Robin Williams’ Legacy of Laughs
When actor Robin Williams passed away on Aug. 11, outpours of love and deep loss were expressed. Social media was a popular outlet for such emotional reflections. Whether you knew him as Mrs. Doubtfire or the alien Mork, he found a way to connect with his audience.
“It’s very hard to talk about him in the past, because he was so present in all our lives,” actor Billy Crystal said of his longtime friend during the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast, held on Monday, Aug. 25.
Someone who seemed so larger than life also had a natural ability to bring joy and make audiences of all ages feel like they knew him in some way.
“I think the reason that he appealed to younger generations and why his death had such an impact is because there was always a child-like quality about him. In many ways, he embodied a sense of innocence, of optimism that seemed to be unwavering in our increasingly chaotic and insane world,” said Chuck Koplinski, film critic and Urbana Middle School teacher. “Even when things made no sense, you knew that he would have a smile for you and would try to share that with the audience. Now his death – it makes no sense and compounding our grief is the realization that his happy persona was simply a mask he used to hide his own pain.”
In addition to Williams’ former co-stars, social media users of all ages were quick to send out remembrances. For the generation of ’90s kids, movies like “Flubber,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Jumanji,” and “Aladdin” made a large impact.
Nick Amaya, an Urbana High School senior, said, “We all grew up watching Robin Williams’ movies. I’ll never forget how he made me laugh.”
Williams’ great talent and ability to bring joy to his audiences will live on through his work.
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