President Obama has led the tributes to Robin Williams after the comic genius was found dead aged 63 from an apparent suicide in his home, police in California said on Monday night. Praising the Oscar winning actor’s versatility, the president issued a touching statement, speaking volumes for the comedian and his huge impact on American culture throughout the past 35-years.
‘Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.
‘He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.’
Emergency crews were called to the legendary comics house in Marin County, just north of San Francisco at approximately noon and his third wife, Susan Schneider issued a statement confirming the 63-year-old’s death.
Speaking of her ‘profound grief’, Schneider, who Williams married in a Napa Valley ceremony in 2011 said, ‘This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken.
Williams, who won an Academy Award for his supporting role as a fatherly therapist in the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting, had been suffering from severe depression recently and had sought treatment for his ongoing alcoholism.
‘As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions,’ said Schneider.
Check out more tributes from other celebrities below:
May his soul rest in peace.