A Tribute to Robin Williams

As you may very well know by now, legendary comedic actor Robin Williams has sadly passed away. Robin Williams has blessed us with his presence in many fantastic films such as Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Aladdin, Good Morning Vietnam, Jumanji and Hook. He has touched many generations with his zany, 'out of the box' sense of humour, his warm and light-hearted personality and his iconic voice.

I am aware that many other great talents have passed on this year however Robin Williams is very special to me. He was one of my biggest inspirations when I was a kid. I was first introduced to him, as were many people my age, when he voiced the Genie in Aladdin (my fifth favourite film of all time!). The moment he debut in the film, you knew you were in for a treat and his performance is the sole reason that I love Aladdin as much as I do. Even better was when he returned for the third in the trilogy, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, which proved he can bring so much unique humour and life to a character. Genie is one of my favourite fictional characters and I have Robin Williams to thank for that.

In additon, his work in live action works is also fantastic. Dead Poets Society is a delightful film and his charming yet authoritative role rejuvenated the iconic phrase "O Captain! My Captain!", Bicentennial Man had him play a much more sympathetic yet naive character,  Jumanji saw him balance savage wildness and attempted sophistication and Hook sparked a new found interest into Peter Pan as he played a more over-worked and stressed version of Peter. Whiel not every film he was in was a hit, his presence is still appreciated. Flubber, Patch Adams, Happy Feet and Jack. While they aren't the best films, he still does a wonderful job in all of them. He also can't forget is Oscar winning performance in Good Will Huntng, a film that I know has made an impact and changed lives. A powerful, powerful performance.

For me, Robin Williams was an inspiration as I'm sure we was for many people. When I saw Genie in Aladdin, something sparked in me and I wanted to pursue the film industry, specifically acting (voice acting to be even more precises). He was one of the earliest favourite actors and I have him to thank for where I am today. His zany, jolly and versatile nature was contagious and to this day find myself singing 'Friend Like Me' and 'Prince Ali'. I cannot praise him enough. He has made such as huge impact on my life, especially since he makes it easy to point out a favourite Disney film.

As a gamer, I also have to bring up his contribution to the gaming world. He named his daughter Zelda after the eponymous princess of the Legend of Zelda games leading to his appearance in the trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D which is arguably one of the best adverts for a game and has admitted he's a fan of said franchise. Seeing Zelda at E3 for the tournament for Super Smash Bros. For Wii U as well as her friendliness to the community as a whole also makes me appreciate common interest. It's fascinating. Maybe in another universe there was a Zelda movie with him in it.  

I don't wish to dwell on this tragic event but instead want to remind you of just how talented a person Robin Williams was. He was bright, funny, warm and, of course, eccentric and that's why we loved him. He will always have a place in Hollywood history and has left his mark for many generations. Thank you Robin, you will be forever missed.

O Captain, my Captain.