The comedic actor Robin Williams, known for his television, film, and stage work, died on Monday at his home in Tiburon, California, reportedly from suicide. He was 63 years old.
Williams’s death came as a shock but not a surprise. He fought a lifelong battle, an unwinnable battle, against addiction and severe depression, a fight he was open about exploring and skewering in his work. As recently as the beginning of this year, Williams was reportedly reentering rehab to “fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment” to sobriety, which followed a 2006 relapse after 20 years free of substance abuse. But this kind of addiction never goes away. In a later interview with Diane Sawyer, quoted in the New York Times, he explained to the host, and presumably the audience, that his addiction and depression were not “caused by anything, it’s just there.”
I can sit here and think and write about how much I loved “Good Morning Vietnam” as a kid when it aired on local television, or how I later admired many of his darker roles, including “One Hour Photo” and “World’s Greatest Dad.” But we all know this. It doesn’t need to be repeated. What does need to be repeated is that depression and addiction are real diseases that need to be taken seriously, not dismissed as something that’s the result of a choice. There is no simple cause and effect when dealing with depression and addiction. It’s not a disease you give yourself; it’s a disease you have that requires you to fight against it.
When the news broke last night, an acquaintance said something that is unfortunately too commonplace in our understanding of depression and addiction. “He had children,” this person said, “and so much to live for.” We need to move away from this sort of understanding of depression and addiction, that somehow a happy family, or any marker of success really, is suitable treatment.
Depression is real, and something that many people struggle with. Success has nothing to do with it. All of this will undoubtedly recall Philip Seymour Hoffman, who passed away in February. Let’s not make the same mistakes we did in talking about him, another person who fought long and hard and did not win. There is nothing we can gain from reporting on his “final days of descent,” or from depicting Williams as the “sad clown,” as some news outlets are doing this morning.
Many people will suggest that you watch one of Williams’s films, or listen to one of his great comedy albums. My suggestion would be to listen to his appearance on the comedian Marc Maron’s podcast, from 2010. In the episode, which you will find below, Williams is open and honest about his struggle and the constant fight it required. He will be truly missed, and the voice he gave to struggles with depression and addiction is one that we can’t lose.
