Robin Williams Would've Turned 71 Today, His Wife Shares His Last Words

You cannot talk about dark academia without mentioning Dead Poets Society and you can’t talk about Dead Poets Society without talking about Robin Williams. The actor passed away in 2014, on August 11, dying by suicide. He had Lewy body disease (LBD), a degenerative condition that causes loss of dopamine neurons and attaches Lewy bodies to all the neurons in the brain and brain stem, his wife Susan Schneider explained in an article published in Neurology. Over 1.5 million people nationwide deal with this disease which causes them significant harm in terms of moods and livelihood. 

Williams was always a larger-than-life character but kept himself humble till the end of it. Even now, when someone talks about Robin Williams, it is with reverence for his work in films like Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, the Night at the Museum series, and other career-defining works of art. 

His wife, Susan Schneider, remembers him as a husband and friend. “Not only did I lose my husband to LBD, I lost my best friend. Robin and I had in each other a safe harbor of unconditional love that we had both always longed for. For 7 years together, we got to tell each other our greatest hopes and fears without any judgment, just safety," Schneider said. Remembering the day he passed away, she recalled, “When we retired for sleep, in our customary way, my husband said to me, 'Goodnight, my love,' and waited for my familiar reply: 'Goodnight, my love.' His words still echo through my heart today. Monday, August 11, Robin was gone." 

Starting as a comedian and making his way up to the television and film business, he came into some valleys which he turned into great peaks by moving forward. The comedian has always stood his ground and chosen to do things that he would enjoy. He quit Juilliard because he wanted to act without losing his comic ability. With roles like Mrs. Doubtfire and Aladdin, he stretched his potential and showed the audience what a versatile actor looked like.

Although, for Williams, these weren’t as important as his children. His daughter Zelda Williams spoke about him, saying, “A lot of people feel his absence. The side of him that people know and love... is the characters that he had so much fun being.” Zelda explained, "I do think that's what a lot of people will hold on to. That's not going anywhere. They knew a dad that he was proud of them knowing. Laughter was incredibly important to him.”

Whether it be the magic of films or just his enigmatic personality, Robin Williams made a dent in cinema in ways that cannot be matched.