Since August 11, every media outlet in the world has written articles in tribute to his career, his accomplishments and his legacy. Scenes from his most cherished movies, photographs of him doing what he loved and dozens of his most memorable quotes litter every social media outlet. All have raced to share their story of how he affected their lives.

But who was Robin Williams? What was it about this man that sent a tidal wave of grief across the world? The majority of the articles, posts and accounts of Robin Williams’s life have been written by people who never met him, and yet these writings are as personal as if Williams had been a dear friend.

In his sixty three years of age, Williams acted in over one hundred movies and television shows; yet other actors have done the same and received more Oscars. So why does this man’s prestige overshadow the fame of more accomplished actors?

Williams’s differences are highlighted in his ability to connect with audiences of all ages through a single role. A typical actor will tailor each role to a specific audience and exemplify certain values pertaining to that group of people. The actor will be caught between making his character loved or laughed at, respected or empathized with. However, Williams had the rare capability of appealing to all audiences with just one character.

After just thirty seconds of “Good Morning, Vietnam,” the charisma and earth-shattering zeal with which Robin Williams lived his life is evident. Children laugh out loud at Williams’s words while adults understand the underlying poignancy of Williams’s offhand pebbles of wisdom disguised as jests.

Although he is recognized as an unbelievable comedian, few people recognize the genius Williams truly was. Such genius surfaces in “Aladdin” when Robin Williams ad-libbed, or improvised lines, during almost every scene in the movie. Some of the most quotable lines in “Mrs. Doubtfire” were ad-libbed, as well as almost every line of his character’s broadcasts in “Good Morning, Vietnam.”

Words spoken by Mr. Keating, Williams’s character from “Dead Poet’s Society,” ring true now more than ever, “That you are here, that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

Williams wrote his verse in the characters he gave to the world. Though Williams is gone, the message of his words is not forgotten. We must keep them alive. We must learn from his lessons. We must find who we are. We must write our own verses. 

photo credit