Robin williams book a biography

"This well-written page-turner is the definitive biography of the genius of Robin Williams, whose life redefines the highs and lows of the American dream." Steve Martin

From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in Mork & Mindy and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer.

Some think he was very aware of what he was doing, while others think he was under the influence of the illness, which despite not knowing him personally, I agree with the latter. I loved his stand -up routines and his movies. I was struck by how harsh the movie critics could be, bordering on downright nastiness.

Still, while Robin certainly made his share of sub-par films, overall his body of work is pretty solid, and I have to say, I thought that his improvisations often saved otherwise dull roles, that may have fallen flat if not for Robin’s putting his personal stamp on it.

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The mystery surrounding Robin’s health in the last years of his life is just plain frustrating. He has written a book about the truth and pain that lies in comedy, and the price paid by a sensitive soul." Amy Poehler

"Dave Itzkoff's Robin is much like the man himself?warm, funny, frenetic, with a core of darkness and empathy.

The days after being no less stressful, but with the help and support of friends and family, the way to healing was launched. After a moment, I realized that in many ways, so had I. I was in my mid-teens when Robin burst onto the scene in that iconic episode of ‘Happy Days’ which led to ‘Mork & Mindy’. I loved that show and found Robin to be a fresh comedic talent who could pull off what appeared to be completely spontaneous dialogue and accompanied by high energy physical comedy.

Of course, it backfired on him more than a few times, rather spectacularly. His diagnosis, which may not have been the right one, only makes his suffering more poignant.

The beginning of Robin’s career was somewhat familiar to me, but I had forgotten a lot of the ups and downs in those early days. . I knew he had problems with drugs, that Belushi’s death scared him straight, that Robin had been married and divorced, then remarried and had several children, but I was mostly in the dark when about the details behind his marriages and relationships with colleagues and friends.

After Robin Williams passed away, my daughter turned to me and said, “I grew up with Robin Williams”. Looking at his life up that point, the trials he faced and the odds he overcame, I can’t help but think he was not himself at all at the time.