[MD]

I recorded this on VHS the day it aired. My friends and I watched it many many times over several years. Start at 34 minutes for his "spark of madness". He should have gone ahead and been the man in the park feeding the pigeons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIh5z7oYyY

[Sixstrings]

Nice video.

You know, really, he had an extraordinary career. Definitely one of the greats. I like all his movies, I think everyone liked Robin Williams.

Apparently he was under pressure and stress having to do a Mrs. Doubtfire sequel he'd committed to and multiple other projects, and had some money troubles after two divorces and all that alimony and a new family to support. And had parkinsons on top of that.

As much as this man gave, his whole life, to entertaining the public -- it would have been nice if he could have just got a rest, when he needed it.

[PrestonSturges]

“Men who leave their mark on the world are very often those who, being gifted and full of nervous power, are at the same time haunted and driven by a dominant idea, and are therefore within a measurable distance of insanity”
-Francis Galton

[MD]

... this man gave, his whole life, to entertaining the public -- it would have been nice if he could have just got a rest, when he needed it...

a-yup

[MD]

“Men who leave their mark on the world are very often those who, being gifted and full of nervous power, are at the same time haunted and driven by a dominant idea, and are therefore within a measurable distance of insanity”
-Francis Galton

+1

[MD]

His "spark of madness" routine is what he lost. I wish he had gone ahead and lived in the park as his finish, instead of the way he did.

Sadness from the loss of his Madness.

[PrestonSturges]

They are very different people, but I like how Steve Martin pulled back from comedy and has gone on to be a successful writer, actor, producer, musician. He's a happy guy and he's managed to do a lot of things successfully without beating himself every step of the way for only being in the top 100 and not number 1.

[Plantagenet]

They are very different people, but I like how Steve Martin pulled back from comedy and has gone on to be a successful writer, actor, producer, musician. He's a happy guy and he's managed to do a lot of things successfully without beating himself every step of the way for only being in the top 100 and not number 1.

Same thing with Woody Allen---he diversified from his original comedy shtick and has had one hell of a long life and long career as a film writer, actor, director etc.

I wonder why Robin Williams never branched out into new things---he certainly had the energy and the smarts for it.

[PrestonSturges]

Both Woody Allen and Steve Martin started out as comedy writers, and they knew that they had other skills besides being on stage. Billy Crystal's won Emmys for writing also. Interestingly, all of them have done serious work with music.

Jim Cary and Robin Williams are both successful ADHD types of personalities. They probably fear falling straight to Skid Row if they lose their one gig of on-stage mania.

[basil_hayden]

Agree with that. Robin Williams and Jim Carrey went too deep into their own madness (a fate Woody and Steven Martin avoided). They are tragic figures, mining their/our insanity for adoration and a career.

Carrey's still kicking', wouldn't John Belushi be a better example?

In any case, everyone has their own point of view as to whether the ones that go unexpectedly and by their own apparent choice are the chickenest or the bravest. It's important to have an exit strategy.

[PrestonSturges]

Carrey's doing OK but he has ADHD. he was in KickAss II



I really enjoyed him in Man On The Moon, where he portrayed the late Andy Kaufman. Although Andy took his comedy to new levels of weird inscrutabilty, he died tragically young from cancer. Kaufman was upset that people could separate his public persona from his personal life of quiet meditation, even though much of his flamboyant "private" life was a series of staged elaborate gags and hoaxes.

I'm not sure what Belushi's and Chris Farley's mental problem's were but they both OD'd on "speedballs" (injecting heroin or morphine plus cocaine).

[PrestonSturges]

OFF TOPIC

[PrestonSturges]

And then there was Sam Kinison, who started as a Pentacostal preacher before getting into comedy and freebase. One of his older brothers committed suicide right after a family reunion. Kisison got sober, married, and was working steady when he was killed in a head-on accident with a drunk teenager. We all thought that was really ironic.