear laughs of video village, 801 00:31:31,515 --> 00:31:32,766 the crew, whatever. 802 00:31:32,766 --> 00:31:34,851 The cast will laugh and all of that. 803 00:31:34,851 --> 00:31:36,269 And that's nice. 804 00:31:36,269 --> 00:31:37,479 [Applauding] 805 00:31:37,479 --> 00:31:40,649 It's nothing like feeling your sternum vibrate 806 00:31:40,649 --> 00:31:42,400 like you're at a fireworks show, 807 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,070 from the laughter. Your skeleton buzzes. 808 00:31:45,070 --> 00:31:48,031 -Good night! -[Cheering & applauding] 809 00:31:48,031 --> 00:31:50,117 Friends see that what Robin craves most 810 00:31:50,117 --> 00:31:52,410 also depletes him. 811 00:31:52,410 --> 00:31:54,746 It was a big responsibility to carry, 812 00:31:54,746 --> 00:31:56,706 to be the fastest guy in the room, 813 00:31:56,706 --> 00:32:00,460 to be the most amazing comedic genius ever, 814 00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:03,755 and to have this extremely fast wit and, 815 00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:05,382 there were times where I would see him, 816 00:32:05,382 --> 00:32:08,093 and I'd say, "How you doing?" And he'd say, 817 00:32:08,093 --> 00:32:11,930 "Oh... Bro, I'm one tired mother----er." 818 00:32:11,930 --> 00:32:13,807 If you were to sit with him one-on-one, 819 00:32:13,807 --> 00:32:16,726 quietest, sweetest man you ever met. 820 00:32:16,726 --> 00:32:18,145 One person walks into the room, 821 00:32:18,145 --> 00:32:20,147 he becomes Robin Williams. 822 00:32:20,147 --> 00:32:22,566 [Laughing] 823 00:32:22,566 --> 00:32:24,818 New York rats. Nn-nn-nn-nn! 824 00:32:24,818 --> 00:32:29,072 In my experience, it was either way on... 825 00:32:29,072 --> 00:32:32,868 or nothing, you know, like, nothing. 826 00:32:32,868 --> 00:32:35,579 Oh, my God, I'm okay now I'm out here. 827 00:32:35,579 --> 00:32:38,331 -Mama, I'm on TV! -[Laughing] 828 00:32:38,331 --> 00:32:39,833 For my friends in San Francisco- 829 00:32:39,833 --> 00:32:42,043 [Groaning] How are you? 830 00:32:42,043 --> 00:32:44,546 People used to say, "He's never off stage, 831 00:32:44,546 --> 00:32:47,007 he's never off," and I went, "Well, you don't know him then, 832 00:32:47,007 --> 00:32:49,009 because he is very off." 833 00:32:49,009 --> 00:32:51,553 If he was goofing around offstage, 834 00:32:51,553 --> 00:32:54,139 he's either uncomfortable or he just felt like 835 00:32:54,139 --> 00:32:58,768 he didn't know the people enough to be himself. 836 00:32:58,768 --> 00:33:01,188 Once the dust settles from his relapse, 837 00:33:01,188 --> 00:33:05,817 Robin finds himself in a much more grounded place. 838 00:33:05,817 --> 00:33:08,069 He started going to AA, and that really 839 00:33:08,069 --> 00:33:10,614 did the trick for him. It took a while. 840 00:33:10,614 --> 00:33:12,574 He had met someone new, 841 00:33:12,574 --> 00:33:15,076 and Susan was a grounding force. 842 00:33:15,076 --> 00:33:17,412 But I think he had to go through that dark hole, 843 00:33:17,412 --> 00:33:19,664 and come out again, and realize that he could be 844 00:33:19,664 --> 00:33:22,709 really happy and really healthy. 845 00:33:22,709 --> 00:33:25,670 He had finally found peace, 846 00:33:25,670 --> 00:33:28,048 and then of course, tragedy struck. 847 00:33:38,141 --> 00:33:40,268 And while I was in rehab, I read an article in 848 00:33:40,268 --> 00:33:41,937 The Enquirer about my being drunk, and it was like, 849 00:33:41,937 --> 00:33:43,647 that poor ----- Oh, ----, that's me. 850 00:33:43,647 --> 00:33:45,732 [Laughing] 851 00:33:45,732 --> 00:33:47,525 In his late 50s, Robin Williams 852 00:33:47,525 --> 00:33:51,154 enters an exciting new chapter in his life. 853 00:33:51,154 --> 00:33:54,074 After he quit drinking and he met Susan, 854 00:33:54,074 --> 00:33:56,576 it was a whole new ballgame. 855 00:33:56,576 --> 00:33:58,828 There were several years there of 856 00:33:58,828 --> 00:34:01,248 real happiness and real bliss. 857 00:34:01,248 --> 00:34:03,250 I followed the scent, I took a bite, and then- Ff! 858 00:34:03,250 --> 00:34:05,001 A gold ----ing gun! 859 00:34:05,001 --> 00:34:07,337 A tranquilizer dart comes from out of nowhere... 860 00:34:07,337 --> 00:34:10,382 But, once again, friends start noticing changes. 861 00:34:10,382 --> 00:34:12,384 ...so that was depressing. 862 00:34:12,384 --> 00:34:13,635 [Laughing] 863 00:34:13,635 --> 00:34:16,930 My husband and I went to see Robin in a Broadway show, 864 00:34:16,930 --> 00:34:19,808 'Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo', 865 00:34:19,808 --> 00:34:21,685 where he was fantastic. 866 00:34:21,685 --> 00:34:23,478 And we saw him afterwards, 867 00:34:23,478 --> 00:34:25,021 and it was so nice to see him. 868 00:34:25,021 --> 00:34:27,857 We chatted for a bit, and when we left the theatre, 869 00:34:27,857 --> 00:34:31,194 Brian, my husband, said, 870 00:34:31,194 --> 00:34:33,405 "Something is off." And I said, 871 00:34:33,405 --> 00:34:34,864 "What do you mean?" He said, 872 00:34:34,864 --> 00:34:38,034 "That sparkle in his eye is gone." 873 00:34:38,034 --> 00:34:40,704 And I thought, no, no, no, no. 874 00:34:40,704 --> 00:34:42,789 But he was right- 875 00:34:42,789 --> 00:34:47,502 that sparkle had faded. 876 00:34:47,502 --> 00:34:50,463 Occasionally he would repeat things in a phone call that 877 00:34:50,463 --> 00:34:52,590 he had said, and that was really unusual. 878 00:34:52,590 --> 00:34:56,636 The exchanges in text were becoming more abbreviated. 879 00:34:56,636 --> 00:34:59,222 And, shorter sentences. 880 00:34:59,222 --> 00:35:01,599 And, all good, all lovely. 881 00:35:01,599 --> 00:35:03,184 It was just, everything was shortening. 882 00:35:03,184 --> 00:35:05,812 I knew there was a change. 883 00:35:05,812 --> 00:35:08,732 Then I would hear murmurings and things that there was a 884 00:35:08,732 --> 00:35:12,777 struggle going on, but no one knew all the details. 885 00:35:12,777 --> 00:35:15,739 There was rumours about what was going on. 886 00:35:15,739 --> 00:35:17,282 I, personally, had friends that were 887 00:35:17,282 --> 00:35:19,868 working on shows with him. 888 00:35:19,868 --> 00:35:23,455 And, people were saying that he was tired. 889 00:35:23,455 --> 00:35:24,956 That he was overworked. 890 00:35:24,956 --> 00:35:25,790 [Indistinct shouting] 891 00:35:25,790 --> 00:35:27,208 -Ah! -Ha-ha! 892 00:35:27,208 --> 00:35:28,960 -Got ya. -Cut! 893 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:30,003 Along with the final film in 894 00:35:30,003 --> 00:35:32,714 the 'Night At The Museum' trilogy... 895 00:35:32,714 --> 00:35:35,842 Robin has taken on a brand-new TV series. 896 00:35:35,842 --> 00:35:38,011 It has been more than 30 years 897 00:35:38,011 --> 00:35:39,137 since you were on a TV series. 898 00:35:39,137 --> 00:35:41,431 -It has been a long time. -It's been a long time. 899 00:35:41,431 --> 00:35:45,310 32 years, it was only 3 networks back then. 900 00:35:45,310 --> 00:35:49,314 Well, I heard he was having trouble remembering lines. 901 00:35:49,314 --> 00:35:51,066 He wasn't having the best time, 902 00:35:51,066 --> 00:35:52,525 and people knew that. 903 00:35:52,525 --> 00:35:55,278 But, it made sense, he's doing a series, 904 00:35:55,278 --> 00:35:57,781 he's doing movies, he's traveling all over the place. 905 00:35:57,781 --> 00:35:59,532 It wears on you, you know. 906 00:35:59,532 --> 00:36:01,826 It wears on you, physically and mentally. 907 00:36:01,826 --> 00:36:03,995 And then, people question, "Why are you working so hard? 908 00:36:03,995 --> 00:36:06,206 Why do you have to do that?" 909 00:36:06,206 --> 00:36:08,124 The last time I saw Robin Williams, 910 00:36:08,124 --> 00:36:11,127 I hadn't seen him for a few months then, and he was thin, 911 00:36:11,127 --> 00:36:13,004 and he didn't recognize my wife. 912 00:36:13,004 --> 00:36:14,798 And he hardly said a word. 913 00:36:14,798 --> 00:36:16,883 And it took him a second to recognize me. 914 00:36:16,883 --> 00:36:20,011 And I go, "Whoa, something's wrong here," and I didn't 915 00:36:20,011 --> 00:36:23,515 know what, and nobody would really tell me, and... 916 00:36:23,515 --> 00:36:25,809 And then I never saw him again after that. 917 00:36:25,809 --> 00:36:29,562 This is unusual and upsetting, 918 00:36:29,562 --> 00:36:31,606 but we got some news... 919 00:36:31,606 --> 00:36:33,525 we got some news, ah... 920 00:36:33,525 --> 00:36:36,194 during the show that... 921 00:36:36,194 --> 00:36:40,156 that Robin Williams, ah, has passed away. 922 00:36:40,156 --> 00:36:42,867 We're absolutely stunned. 923 00:36:42,867 --> 00:36:45,161 Tonight, the tributes pouring in from around the world. 924 00:36:45,161 --> 00:36:46,913 Take a look at the flowers, candles, 925 00:36:46,913 --> 00:36:48,873 and other mementos left here. 926 00:36:48,873 --> 00:36:51,376 This is fans and Hollywood celebrities 927 00:36:51,376 --> 00:36:53,336 weigh in on the sudden loss. 928 00:36:53,336 --> 00:36:55,130 To the terrible news of... 929 00:36:55,130 --> 00:36:59,467 I remember, I got a call, you know, "Robin died." 930 00:36:59,467 --> 00:37:03,263 And I, I was like, "Robin who?" 931 00:37:03,263 --> 00:37:07,267 I couldn't even imagine. 932 00:37:07,267 --> 00:37:10,854 How could this be, like, suddenly one day, 933 00:37:10,854 --> 00:37:14,691 the sun stops shining. 934 00:37:14,691 --> 00:37:16,568 I didn't fully know what had happened. 935 00:37:16,568 --> 00:37:19,696 I was getting just bits and pieces. 936 00:37:19,696 --> 00:37:22,240 Police say they suspect it was suicide. 937 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:24,742 When I heard Robin killed himself, I didn't believe it. 938 00:37:24,742 --> 00:37:26,703 ♪ 939 00:37:26,703 --> 00:37:29,247 That is not Robin Williams. 940 00:37:29,247 --> 00:37:32,208 Nobody seemed to have any clue why, 941 00:37:32,208 --> 00:37:34,043 or what had happened, or... 942 00:37:34,043 --> 00:37:36,629 that something like that was about to happen. 943 00:37:36,629 --> 00:37:38,381 We begin with what we know so far about 944 00:37:38,381 --> 00:37:40,800 the death of Robin Williams. 945 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,303 The media's a bunch of vultures. 946 00:37:43,303 --> 00:37:46,014 Everybody was running amok with nonsense trying to 947 00:37:46,014 --> 00:37:48,349 get the story, you know how the media works. 948 00:37:48,349 --> 00:37:50,059 Behind the scenes, he struggled mightily 949 00:37:50,059 --> 00:37:51,936 with substance abuse and depression. 950 00:37:51,936 --> 00:37:55,940 The media jumps on Robin's history with substance abuse. 951 00:37:55,940 --> 00:37:59,068 Obviously, as stories are breaking, they evolve a lot. 952 00:37:59,068 --> 00:38:01,362 But, the narrative of depression 953 00:38:01,362 --> 00:38:03,114 seemed to take hold. 954 00:38:03,114 --> 00:38:04,866 Robin Williams suffered from... 955 00:38:04,866 --> 00:38:08,620 Robin's family decides to stamp out media speculation, 956 00:38:08,620 --> 00:38:11,915 with a clearer picture of Robin's last days. 957 00:38:11,915 --> 00:38:14,542 "Robin's sobriety was intact, and he was brave as he 958 00:38:14,542 --> 00:38:18,004 struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety, 959 00:38:18,004 --> 00:38:20,757 as well as early stages of Parkinson's Disease, 960 00:38:20,757 --> 00:38:24,010 which he was not yet ready to share publicly." 961 00:38:24,010 --> 00:38:25,386 I've had friends that had Parkinson's, 962 00:38:25,386 --> 00:38:27,305 and you can live for years with that. 963 00:38:27,305 --> 00:38:29,974 Then, weeks after Robin's death, 964 00:38:29,974 --> 00:38:33,353 an autopsy reveals a secret. 965 00:38:33,353 --> 00:38:35,480 It taught us what really happened. 966 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,649 That's what was taking him away from us. 967 00:38:44,155 --> 00:38:45,698 We're gonna turn now to the surprising news about 968 00:38:45,698 --> 00:38:47,492 Robin Williams, his wife revealing 969 00:38:47,492 --> 00:38:49,452 he had Parkinson's Disease. 970 00:38:49,452 --> 00:38:52,455 After weeks of speculation on Robin's death, 971 00:38:52,455 --> 00:38:56,376 an autopsy finds no evidence of alcohol or illicit drugs. 972 00:38:56,376 --> 00:38:59,087 No illegal drugs or alcohol in his system 973 00:38:59,087 --> 00:39:00,296 at the time of his death. 974 00:39:00,296 --> 00:39:02,966 But it does reveal a darker explanation 975 00:39:02,966 --> 00:39:04,801 for Robin's systems. 976 00:39:04,801 --> 00:39:06,636 Autopsies revealed another disease 977 00:39:06,636 --> 00:39:08,513 had ravaged Robin's mind. 978 00:39:08,513 --> 00:39:10,515 It's called Lewy body dementia, 979 00:39:10,515 --> 00:39:13,059 and it has a strange variety of symptoms. 980 00:39:13,059 --> 00:39:15,937 Lewy body dementia is referring to the changes 981 00:39:15,937 --> 00:39:17,939 in the brain, so there's a change in memory 982 00:39:17,939 --> 00:39:20,191 and thinking abilities. 983 00:39:20,191 --> 00:39:22,652 The person is aware of their disintegration. 984 00:39:22,652 --> 00:39:24,946 They're aware their abilities are declining. 985 00:39:24,946 --> 00:39:27,365 Whereas, in Alzheimer's, they're not aware. 986 00:39:27,365 --> 00:39:30,368 That's a marked difference, and can really kind of 987 00:39:30,368 --> 00:39:34,831 add to the terror of this particular disease. 988 00:39:34,831 --> 00:39:36,791 One of the doctors, the specialist, 989 00:39:36,791 --> 00:39:39,168 said this was one of the most advanced cases that 990 00:39:39,168 --> 00:39:42,422 he had ever seen of Lewy body dementia, 991 00:39:42,422 --> 00:39:45,967 and how tough Robin was. 992 00:39:45,967 --> 00:39:48,261 By the end, he had a slow, shuffling gate. 993 00:39:48,261 --> 00:39:51,598 His left arm, he had cogwheel rigidity. 994 00:39:51,598 --> 00:39:53,600 Tremor in his left hand. 995 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:56,686 The Parkinsonian mask, weakened voice, 996 00:39:56,686 --> 00:39:59,689 which was crushing for him. 997 00:39:59,689 --> 00:40:02,775 In speaking with the doctor who reviewed his records, 998 00:40:02,775 --> 00:40:06,696 most likely he did suffer hallucinations, too. 999 00:40:06,696 --> 00:40:08,781 Interacting with people became very difficult. 1000 00:40:08,781 --> 00:40:11,367 He would question things afterwards, or during. 1001 00:40:11,367 --> 00:40:13,828 And, really in the realms of, you know, 1002 00:40:13,828 --> 00:40:15,288 "Did I do okay?" 1003 00:40:15,288 --> 00:40:19,375 Things that focused around insecurity or fear. 1004 00:40:19,375 --> 00:40:21,210 Paranoia was coming in, 1005 00:40:21,210 --> 00:40:24,422 delusions, looping. 1006 00:40:24,422 --> 00:40:27,050 That was so difficult to quell, 1007 00:40:27,050 --> 00:40:31,179 was just going on relentlessly for him. 1008 00:40:31,179 --> 00:40:34,891 You feel like you can't do the thing that made you, you. 1009 00:40:34,891 --> 00:40:36,893 It can be very, very distressing, 1010 00:40:36,893 --> 00:40:41,397 and that can make things like depression worse. 1011 00:40:41,397 --> 00:40:44,400 Some evidence suggests that people who have Lewy body 1012 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:49,030 dementia are at high risk for suicide attempts. 1013 00:40:49,030 --> 00:40:50,782 He, ah... 1014 00:40:50,782 --> 00:40:53,242 ♪ 1015 00:40:53,242 --> 00:40:55,703 Sorry, it's just... 1016 00:40:55,703 --> 00:40:56,996 when you watch your best friend start, 1017 00:40:56,996 --> 00:40:59,207 start kind of falling apart a little bit, it's- 1018 00:40:59,207 --> 00:41:01,459 he's not, he never fell apart. 1019 00:41:01,459 --> 00:41:04,045 He just, you just see them failing a little bit, 1020 00:41:04,045 --> 00:41:06,714 and there's really not much you can do except be there 1021 00:41:06,714 --> 00:41:09,676 and let them know how much you love them. 1022 00:41:09,676 --> 00:41:14,472 ♪ 1023 00:41:14,472 --> 00:41:17,058 ♪ 1024 00:41:17,058 --> 00:41:19,644 Robin was not the type of guy to go, "I had enough, 1025 00:41:19,644 --> 00:41:21,729 I'm gonna kill myself." 1026 00:41:21,729 --> 00:41:25,274 Robin was no longer Robin. 1027 00:41:25,274 --> 00:41:27,026 'Cause it's all part of the mind that actually flows 1028 00:41:27,026 --> 00:41:28,778 like that, because I realize that the human mind is a 1029 00:41:28,778 --> 00:41:30,530 3 and a half pound gland 1030 00:41:30,530 --> 00:41:32,407 that pumps neurons constantly 1031 00:41:32,407 --> 00:41:35,118 and deals with itself by responding to stimulus, 1032 00:41:35,118 --> 00:41:36,119 that's what we're designed to do. 1033 00:41:36,119 --> 00:41:37,954 We've all been slowly- even Darwin's going, 1034 00:41:37,954 --> 00:41:40,081 "I have hopes." [Laughing] 1035 00:41:40,081 --> 00:41:42,417 Now, imagine you're that outgoing, 1036 00:41:42,417 --> 00:41:46,087 you're that quick, you're that amazing... 1037 00:41:46,087 --> 00:41:47,797 and all of a sudden, you can't remember 1038 00:41:47,797 --> 00:41:49,882 where the kitchen is in your own house. 1039 00:41:49,882 --> 00:41:54,595 -Mama, we're on TV. -[Laughing] 1040 00:41:54,595 --> 00:41:55,722 Please don't keep moving and 1041 00:41:55,722 --> 00:41:57,932 changing the address. 1042 00:41:57,932 --> 00:42:00,393 My own interpretation- 1043 00:42:00,393 --> 00:42:05,022 laughter, for him, was a life preserver. 1044 00:42:05,022 --> 00:42:07,942 And I believe at the end of his life when he didn't feel 1045 00:42:07,942 --> 00:42:10,987 he had the capacity to be able to do that... 1046 00:42:10,987 --> 00:42:13,614 there couldn't have been anything more painful 1047 00:42:13,614 --> 00:42:15,950 or hard to face. 1048 00:42:15,950 --> 00:42:17,368 I think it was the last thing he could do, 1049 00:42:17,368 --> 00:42:18,828 where he could be in control, you know, he just, 1050 00:42:18,828 --> 00:42:20,663 "I'm gonna control this one last time." 1051 00:42:20,663 --> 00:42:24,292 And he did, and it was horrible. 1052 00:42:24,292 --> 00:42:26,753 He was being killed by his own mind. 1053 00:42:26,753 --> 00:42:29,422 ♪ 1054 00:42:29,422 --> 00:42:32,383 So, I don't think he did it, I think his mind did it. 1055 00:42:32,383 --> 00:42:34,218 Just before they go to bed, you go, "Good night. 1056 00:42:34,218 --> 00:42:36,179 Good night, Son. Sleep well. 1057 00:42:36,179 --> 00:42:37,889 Behind you! Ha-ha-ha!" 1058 00:42:37,889 --> 00:42:39,724 Robin gave the world of comedy 1059 00:42:39,724 --> 00:42:42,518 a career to envy, to follow. 1060 00:42:42,518 --> 00:42:44,604 But, ultimately, 1061 00:42:44,604 --> 00:42:46,731 what he left the comedy world are the 1062 00:42:46,731 --> 00:42:49,484 stories of what it was like to know him as a person. 1063 00:42:49,484 --> 00:42:51,611 And, he was an authentic, 1064 00:42:51,611 --> 00:42:53,821 genuine, real person, 1065 00:42:53,821 --> 00:42:56,199 and he was a good friend to a lot of people. 1066 00:42:56,199 --> 00:43:00,328 He always treated me like we were equals, which, 1067 00:43:00,328 --> 00:43:02,663 you know, we weren't. We weren't equals. 1068 00:43:02,663 --> 00:43:04,457 There, there- I don't think anybody was 1069 00:43:04,457 --> 00:43:06,250 equal to his brilliance. 1070 00:43:06,250 --> 00:43:08,085 Look over here, Rick, you've come back from Scotland. 1071 00:43:08,085 --> 00:43:09,587 That's right, look at this! 1072 00:43:09,587 --> 00:43:11,297 What Robin gave me was friendship... 1073 00:43:11,297 --> 00:43:14,217 and, love and respect. 1074 00:43:14,217 --> 00:43:17,136 And, you know, his, his time- 1075 00:43:17,136 --> 00:43:20,223 his precious, precious time. 1076 00:43:20,223 --> 00:43:24,936 He was the most unique talent and person... 1077 00:43:24,936 --> 00:43:27,271 I've ever encountered. 1078 00:43:27,271 --> 00:43:28,940 ♪ 1079 00:43:28,940 --> 00:43:32,235 He was the best friend and brother I ever had in my life. 1080 00:43:32,235 --> 00:43:34,779 He used his intellect and his imagination 1081 00:43:34,779 --> 00:43:36,989 and his zaniness, 1082 00:43:36,989 --> 00:43:39,033 to make the world a better place. 1083 00:43:39,033 --> 00:43:40,576 Look how lucky we are. 1084 00:43:40,576 --> 00:43:42,161 Let's really make the cameraman mad now. 1085 00:43:42,161 --> 00:43:45,665 [Laughing] 1086 00:43:45,665 --> 00:43:47,750 And he is one of a kind. 1087 00:43:47,750 --> 00:43:50,670 There will never be another Robin Williams. 1088 00:43:50,670 --> 00:43:53,506 I don't care how long this world lasts, 1089 00:43:53,506 --> 00:43:55,466 there will never be another Robin Williams. 1090 00:43:55,466 --> 00:43:57,885 Until next week, this is Mork signing off. 1091 00:43:57,885 --> 00:44:01,389 Na-no, na-no. [Mimicks engine starting] 1092 00:44:01,389 --> 00:44:03,140 Agh! 1093 00:44:03,140 --> 00:44:07,937 ♪ 1094 00:44:07,937 --> 00:44:11,649 ♪