Robin Williams died on Monday at the age of 63, the result of an apparent suicide. As the world mourns his death and tributes pour in from all over, HuffPost Entertainment has compiled a handful of vintage photos featuring Williams throughout his career.
Remembering Robin Williams In Photos
↧
↧
Robin Williams' Death Reveals How Hard It Can Be To Climb Out Of Depression
The suicide death of beloved comedian and actor Robin Williams shocked many of his fans. But those who knew him were aware of his ongoing struggle with depression.
According to his publicist, Williams, 63, was completing a 12-step program for drug abuse and had been battling severe depression.
"You're standing at a precipice and you look down, there's a voice and it's a little quiet voice that goes, 'Jump,'" Williams told Diane Sawyer during an interview about his struggle with addiction in 2006. "The same voice that goes, 'Just one.' … And the idea of 'just one' for someone who has no tolerance for it, that's not the possibility."
More recently, Williams talked about the overwhelming fear and anxiety that led him to seek solace in alcohol.
"Having depression and being in a suicidal state twists reality. It doesn't matter if someone has a wife or is well loved," Julie Cerel, a psychologist and board chair of American Association of Suicidology, told USA Today. "They get so consumed by the depression and by the feelings of not being worthy that they forget all the wonderful things in their lives."
Indeed, a major reason people with suicidal thoughts don't seek help is the belief that nothing could possibly make things better, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Ariane Sherine, a writer for The Guardian, recently spoke with The Huffington Post about her struggle.
“When I was suicidal and having suicidal ideations daily, hourly, I never imagined that I would be this happy and this stable again," said Sherine.
"Please don't give up," she told HuffPost Live's Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani. "Life can get better ... It might involve a lot of trial and error, but it's possible to feel normal again, or almost normal again."
Williams' now-public struggles have many people talking about the difficulties faced by those facing depression and addiction. That's especially important in light of recent evidence that high-profile suicides may inspire young people to take their own lives.
BY THE NUMBERS
Each year, 34,000 people commit suicide, about twice as many deaths as caused by homicide -- about one death per 15 minutes. By 2030, depression will outpace cancer, stroke, war and accidents as the world's leading cause of disability and death, according to the the World Health Organization.
While the elderly have the highest rate of suicide, anyone can be suicidal. Men, in general, are more likely to complete suicide, even though women are more likely to attempt it. That may be because men are more likely to use irrevocably lethal means, such as a gun or hanging (police say Williams died from asphyxia). Risk factors include overwhelming situations, such as aging, substance abuse, emotional trauma, unemployment or financial problems, according to the NIH. About half of all suicides occur in men ages 25 to 65.
Fully 90 percent of those who take their own lives struggle with an underlying mental health issue. According to the latest estimate, 13 percent of people will experience depression at some point in their lives. And about 15 percent of those with clinical depression will die by suicide.
THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE FACTOR
Substance abuse in combination with a preexisting mental health condition, such as depression or bipolar disorder, can be deadly, according to the website of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, a suicide prevention organization. Often, someone suffering from mental illness will seek alcohol or drugs to relieve symptoms, but this can lead to impaired judgment and impulsive behavior.
Williams discussed the interplay of substance abuse and suicidal thoughts during a 2010 interview on the comedy podcast WTF with Mark Maron [at 52:00]. Describing a dark period of drinking alone in his hotel room two years earlier and briefly considering suicide, Williams said his "conscious brain" told his drunk brain to "put the suicide over here in 'discussable.' Let's leave it over here in the discussion area" until he was sober.
SIGNS OF TROUBLE
It can be difficult to determine when a depressed loved one has progressed to suicidal tendencies. The SAVE network recommends asking the following questions in a non-judgmental and non-confrontational manner:
Do you ever feel so badly that you think about suicide?
Do you have a plan to commit suicide or take your life?
Have you thought about when you would do it (today, tomorrow, next week)?
Have you thought about what method you would use?
Suicidal individuals may talk about feeling hopeless or guilty, pull away from loved ones and complete tasks that seem geared toward getting affairs in order, giving away possessions or otherwise arranging for family, according to the NIH.
OFFERING HELP
If you or anyone you know has threatened suicide or is displaying tendencies, it is important to seek immediate help.
For a loved one struggling with depression, there are ways to offer support. (Though it is essential to know that depression is not due to a failure of support on the family's part.)
When talking to someone suffering depression, "it's best not to say anything that is going to make them think that what they're dealing with is because of a lack of coping skills, personal weakness or a character flaw," Dr. Adam Kaplin, an associate professor in the departments of psychiatry and neurology at Johns Hopkins University, told The Huffington Post for a previous article. "The worst part of depression is that it narrows the field of vision into a very small tube so they can't see the options. A lot of [the goal of helping] is giving people a hope that things will get better."
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
According to his publicist, Williams, 63, was completing a 12-step program for drug abuse and had been battling severe depression.
"You're standing at a precipice and you look down, there's a voice and it's a little quiet voice that goes, 'Jump,'" Williams told Diane Sawyer during an interview about his struggle with addiction in 2006. "The same voice that goes, 'Just one.' … And the idea of 'just one' for someone who has no tolerance for it, that's not the possibility."
More recently, Williams talked about the overwhelming fear and anxiety that led him to seek solace in alcohol.
"Having depression and being in a suicidal state twists reality. It doesn't matter if someone has a wife or is well loved," Julie Cerel, a psychologist and board chair of American Association of Suicidology, told USA Today. "They get so consumed by the depression and by the feelings of not being worthy that they forget all the wonderful things in their lives."
Indeed, a major reason people with suicidal thoughts don't seek help is the belief that nothing could possibly make things better, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Ariane Sherine, a writer for The Guardian, recently spoke with The Huffington Post about her struggle.
“When I was suicidal and having suicidal ideations daily, hourly, I never imagined that I would be this happy and this stable again," said Sherine.
"Please don't give up," she told HuffPost Live's Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani. "Life can get better ... It might involve a lot of trial and error, but it's possible to feel normal again, or almost normal again."
Williams' now-public struggles have many people talking about the difficulties faced by those facing depression and addiction. That's especially important in light of recent evidence that high-profile suicides may inspire young people to take their own lives.
BY THE NUMBERS
Each year, 34,000 people commit suicide, about twice as many deaths as caused by homicide -- about one death per 15 minutes. By 2030, depression will outpace cancer, stroke, war and accidents as the world's leading cause of disability and death, according to the the World Health Organization.
While the elderly have the highest rate of suicide, anyone can be suicidal. Men, in general, are more likely to complete suicide, even though women are more likely to attempt it. That may be because men are more likely to use irrevocably lethal means, such as a gun or hanging (police say Williams died from asphyxia). Risk factors include overwhelming situations, such as aging, substance abuse, emotional trauma, unemployment or financial problems, according to the NIH. About half of all suicides occur in men ages 25 to 65.
Fully 90 percent of those who take their own lives struggle with an underlying mental health issue. According to the latest estimate, 13 percent of people will experience depression at some point in their lives. And about 15 percent of those with clinical depression will die by suicide.
THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE FACTOR
Substance abuse in combination with a preexisting mental health condition, such as depression or bipolar disorder, can be deadly, according to the website of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, a suicide prevention organization. Often, someone suffering from mental illness will seek alcohol or drugs to relieve symptoms, but this can lead to impaired judgment and impulsive behavior.
Williams discussed the interplay of substance abuse and suicidal thoughts during a 2010 interview on the comedy podcast WTF with Mark Maron [at 52:00]. Describing a dark period of drinking alone in his hotel room two years earlier and briefly considering suicide, Williams said his "conscious brain" told his drunk brain to "put the suicide over here in 'discussable.' Let's leave it over here in the discussion area" until he was sober.
SIGNS OF TROUBLE
It can be difficult to determine when a depressed loved one has progressed to suicidal tendencies. The SAVE network recommends asking the following questions in a non-judgmental and non-confrontational manner:
Do you ever feel so badly that you think about suicide?
Do you have a plan to commit suicide or take your life?
Have you thought about when you would do it (today, tomorrow, next week)?
Have you thought about what method you would use?
Suicidal individuals may talk about feeling hopeless or guilty, pull away from loved ones and complete tasks that seem geared toward getting affairs in order, giving away possessions or otherwise arranging for family, according to the NIH.
OFFERING HELP
If you or anyone you know has threatened suicide or is displaying tendencies, it is important to seek immediate help.
For a loved one struggling with depression, there are ways to offer support. (Though it is essential to know that depression is not due to a failure of support on the family's part.)
When talking to someone suffering depression, "it's best not to say anything that is going to make them think that what they're dealing with is because of a lack of coping skills, personal weakness or a character flaw," Dr. Adam Kaplin, an associate professor in the departments of psychiatry and neurology at Johns Hopkins University, told The Huffington Post for a previous article. "The worst part of depression is that it narrows the field of vision into a very small tube so they can't see the options. A lot of [the goal of helping] is giving people a hope that things will get better."
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
↧
What 'Brady Bunch' Star Robert Reed Taught Christopher Knight About Gay Men
"Brady Bunch" actor Christopher Knight recalled his experiences working with his TV dad, Robert Reed, in an interview with HuffPost Live this week.
Describing Reed as "the epitome of a father figure," Knight called the actor, who was HIV positive at the time of his 1992 death, "not just an icon" but "a personal hero."
Although Reed never came out as gay in the public sphere, he "was as good or better a father figure than my own dad," Knight, who played Peter Brady, recalled. "So I learned very early that if that was what gay was, it has no measure in the ability of somebody to be a fine representation of a good human being."
Doctors said that Reed's HIV status hastened his death, which was first attributed solely to colon cancer, according to People magazine.
Knight's new celebrity crime re-enactment miniseries, "Heartbreakers," will debut Aug. 13 on Investigation Discovery.
Describing Reed as "the epitome of a father figure," Knight called the actor, who was HIV positive at the time of his 1992 death, "not just an icon" but "a personal hero."
Although Reed never came out as gay in the public sphere, he "was as good or better a father figure than my own dad," Knight, who played Peter Brady, recalled. "So I learned very early that if that was what gay was, it has no measure in the ability of somebody to be a fine representation of a good human being."
Doctors said that Reed's HIV status hastened his death, which was first attributed solely to colon cancer, according to People magazine.
Knight's new celebrity crime re-enactment miniseries, "Heartbreakers," will debut Aug. 13 on Investigation Discovery.
↧
Sofia Vergara Is Not Saying 'No' To Plastic Surgery
Sofia Vergara is famously confident when it comes to her looks -- why shouldn't she be? But the 42-year-old bombshell said she's not ruling out plastic surgery should she want it later on in life.
When asked in Redbook's August issue if she would ever consider going under the knife, Vergara answered, “Why not? I mean, not yet, but maybe [I’ll do] my under-eye bags in my 50s. We’ll see what I need, but I’m not saying no.”
Vergara also detailed her meticulous beauty routine:
“I don’t always curl my hair or wear false eyelashes, but I do full makeup every day and I always have. It takes me about an hour and 15 minutes to get ready. I take my time – I like showering, scrubbing, bubbling. Everyone is always rushing me! They’ll lie about when an event starts to try to get me there on time. But I always know, so I don’t give a damn.”
There's only one part of prepping that the "Modern Family" star doesn't enjoy spending time on:
“Manicures. I don’t have the patience for someone to give me one. So I’ll paint my nails in the car on the way to the Golden Globes or to the airport.”
So, Sofia Vergara did her nails on the way to the Golden Globes. We're pretty sure she deserves her own award for that.
When asked in Redbook's August issue if she would ever consider going under the knife, Vergara answered, “Why not? I mean, not yet, but maybe [I’ll do] my under-eye bags in my 50s. We’ll see what I need, but I’m not saying no.”
Vergara also detailed her meticulous beauty routine:
“I don’t always curl my hair or wear false eyelashes, but I do full makeup every day and I always have. It takes me about an hour and 15 minutes to get ready. I take my time – I like showering, scrubbing, bubbling. Everyone is always rushing me! They’ll lie about when an event starts to try to get me there on time. But I always know, so I don’t give a damn.”
There's only one part of prepping that the "Modern Family" star doesn't enjoy spending time on:
“Manicures. I don’t have the patience for someone to give me one. So I’ll paint my nails in the car on the way to the Golden Globes or to the airport.”
So, Sofia Vergara did her nails on the way to the Golden Globes. We're pretty sure she deserves her own award for that.
↧
Robin Williams Heartbreaking Marquee At The Laugh Factory: 'Make God Laugh'
As the world grieves over the incomparable loss of comic genius Robin Williams, some people are hoping that his untimely death won't mean that he's finished provoking laughs.
Hollywood comedy club The Laugh Factory paid tribute to Williams on its marquee, which said, "Robin Williams Rest In Peace Make God Laugh."
![robin williams]()
Though Williams charmed huge audiences in his TV and movie appearances, he was also one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, a according to Comedy Central (though who would disagree?). He had been performing at The Laugh Factory for over three decades.
Hollywood comedy club The Laugh Factory paid tribute to Williams on its marquee, which said, "Robin Williams Rest In Peace Make God Laugh."
Though Williams charmed huge audiences in his TV and movie appearances, he was also one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, a according to Comedy Central (though who would disagree?). He had been performing at The Laugh Factory for over three decades.
Rest in peace, Robin Williams. pic.twitter.com/ck9sfeFW5g
— Laugh Factory (@thelaughfactory) August 12, 2014↧
↧
Farewell to Robin Williams: A Thank You Note
Robin Williams died yesterday.
It seems surreal to write that.
But since writing is the way I process the incomprehensible -- I find myself writing.
Everyone is Tweeting and Facebook-ing and calling into radio shows about what a great talent Robin was.
Yeah. He was. But that wasn't what I adored about him. It was the fact that he was an incredibly kind human being.
When I was 14 years old, I went on location to film Mrs. Doubtfire for five months, and my high school was not happy. My job meant an increased workload for teachers, and they were not equipped to handle a "non-traditional" student. So, during filming, they kicked me out.
It's devastating, at 14, to have your formal education terminated. I felt like a freak and a reject. When I arrived at work the next day, Robin noticed that I was upset and asked me what was wrong. I explained what had happened, and the next day, he handed me a letter that he wrote to my school. He explained that I was just trying to continue my education while pursuing my career. He wrote embarrassingly kind things about my character and my work, and requested that they reconsider and allow me to return to my classes.
When I told him I still didn't think they would take me back, he said, "It's kinda like Amnesty International. That school just needs to know that people know the truth."
The school framed the letter. They hung it in the principal's office. But they didn't invite me to return to school.
But here's what matters from that story. Robin stood up for me. He was in my corner. I was only 14, but I had already seen that I was in an industry that was full of back-stabbing. And it was entirely clear that Robin had my back.
I know I said thank you at the time and I'm sure I wrote one of those stiff thank you notes that 14-year-olds write with slanting lines and spelling mistakes. But that all seems so insufficient now.
Even though I had not spoken with Robin in a very long time, I always assumed there would be some future opportunity to tell him that his letter changed my life. It taught me that you stand up for the things that matter. And even if your attempts fail, you tried. You told the truth. You took care of your friends. You fought back.
None of us really know what fights Robin was battling, but I know his struggles were not uncommon. It's estimated that 16 million people in the U.S. have struggled with depression -- and I include myself in that statistic. It's real and it's not shameful and there is help available.
You can bring it to the light, you can tell the truth, you can go to a meeting, you can reach out to a friend.
None of us are alone.
And if you have someone in your life that you are grateful for -- someone to whom you want to write another heartfelt, slanted, misspelled thank you note -- do it. Tell them they made you feel loved and supported. That they made you feel like you belonged somewhere and that you were not a freak.
Tell them all of that.
Tell them today.
(ETA: If you are interested in reading the letter, you can see it here.)
This post originally appeared on lisajakub.net
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
It seems surreal to write that.
But since writing is the way I process the incomprehensible -- I find myself writing.
Everyone is Tweeting and Facebook-ing and calling into radio shows about what a great talent Robin was.
Yeah. He was. But that wasn't what I adored about him. It was the fact that he was an incredibly kind human being.
When I was 14 years old, I went on location to film Mrs. Doubtfire for five months, and my high school was not happy. My job meant an increased workload for teachers, and they were not equipped to handle a "non-traditional" student. So, during filming, they kicked me out.
It's devastating, at 14, to have your formal education terminated. I felt like a freak and a reject. When I arrived at work the next day, Robin noticed that I was upset and asked me what was wrong. I explained what had happened, and the next day, he handed me a letter that he wrote to my school. He explained that I was just trying to continue my education while pursuing my career. He wrote embarrassingly kind things about my character and my work, and requested that they reconsider and allow me to return to my classes.
When I told him I still didn't think they would take me back, he said, "It's kinda like Amnesty International. That school just needs to know that people know the truth."
The school framed the letter. They hung it in the principal's office. But they didn't invite me to return to school.
But here's what matters from that story. Robin stood up for me. He was in my corner. I was only 14, but I had already seen that I was in an industry that was full of back-stabbing. And it was entirely clear that Robin had my back.
I know I said thank you at the time and I'm sure I wrote one of those stiff thank you notes that 14-year-olds write with slanting lines and spelling mistakes. But that all seems so insufficient now.
Even though I had not spoken with Robin in a very long time, I always assumed there would be some future opportunity to tell him that his letter changed my life. It taught me that you stand up for the things that matter. And even if your attempts fail, you tried. You told the truth. You took care of your friends. You fought back.
None of us really know what fights Robin was battling, but I know his struggles were not uncommon. It's estimated that 16 million people in the U.S. have struggled with depression -- and I include myself in that statistic. It's real and it's not shameful and there is help available.
You can bring it to the light, you can tell the truth, you can go to a meeting, you can reach out to a friend.
None of us are alone.
And if you have someone in your life that you are grateful for -- someone to whom you want to write another heartfelt, slanted, misspelled thank you note -- do it. Tell them they made you feel loved and supported. That they made you feel like you belonged somewhere and that you were not a freak.
Tell them all of that.
Tell them today.
(ETA: If you are interested in reading the letter, you can see it here.)
This post originally appeared on lisajakub.net
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
↧
'OITNB' Star: Lena Dunham And Boyfriend Jack Antonoff Are The 'Most Adorable Human Beings'
Actress Kimiko Glenn, known for her role as the slightly annoying but lovable Soso on "Orange Is The New Black," stopped by HuffPost Live on Tuesday to talk about the show's latest season and dished on one of our favorite celebrity pairings: actress Lena Dunham and musician Jack Antonoff.
Glenn gushed about the couple as she fondly detailed her appearance on the Dunham-directed music video for "I Wanna Get Better," Anotoff's first single with his band Bleachers.
"I mean, it was the day after Valentine's Day, so obviously, maybe they had a high from that, but they were so cute together," she said of the "Girls" star and her boyfriend. "They were just the most adorable human beings, and together they're just so sweet."
Glenn also had some kind words for Dunham, who gleefully greeted her on the set of the shoot.
"She was awesome. I've never been so comfortable around someone," she told host Alyona Minkovski. "As soon as I walked up to the hair and makeup trailer ... she runs up to me and embraces me and she's like, 'Kimiko, I'm so glad you're here!' And I'm like, 'She knows my name!'"
The "OITNB" star said Dunham's laid-back demeanor made for a smooth day on set.
"[She] made you feel like you were in high school and making a silly video with your friends," Glenn said. "Just very, very comfortable and one of the best on-set experiences I've ever had."
Watch the full HuffPost Live interview with actress Kimiko Glenn here.
Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!
Glenn gushed about the couple as she fondly detailed her appearance on the Dunham-directed music video for "I Wanna Get Better," Anotoff's first single with his band Bleachers.
"I mean, it was the day after Valentine's Day, so obviously, maybe they had a high from that, but they were so cute together," she said of the "Girls" star and her boyfriend. "They were just the most adorable human beings, and together they're just so sweet."
Glenn also had some kind words for Dunham, who gleefully greeted her on the set of the shoot.
"She was awesome. I've never been so comfortable around someone," she told host Alyona Minkovski. "As soon as I walked up to the hair and makeup trailer ... she runs up to me and embraces me and she's like, 'Kimiko, I'm so glad you're here!' And I'm like, 'She knows my name!'"
The "OITNB" star said Dunham's laid-back demeanor made for a smooth day on set.
"[She] made you feel like you were in high school and making a silly video with your friends," Glenn said. "Just very, very comfortable and one of the best on-set experiences I've ever had."
Watch the full HuffPost Live interview with actress Kimiko Glenn here.
Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!
↧
15 Things That Will Put A Smile On Your Face If You're Feeling Down
Can someone invent a quick-make-me-smile button? No? OK, the following are acceptable alternatives.
![Its a hat]( "Hosted by imgur.com")
![]( "Hosted by imgur.com")
![]( "Hosted by imgur.com")
![]( "Hosted by imgur.com")
![]()
![]()
![]( "Hosted by imgur.com")
![]()
![]( "Hosted by imgur.com")
![snuggly]()
![]()
![]()
![]( "Hosted by imgur.com")
![]()
![]()
1. This bunny in a very stylish pancake hat, or is it a beret?
2. This happy hamster who clearly thinks he's hiding.
3. This guy who's here for you whenever you feel like trash.
4. This cat who won the award for "Best Smile."
5. This talented pig riding a surfboard.
6. This balancing baby who is so happy that she might have a future in the circus.
7. This man who is really proud of his giant onion.
8. These pandas who mastered the slide with style.
9. This kernel of corn -- and Winnie The Pooh impersonator -- that is ecstatic to be in this burrito.
10. This snuggly pig.
11. These fluffballs that are literally jumping for joy.
12. This kid who is just so excited that it's your birthday.
13. This dog who really can't believe he's getting a birthday steak.
14. This duck who decided to dance because she got a piece of bread.
15. And this dog who decided to throw all his problems to the wind.
↧
As Told in Selfies: The 2014 Teen Choice Awards
This past Sunday, August 10, I got to spend the day with some pretty amazing people -- teens and adults alike -- talking about overalls, fangirling and The Teenage Experience. So now I present for you my afternoon at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards in selfies, one-liners and a handful of live-tweets.
![2014-08-12-IMG_5460.JPG]()
"The best part of being a teenager is learning about yourself and what you love." -- The Band Perry
![2014-08-12-IMG_5453.JPG]()
"I'm not going to tell you about the finale [of 'The Fosters'] because you seem like someone who really likes surprises and people like you are really important. But trust me, it's going DOWN." -- Cierra Ramirez, "The Fosters"
![2014-08-12-IMG_5105.JPG]()
Me: "Oh my gosh I'm so excited to meet you. 'Little Manhattan' was my favorite movie."
Josh (Hutcherson!!!): "Really? No one remembers that I made that, but it's my favorite too."
![2014-08-12-IMG_5108.JPG]()
"iPad selfies? You're pretty serious about this, huh?" -- Lea Michele, "Glee" (like you didn't know)
"Asdfghjklifajdffamdjn." -- Me
![2014-08-12-IMG_5111.jpg]()
"My advice for life: you do you, and I'll do me." -- Zendaya
![2014-08-12-IMG_5114.jpg]()
"I don't know who A is." -- Lucy Hale, "Pretty Little Liars"
![2014-08-12-IMG_5135.jpg]()
Me: "You know, you followed me on Twitter one time for six months."
Charlie: "Oh gosh did I -- hold on, let me fix it."
Nolan: "She called you on it."
Charlie: "What am I doing? Found you. Can I get a T-shirt saying I'm your 1,160th follower?"
-- Charlie Rowe and Nolan Sotillo, "Red Band Society" (@charlie_rowe + @Nolan_sotillo)
![2014-08-12-IMG_5130.jpg]()
"You again?" -- Charlie Rowe
![2014-08-12-IMG_5145.jpg]()
![2014-08-12-IMG_5146.jpg]()
"My best memory from filming "Mockingjay Part" was probably the the last day. Everyone was just so emotional and happy. I feel like I, out of any of the cast, except maybe Jen, have really grown up doing this. It's such a big part of me now." -- Willow Shields, "The Hunger Games"
![2014-08-12-IMG_5149.jpg]()
"ONE PHOTO." -- Publicist
"It needs to look GOOD, though." -- Sarah Hyland, "Modern Family," co-host of the Awards
![2014-08-12-IMG_5150.jpg]()
"We're SO cute." -- Anthony Quintal a.k.a. LOHANTHONY
![2014-08-12-IMG_5147.JPG]()
![2014-08-12-IMG_5148.JPG]()
"It's ['Red Band Society'] not about the hospital. It's about being a teenager, and living your life, which is an experience everyone has, no matter where you are." -- Ciara Bravo, Nolan Sotillo, and Charlie Rowe
![2014-08-12-IMG_5151.jpg]()
"I'm sort of pro at this. Let's do it." -- Rebecca Black, Selfie Pro
![2014-08-12-IMG_5152.jpg]()
Me: "I remember getting to stay up late until like 8:30 to watch the first episode of 'Hannah Montana.'"
Emily: "I wish all parents were that cool."
"Food is sexy." -- Emily Osment, Young and Hungry
![2014-08-12-IMG_5155.jpg]()
"My favorite part of filming ["Wish I Was Here"] was the sheer creativity that went into everything. And the wigs. The wigs were the real MVP." -- Joey King, "Wish I Was Here"
![2014-08-12-IMG_5157.jpg]()
Calum Worthy ("Austin and Ally"): "I actually went to like seven proms, because I was always the second choice date."
Me: "I feel like you might be first choice now. You should call them all and ask."
![2014-08-12-IMG_5158.JPG]()
"We took a selfie. We're basically friends now. " -- Sam Potteroff, O2L
![2014-08-12-IMG_5446.JPG]()
"Foolproof fastest way to make a mess: have a bunch of dudes live in a house together. Bingo." -- O2L
![2014-08-12-IMG_5161.jpg]()
"I write all of my own music, so it's like this big piece of me I'm sharing. It can be a bit scary, but I feel like that is what real music is supposed to be." -- Debby Ryan, "The Never Ending"
![2014-08-12-IMG_5156.JPG]()
"Prom is supposed to be this like big rite of passage thing, but I think it should be more about having fun, you know?" -- Laura Marano, "Austin and Ally"
![2014-08-12-IMG_5163.JPG]()
"If I'd known you'd be here, I would have worn my overalls. Next time, let's match." -- Alli Simpson
![2014-08-12-IMG_5480.jpg]()
*Looks cool for a second, then knocks over speaker with surfboard* -- Me
For more Hollywood adventures, and an outfit or two, follow me on Twitter @bentpieceofwire (Charlie Rowe follows me!) and check out my site www.abentpieceofwire.com.
annnd we are off! -J pic.twitter.com/lm739CjZBS
— HuffPost Teen (@HuffPostTeen) August 10, 2014
"The best part of being a teenager is learning about yourself and what you love." -- The Band Perry
"I'm not going to tell you about the finale [of 'The Fosters'] because you seem like someone who really likes surprises and people like you are really important. But trust me, it's going DOWN." -- Cierra Ramirez, "The Fosters"
Me: "Oh my gosh I'm so excited to meet you. 'Little Manhattan' was my favorite movie."
Josh (Hutcherson!!!): "Really? No one remembers that I made that, but it's my favorite too."
"iPad selfies? You're pretty serious about this, huh?" -- Lea Michele, "Glee" (like you didn't know)
"Asdfghjklifajdffamdjn." -- Me
"My advice for life: you do you, and I'll do me." -- Zendaya
"I don't know who A is." -- Lucy Hale, "Pretty Little Liars"
just made eye contact and did an eyebrow wiggle with @tylergposey - J pic.twitter.com/h6FV9KSJVL
— HuffPost Teen (@HuffPostTeen) August 10, 2014
Me: "You know, you followed me on Twitter one time for six months."
Charlie: "Oh gosh did I -- hold on, let me fix it."
Nolan: "She called you on it."
Charlie: "What am I doing? Found you. Can I get a T-shirt saying I'm your 1,160th follower?"
-- Charlie Rowe and Nolan Sotillo, "Red Band Society" (@charlie_rowe + @Nolan_sotillo)
"You again?" -- Charlie Rowe
"My best memory from filming "Mockingjay Part" was probably the the last day. Everyone was just so emotional and happy. I feel like I, out of any of the cast, except maybe Jen, have really grown up doing this. It's such a big part of me now." -- Willow Shields, "The Hunger Games"
"ONE PHOTO." -- Publicist
"It needs to look GOOD, though." -- Sarah Hyland, "Modern Family," co-host of the Awards
"We're SO cute." -- Anthony Quintal a.k.a. LOHANTHONY
TAYLOR SWIFT SIGHTING TAYLOR HAS BEEN SEEN - J
— HuffPost Teen (@HuffPostTeen) August 10, 2014
"It's ['Red Band Society'] not about the hospital. It's about being a teenager, and living your life, which is an experience everyone has, no matter where you are." -- Ciara Bravo, Nolan Sotillo, and Charlie Rowe
"I'm sort of pro at this. Let's do it." -- Rebecca Black, Selfie Pro
Me: "I remember getting to stay up late until like 8:30 to watch the first episode of 'Hannah Montana.'"
Emily: "I wish all parents were that cool."
"Food is sexy." -- Emily Osment, Young and Hungry
"My favorite part of filming ["Wish I Was Here"] was the sheer creativity that went into everything. And the wigs. The wigs were the real MVP." -- Joey King, "Wish I Was Here"
Calum Worthy ("Austin and Ally"): "I actually went to like seven proms, because I was always the second choice date."
Me: "I feel like you might be first choice now. You should call them all and ask."
YOU GUYS THEY TURNED OFF THE WIFI BUT THEY COULDN'T TURN OFF MY SPIRIT - J
— HuffPost Teen (@HuffPostTeen) August 11, 2014
"We took a selfie. We're basically friends now. " -- Sam Potteroff, O2L
"Foolproof fastest way to make a mess: have a bunch of dudes live in a house together. Bingo." -- O2L
"I write all of my own music, so it's like this big piece of me I'm sharing. It can be a bit scary, but I feel like that is what real music is supposed to be." -- Debby Ryan, "The Never Ending"
"Prom is supposed to be this like big rite of passage thing, but I think it should be more about having fun, you know?" -- Laura Marano, "Austin and Ally"
"If I'd known you'd be here, I would have worn my overalls. Next time, let's match." -- Alli Simpson
"I think we should all learn to appreciate other humans, without comparing ourselves to them." - Shai pic.twitter.com/oT5ywWWjPX
— HuffPost Teen (@HuffPostTeen) August 11, 2014AND THATS A WRAP ON THE 2014 TEEN CHOICE AWARDS. Thanks for hanging out with me, and follow me at @bentpieceofwire for further adventures x
— HuffPost Teen (@HuffPostTeen) August 11, 2014
*Looks cool for a second, then knocks over speaker with surfboard* -- Me
Tumblr Teen Choice Awards Timelapse from The Bosco on Vimeo.
For more Hollywood adventures, and an outfit or two, follow me on Twitter @bentpieceofwire (Charlie Rowe follows me!) and check out my site www.abentpieceofwire.com.
↧
↧
Michael B. Jordan Reveals The Worst Thing He's Ever Said To A Woman
Michael B. Jordan is one of Hollywood's hottest bachelors, and as someone who has "done pretty well in the female department," the actor certainly knows what women want. But it turns out he also has a very clear idea of what they don't want, as he explained during a HuffPost Live interview Tuesday.
When Jordan joined host Marc Lamont Hill to discuss his partnership with Axe and his dating expertise, the "Fruitvale Station" star revealed the worst mistake he's ever made with a woman. And it's a real doozy.
See Jordan tell the cringeworthy tale for yourself in the video above, and watch the full HuffPost Live conversation here.
Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!
When Jordan joined host Marc Lamont Hill to discuss his partnership with Axe and his dating expertise, the "Fruitvale Station" star revealed the worst mistake he's ever made with a woman. And it's a real doozy.
See Jordan tell the cringeworthy tale for yourself in the video above, and watch the full HuffPost Live conversation here.
Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!
↧
Robin Williams Death Hurts Even More If You're a Child of Divorce
This post originally appeared on Bustle.
By Rachel Krantz
My favorite childhood actor, Robin Williams, has died. He was 63. Reports say it was a suicide.
The Oscar-winning actor was discovered at his Tiburon, CA home on Monday, Aug 11. The death was initially announced by Marin County Sheriff's Office Coroner Division, who wrote that "the death [appears] to be a suicide due to asphyxia." Williams had long been open about his battles with depression and alcoholism.
I'm not usually one for caring much about celebrity deaths. It sounds crude, but honestly, working as a news editor will do that to a person. It's not as if we know these people, right? Why do we pretend like we do? When news comes in of a celebrity death, I'm usually shocked like everyone else, but not moved. I write the headline and move on.
And yet, as I read this news on my Facebook feed Monday night, those watery blue eyes hooked me (pun intended), once again. I stared back at the picture of Robin Williams, smiling in his sad, signature way, and couldn't help feeling as though I'd lost a friend. I didn't know quite what to write, but I knew I owed him something, surely. After all, how many times had he given me that bittersweet, crinkly-eyed grin and asked for nothing in return?
![2014-08-12-huffpo1.gif]()
It was a smile that conveyed a message I desperately needed then as much as I do now: It's OK to feel everything at once. Even when you grow up.
Because that was the main lesson Robin Williams taught us '90s kids, wasn't it? In a decade filled with supposed unending happiness, did any male actor seem to feel more rawly, more like a child, than him? Whether he was dressing in drag or teaching future poets, the common thread in all his roles seemed to be something lost with the turn of the century -- sincerity. His characters were sincere in the most uncool way. They were men who cried. They were men who loved and laughed. And then they cried some more.
In the same way a baby can scan the face of a stranger and make a swift moral judgement, so too we '90s kids scanned the face of Robin Williams and decided over and over again: This guy isn't bullshit. We can trust him.
And while lots of us were childhood fans of Hook, Jumanji, and Aladdin, for us children of divorce, it was all about Mrs. Doubtfire.
I loved Mrs. Doubtfire. I still do. Its perfect ending is still the only movie clip that reliably makes me cry, no matter what. The lesson had been relayed to me dozens of times since my parents divorced when I was three years old: It wasn't my fault. They loved me unconditionally. And yet I never fully believed it -- could never fully access the pain I felt and cry about their divorce -- unless I watched that final scene. And so I watched it a lot.
As I got older and discovered The Dead Poet's Society, Good Will Hunting, and even his HBO comedy specials, my loyalty to Williams solidified. Here was an actor who brought the same sincerity to Academy-Award winning roles as he did to Flubber. To me, that is talent.
By the time I went off to college in New York City, Robin Williams would only come up occasionally. What is Robin Williams doing these days?, someone would wonder in a stoned Netflix haze. I'd say that I didn't know, but that I'd always loved him.
In these moments, I often told people that he lived in the Bay Area, where I grew up (though he lived in the wealthy Marin County, and I was from Oakland). I bragged that I almost went to the same private high school his daughter had gone to (except I'd been wait-listed). I'd claim that I knew where the house from Mrs. Doubtfire was (in truth, I wouldn't be able to distinguish the street from any other Victorian-lined San Francisco block).
But I felt I deserved these white lies. I knew where the Mrs. Doubtfire house was because it was imprinted in my mind. It was my childhood home, if my parents had been rich. And Robin Williams had almost been my father, if my father had cried more, and been a movie star.
Robin Williams was the genie in Aladdin. He could have had anything he wished for, and he wished to live where I grew up, in Northern California. He could have chosen any role, and yet he chose to make children laugh -- and yes, cry -- again and again. He chose sincerity.
I'll miss knowing that he's back home; smiling somewhere, feeling everything.
More from Bustle:
Yes, Men Struggle With Body Image Issues, Too: Here's My Story
Is Picky Eating an Eating Disorder? Living With Selective Eating Disorder and No Vegetables
Thyroid Symptoms in Women are Hard to Catch, But They Sure Messed Up My Life
By Rachel Krantz
My favorite childhood actor, Robin Williams, has died. He was 63. Reports say it was a suicide.
The Oscar-winning actor was discovered at his Tiburon, CA home on Monday, Aug 11. The death was initially announced by Marin County Sheriff's Office Coroner Division, who wrote that "the death [appears] to be a suicide due to asphyxia." Williams had long been open about his battles with depression and alcoholism.
I'm not usually one for caring much about celebrity deaths. It sounds crude, but honestly, working as a news editor will do that to a person. It's not as if we know these people, right? Why do we pretend like we do? When news comes in of a celebrity death, I'm usually shocked like everyone else, but not moved. I write the headline and move on.
And yet, as I read this news on my Facebook feed Monday night, those watery blue eyes hooked me (pun intended), once again. I stared back at the picture of Robin Williams, smiling in his sad, signature way, and couldn't help feeling as though I'd lost a friend. I didn't know quite what to write, but I knew I owed him something, surely. After all, how many times had he given me that bittersweet, crinkly-eyed grin and asked for nothing in return?
It was a smile that conveyed a message I desperately needed then as much as I do now: It's OK to feel everything at once. Even when you grow up.
Because that was the main lesson Robin Williams taught us '90s kids, wasn't it? In a decade filled with supposed unending happiness, did any male actor seem to feel more rawly, more like a child, than him? Whether he was dressing in drag or teaching future poets, the common thread in all his roles seemed to be something lost with the turn of the century -- sincerity. His characters were sincere in the most uncool way. They were men who cried. They were men who loved and laughed. And then they cried some more.
In the same way a baby can scan the face of a stranger and make a swift moral judgement, so too we '90s kids scanned the face of Robin Williams and decided over and over again: This guy isn't bullshit. We can trust him.
And while lots of us were childhood fans of Hook, Jumanji, and Aladdin, for us children of divorce, it was all about Mrs. Doubtfire.
I loved Mrs. Doubtfire. I still do. Its perfect ending is still the only movie clip that reliably makes me cry, no matter what. The lesson had been relayed to me dozens of times since my parents divorced when I was three years old: It wasn't my fault. They loved me unconditionally. And yet I never fully believed it -- could never fully access the pain I felt and cry about their divorce -- unless I watched that final scene. And so I watched it a lot.
As I got older and discovered The Dead Poet's Society, Good Will Hunting, and even his HBO comedy specials, my loyalty to Williams solidified. Here was an actor who brought the same sincerity to Academy-Award winning roles as he did to Flubber. To me, that is talent.
By the time I went off to college in New York City, Robin Williams would only come up occasionally. What is Robin Williams doing these days?, someone would wonder in a stoned Netflix haze. I'd say that I didn't know, but that I'd always loved him.
In these moments, I often told people that he lived in the Bay Area, where I grew up (though he lived in the wealthy Marin County, and I was from Oakland). I bragged that I almost went to the same private high school his daughter had gone to (except I'd been wait-listed). I'd claim that I knew where the house from Mrs. Doubtfire was (in truth, I wouldn't be able to distinguish the street from any other Victorian-lined San Francisco block).
But I felt I deserved these white lies. I knew where the Mrs. Doubtfire house was because it was imprinted in my mind. It was my childhood home, if my parents had been rich. And Robin Williams had almost been my father, if my father had cried more, and been a movie star.
Robin Williams was the genie in Aladdin. He could have had anything he wished for, and he wished to live where I grew up, in Northern California. He could have chosen any role, and yet he chose to make children laugh -- and yes, cry -- again and again. He chose sincerity.
I'll miss knowing that he's back home; smiling somewhere, feeling everything.
More from Bustle:
Yes, Men Struggle With Body Image Issues, Too: Here's My Story
Is Picky Eating an Eating Disorder? Living With Selective Eating Disorder and No Vegetables
Thyroid Symptoms in Women are Hard to Catch, But They Sure Messed Up My Life
↧
5 Lifesaving Things to Consider When Writing About the Death of Robin Williams
The allure of the story is nearly impossible to resist. A famous actor and comedian takes his own life in dramatic fashion. His body of work includes characters who deliver powerful speeches about depression, torment, the afterlife, and even suicide. News media rush to release gory details about his death scene. Fans who felt an emotional connection to his work share their feelings publicly -- in the millions. Some hail him as a tortured genius and compare him to other "great artists" who took their own lives. Many offer hope that he has "found peace" or is perhaps "hanging out" with other deceased celebrities, having a good laugh.
It's so hard not to react and get these feelings off our chests, but maybe we should stop a moment to reflect before we do. It is shockingly easy to unintentionally glorify suicide. Williams was a great talent, no doubt, but are we inadvertently communicating to others that they, as well, could find more love, comfort, and appreciation if they copied his act?
I was very fortunate to learn about how to discuss acts of suicide in public as part of my work with the It Gets Better Project for our touring production, it gets better. The It Gets Better Project was started by Dan Savage and an amazing team of other visionaries as a way to help combat youth suicide -- particularly in the LGBT community. My eye-opening training, conducted by the Trevor Project, was my first introduction to the risks of mishandling suicide stories in public media. It is well-documented that media coverage of a suicide can actually contribute to additional acts of suicide -- an effect known as "suicide contagion."
Now that social media have made us all effectively part of the media, this seems like a good time to review a few salient guidelines for reporting on suicide. These were published as part of a collaborative report by 10 globally respected groups, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Office of the Surgeon General, and the World Health Organization.
The report also cites a 1984 study by I. M. Wasserman that found that celebrity deaths by suicide are more likely than non-celebrity deaths to produce imitation.
The guidelines listed here have been violated thousands of times in the last 24 hours. We can do better. With great wifi comes great responsibility.
To be clear, though, I am not an expert on this research or effect. I only know enough to suggest that we be more mindful. I invite comments and additional reporting to help keep the conversation going, and I apologize in advance if I have mishandled this information in any way. Please know that my intent is simply to generate reflective thinking as part of our cycle of reporting, posting and commenting on this tragic story and future stories.
Suicide.org offers an additional media suggestion worth considering if and when you choose to comment on the Williams story:
In that vein, please see below:
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
It's so hard not to react and get these feelings off our chests, but maybe we should stop a moment to reflect before we do. It is shockingly easy to unintentionally glorify suicide. Williams was a great talent, no doubt, but are we inadvertently communicating to others that they, as well, could find more love, comfort, and appreciation if they copied his act?
I was very fortunate to learn about how to discuss acts of suicide in public as part of my work with the It Gets Better Project for our touring production, it gets better. The It Gets Better Project was started by Dan Savage and an amazing team of other visionaries as a way to help combat youth suicide -- particularly in the LGBT community. My eye-opening training, conducted by the Trevor Project, was my first introduction to the risks of mishandling suicide stories in public media. It is well-documented that media coverage of a suicide can actually contribute to additional acts of suicide -- an effect known as "suicide contagion."
Now that social media have made us all effectively part of the media, this seems like a good time to review a few salient guidelines for reporting on suicide. These were published as part of a collaborative report by 10 globally respected groups, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Office of the Surgeon General, and the World Health Organization.
1. Dramatizing the impact of suicide through descriptions and pictures of grieving relatives, teachers or classmates or community expressions of grief may encourage potential victims to see suicide as a way of getting attention or as a form of retaliation against others.
2. Whenever possible, it is preferable to avoid referring to suicide in the headline. Unless the suicide death took place in public, the cause of death should be reported in the body of the story and not in the headline.
3. Research indicates that detailed descriptions or pictures of the location or site of a suicide encourage imitation.
4. It is preferable to describe the deceased as "having died by suicide," rather than as "a suicide," or having "committed suicide."
The report also cites a 1984 study by I. M. Wasserman that found that celebrity deaths by suicide are more likely than non-celebrity deaths to produce imitation.
The guidelines listed here have been violated thousands of times in the last 24 hours. We can do better. With great wifi comes great responsibility.
To be clear, though, I am not an expert on this research or effect. I only know enough to suggest that we be more mindful. I invite comments and additional reporting to help keep the conversation going, and I apologize in advance if I have mishandled this information in any way. Please know that my intent is simply to generate reflective thinking as part of our cycle of reporting, posting and commenting on this tragic story and future stories.
Suicide.org offers an additional media suggestion worth considering if and when you choose to comment on the Williams story:
Always provide suicide prevention information with suicide stories.
In that vein, please see below:
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
↧
Lauren Bacall Dead: Golden Age Star Dies At 89
Hollywood icon Lauren Bacall, star of films such as "To Have and Have Not" and "Key Largo," died Tuesday at her home in New York City after suffering a stroke, according to reports.
She was 89.
The estate of her first husband, Humphrey Bogart, confirmed the news on Twitter:
Bacall's sultry appearance, smoky voice and provocative roles propelled her to fame, and would inspire generations of actresses. Her mastery of "The Look," a suggestive expression where she lowered her head and glanced up, has taken a place in Hollywood lore.
![lauren bacall]()
Humphrey Bogart, left, and his wife, Lauren Bacall at the premiere of "The Desperate Hours," in Los Angeles on Oct. 12, 1955. (AP Photo/Harold Filan)
Bacall and Bogart met while filming 1944's "To Have And Have Not", the first of their four movies together. The couple married in 1945, had two children, and remained together until Bogart's death in 1957.
![lauren bacall]()
Actor Humphrey Bogart holds actress Lauren Bacall in a scene from their first film together, "To Have And Have Not." (AP Photo).
Bacall would go without acting for almost 20 years after his death.
She later married actor Jason Robards Jr., with whom she had another child. Robards died in 2000.
![lauren bacall]()
Lauren Bacall. (Photo by Baron/Getty Images)
Born Betty Joan Perske on Sept. 16, 1924 in the Bronx, the actress had 72 film credits to her name. She began taking modeling and acting classes as a teen, and landed several walk-on roles in theater. A Harper's Bazaar editor hired her to model for the magazine, and she landed on the cover in 1943.
![lauren bacall]()
Lauren Bacall in 1944. (AP PHOTO)
Bacall received her only Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in the 1996 film "The Mirror Has Two Faces," where she played Barbara Streisand's mother, but her list of accolades is indeed substantial. She won two Tony Awards for her stage performances and received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Career Achievement from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1992. In 1997, she received the Kennedy Center Honor, which the Los Angeles Times reports surprised her.
"Listen, I never went into this business thinking of winning anything," Bacall was quoted as saying. "I went into it because I loved it and I wanted to be good at it. It was a form of expression for me. I love to hide behind characters. So [any recognition] I get is a perk. It's just an extra. Just the fact that all that happened to me last year, it is -- well -- fabulous."
Bacall wrote two memoirs, including "Lauren Bacall: By Myself", which won a National Book Award in 1980.
She was 89.
The estate of her first husband, Humphrey Bogart, confirmed the news on Twitter:
With deep sorrow, yet with great gratitude for her amazing life, we confirm the passing of Lauren Bacall. pic.twitter.com/B8ZJnZtKhN
— BogartEstate (@HumphreyBogart) August 12, 2014Bacall's sultry appearance, smoky voice and provocative roles propelled her to fame, and would inspire generations of actresses. Her mastery of "The Look," a suggestive expression where she lowered her head and glanced up, has taken a place in Hollywood lore.
Humphrey Bogart, left, and his wife, Lauren Bacall at the premiere of "The Desperate Hours," in Los Angeles on Oct. 12, 1955. (AP Photo/Harold Filan)
Bacall and Bogart met while filming 1944's "To Have And Have Not", the first of their four movies together. The couple married in 1945, had two children, and remained together until Bogart's death in 1957.
Actor Humphrey Bogart holds actress Lauren Bacall in a scene from their first film together, "To Have And Have Not." (AP Photo).
Bacall would go without acting for almost 20 years after his death.
She later married actor Jason Robards Jr., with whom she had another child. Robards died in 2000.
Lauren Bacall. (Photo by Baron/Getty Images)
Born Betty Joan Perske on Sept. 16, 1924 in the Bronx, the actress had 72 film credits to her name. She began taking modeling and acting classes as a teen, and landed several walk-on roles in theater. A Harper's Bazaar editor hired her to model for the magazine, and she landed on the cover in 1943.
Lauren Bacall in 1944. (AP PHOTO)
Bacall received her only Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in the 1996 film "The Mirror Has Two Faces," where she played Barbara Streisand's mother, but her list of accolades is indeed substantial. She won two Tony Awards for her stage performances and received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Career Achievement from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1992. In 1997, she received the Kennedy Center Honor, which the Los Angeles Times reports surprised her.
"Listen, I never went into this business thinking of winning anything," Bacall was quoted as saying. "I went into it because I loved it and I wanted to be good at it. It was a form of expression for me. I love to hide behind characters. So [any recognition] I get is a perk. It's just an extra. Just the fact that all that happened to me last year, it is -- well -- fabulous."
Bacall wrote two memoirs, including "Lauren Bacall: By Myself", which won a National Book Award in 1980.
↧
↧
Meryl Streep: The Giver of Fantastic Performances
To partially quote Jane Austen, "it is a truth universally acknowledged" (or at least by anyone who knows me) that I, Prasanna Ranganathan, absolutely adore Meryl Streep.
Fact: I make sure to see each of her films as soon as it opens in theaters.
Fact: I lined up for nine hours in Central Park in New York City in August 2006 to get tickets to see her in Mother Courage and Her Children.
Fact: I attended the outdoor performance of Mother Courage in a torrential downpour, because if Meryl Streep could power on and inspire us (despite the onslaught of rain), there was no way I was going to miss out.
Fact: I shared with friends that Facebook's #FacebookIs10 musical montage video campaign in February 2014 would have been infinitely more powerful if Meryl Streep simply played us all in the stories of our lives. Nora Ephron captured it best in her tribute at the American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award presentation to Meryl Streep in 2004 when she said, "I highly recommend getting Meryl Streep to play you. ... She plays all of us better than we play ourselves, although it's a little depressing knowing that if you went to audition to play yourself, you would lose out to her."
In anticipation of the release of Meryl Streep's latest film, The Giver, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014, in theaters and our seemingly incomprehensible yet demonstrated societal need for lists, I started thinking about her range of performances with a view to preparing a list of my favorite ones. A genius at both comedy and drama, Meryl Streep as an actress is an "intuitive investigator" of the human condition: insightful, powerful, and awe-inspiringly versatile.
I must confess that I share this list with great trepidation, because to narrow down her work to my five favorite performances was painstaking at best. I mean, I can literally hear the voices of friends asking: Where is The Deer Hunter? Silkwood? A Cry in the Dark? The Bridges of Madison County? I know. Believe me, I know.
Without further ado and too many spoilers, I present below my five favorite Meryl Streep performances, in no particular order.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly
Meryl Streep imbues fictional editor Miranda Priestly with a bristling bravado and devastating longing for something more than what she has achieved. In Streep's expert hands, Priestly's particularities, demands, and exacting nature do not seem like eccentricities or unnecessary quirks but a natural extension of the character's quest for perfection and success in every aspect of her life. That Miranda only allows her veneer to fall at one point in the film, revealing her vulnerabilities to Andy after her latest husband leaves her, is both realistic and tragic. Here is a woman who is successful in every sense of the word but closed off from feeling connection to anyone for fear of its impact not only on her career but on her heart. Miranda Priestly's unflinching nature is one of her greatest strengths and is the cause of her ultimate isolation. Streep expertly portrays this dichotomy.
Sophie's Choice (1982)
Meryl Streep as Sophie Zawistowski
This is one of the greatest performances of all time, partly because Streep takes the character's huge secret and demonstrates how it serves as the basis for her present-day situation and, throughout the film, as the basis upon which each layer of her identity is exposed by and to the men in her life. The way the camera lingers on Streep's face as Sophie relives the horrors of that decision and shares them with Peter MacNicol's Stingo is nothing short of transcendent. Streep uses her face and eyes as the windows to Sophie's soul and as the gateway to her memories. Haunting, harrowing, and utterly mesmerizing, Streep has never been better.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer
Streep makes the complexities of family breakdown and individual longing for a life filled with meaning and joy seem not like a flight of fancy but more like the birthright of every living person. That in this performance she demonstrates Joanna's need for independence from her marriage yet her continued commitment to her child destroyed society's carefully constructed rubric at that time that those who leave their marriages abandon their children. The scene on the stand is a master class in acting. Gosh, I must watch this film again.
The Iron Lady (2011)
Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher
I debated including this performance on my list because I don't like the fact that I have chosen all her Oscar-winning performances, but I simply could not ignore her work here. She takes a seemingly impenetrable character, this time a real-life historical figure, and manages to finds the pockets of nuance that make her a fully embodied person. Through her performance we are taken behind the veil of history's perception of Margaret Thatcher and plunged into a wellspring of questions about what we actually know about this person the world so definitively characterized in one way or another. Streep is unapologetic in her performance, and she never purports to make Thatcher a sympathetic figure. My favorite scene in this film was not Thatcher in her prime or delivering her many speeches but the final scene, where an elderly Thatcher moves about the kitchen making tea. Streep's portrayal shows a woman bearing the weight of the world, of her decisions, of her age, of her illness, all the while demonstrating that though history and media may give leaders the status of extraordinary, polarizing beings, reality ensures that the human condition and experience is one of universal appeal and understanding.
August: Osage County (2013)
Meryl Streep as Violet Weston
Violet Weston is toxic in every sense of the word. Her compulsion to be a truth teller is utterly heartbreaking for her family and destroys the house of lies on which she has built her life. At the end of the film, when she is left in the house abandoned by her family, we realize it is not because of the selfishness of adult children wishing to strike out on their own but because of the vitriol of a woman who, for all intents and purposes, became a mother not through choice but through circumstance and expectation. The irony that she has mouth cancer is not lost on the audience, who recoil at every corrosive turn of phrase, bracing themselves for the onslaught of verbal arrows she is sure to shoot at everyone in her path. Violet is someone you despise yet, strangely, someone you long to be, in certain respects: bold, brash, outspoken. That Meryl Streep can mine a character of such contrasts and make her multidimensional, vulnerable, and real is a tour de force in every sense of the word.
Do you agree with my choices? What are your favorite Meryl Streep performances? Share with me in the comments below.
Fact: I make sure to see each of her films as soon as it opens in theaters.
Fact: I lined up for nine hours in Central Park in New York City in August 2006 to get tickets to see her in Mother Courage and Her Children.
Fact: I attended the outdoor performance of Mother Courage in a torrential downpour, because if Meryl Streep could power on and inspire us (despite the onslaught of rain), there was no way I was going to miss out.
Fact: I shared with friends that Facebook's #FacebookIs10 musical montage video campaign in February 2014 would have been infinitely more powerful if Meryl Streep simply played us all in the stories of our lives. Nora Ephron captured it best in her tribute at the American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award presentation to Meryl Streep in 2004 when she said, "I highly recommend getting Meryl Streep to play you. ... She plays all of us better than we play ourselves, although it's a little depressing knowing that if you went to audition to play yourself, you would lose out to her."
In anticipation of the release of Meryl Streep's latest film, The Giver, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014, in theaters and our seemingly incomprehensible yet demonstrated societal need for lists, I started thinking about her range of performances with a view to preparing a list of my favorite ones. A genius at both comedy and drama, Meryl Streep as an actress is an "intuitive investigator" of the human condition: insightful, powerful, and awe-inspiringly versatile.
I must confess that I share this list with great trepidation, because to narrow down her work to my five favorite performances was painstaking at best. I mean, I can literally hear the voices of friends asking: Where is The Deer Hunter? Silkwood? A Cry in the Dark? The Bridges of Madison County? I know. Believe me, I know.
Without further ado and too many spoilers, I present below my five favorite Meryl Streep performances, in no particular order.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly
Meryl Streep imbues fictional editor Miranda Priestly with a bristling bravado and devastating longing for something more than what she has achieved. In Streep's expert hands, Priestly's particularities, demands, and exacting nature do not seem like eccentricities or unnecessary quirks but a natural extension of the character's quest for perfection and success in every aspect of her life. That Miranda only allows her veneer to fall at one point in the film, revealing her vulnerabilities to Andy after her latest husband leaves her, is both realistic and tragic. Here is a woman who is successful in every sense of the word but closed off from feeling connection to anyone for fear of its impact not only on her career but on her heart. Miranda Priestly's unflinching nature is one of her greatest strengths and is the cause of her ultimate isolation. Streep expertly portrays this dichotomy.
Sophie's Choice (1982)
Meryl Streep as Sophie Zawistowski
This is one of the greatest performances of all time, partly because Streep takes the character's huge secret and demonstrates how it serves as the basis for her present-day situation and, throughout the film, as the basis upon which each layer of her identity is exposed by and to the men in her life. The way the camera lingers on Streep's face as Sophie relives the horrors of that decision and shares them with Peter MacNicol's Stingo is nothing short of transcendent. Streep uses her face and eyes as the windows to Sophie's soul and as the gateway to her memories. Haunting, harrowing, and utterly mesmerizing, Streep has never been better.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer
Streep makes the complexities of family breakdown and individual longing for a life filled with meaning and joy seem not like a flight of fancy but more like the birthright of every living person. That in this performance she demonstrates Joanna's need for independence from her marriage yet her continued commitment to her child destroyed society's carefully constructed rubric at that time that those who leave their marriages abandon their children. The scene on the stand is a master class in acting. Gosh, I must watch this film again.
The Iron Lady (2011)
Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher
I debated including this performance on my list because I don't like the fact that I have chosen all her Oscar-winning performances, but I simply could not ignore her work here. She takes a seemingly impenetrable character, this time a real-life historical figure, and manages to finds the pockets of nuance that make her a fully embodied person. Through her performance we are taken behind the veil of history's perception of Margaret Thatcher and plunged into a wellspring of questions about what we actually know about this person the world so definitively characterized in one way or another. Streep is unapologetic in her performance, and she never purports to make Thatcher a sympathetic figure. My favorite scene in this film was not Thatcher in her prime or delivering her many speeches but the final scene, where an elderly Thatcher moves about the kitchen making tea. Streep's portrayal shows a woman bearing the weight of the world, of her decisions, of her age, of her illness, all the while demonstrating that though history and media may give leaders the status of extraordinary, polarizing beings, reality ensures that the human condition and experience is one of universal appeal and understanding.
August: Osage County (2013)
Meryl Streep as Violet Weston
Violet Weston is toxic in every sense of the word. Her compulsion to be a truth teller is utterly heartbreaking for her family and destroys the house of lies on which she has built her life. At the end of the film, when she is left in the house abandoned by her family, we realize it is not because of the selfishness of adult children wishing to strike out on their own but because of the vitriol of a woman who, for all intents and purposes, became a mother not through choice but through circumstance and expectation. The irony that she has mouth cancer is not lost on the audience, who recoil at every corrosive turn of phrase, bracing themselves for the onslaught of verbal arrows she is sure to shoot at everyone in her path. Violet is someone you despise yet, strangely, someone you long to be, in certain respects: bold, brash, outspoken. That Meryl Streep can mine a character of such contrasts and make her multidimensional, vulnerable, and real is a tour de force in every sense of the word.
Do you agree with my choices? What are your favorite Meryl Streep performances? Share with me in the comments below.
↧
Justin Bieber Headed To Anger Management As Part Of Careless Driving Plea Deal
MIAMI (AP) — Justin Bieber will plead guilty to lesser charges stemming from his arrest in South Florida in what police initially described as an illegal street drag race, two people directly involved in the case told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The two people said the 20-year-old pop star would plead guilty to misdemeanor careless driving and resisting arrest without violence charges, rather than the original driving under the influence charge. Bieber also will agree to take an anger management course and make a $50,000 charitable donation, in addition to paying court-ordered fines. The plea agreement does not call for any jail time. The two people insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly before a Wednesday court hearing. Bieber is not expected to attend the hearing. The Miami Herald first reported the plea deal.
Bieber was arrested early Jan. 23 in Miami Beach after what police described as an illegal street race between Bieber's rented Lamborghini and a Ferrari driven by R&B singer Khalil Amir Sharieff. Neither was charged with drag racing and there was little evidence they were even exceeding posted speed limits.
Alcohol breath tests found Bieber's level below the 0.02 limit for underage drivers, but urine tests showed the presence of marijuana and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system. Bieber was also charged with resisting arrest after a profanity-laced tirade against police officers, as well as driving on an expired license.
In July, Bieber resolved another criminal case by pleading no contest to a misdemeanor vandalism charge for throwing eggs at a neighbor's house in Los Angeles. In that case, Bieber agreed to pay more than $80,000 in damages and meet a number of other conditions.
Bieber is also charged in Toronto with assaulting a limousine driver in late December. His lawyers have said he is not guilty in that case.
Also in Miami, Bieber is being sued by a photographer who says he was roughed up while snapping pictures of the singer outside a recording studio.
The Canadian-born Bieber shot to stardom at age 15, with his career overseen by two music industry heavyweights, singer Usher and manager Scooter Braun, after initially gaining notice through YouTube videos. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards for his 2010 full-length album debut "My World 2.0," but his popularity has begun to wane.
_____
Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt
The two people said the 20-year-old pop star would plead guilty to misdemeanor careless driving and resisting arrest without violence charges, rather than the original driving under the influence charge. Bieber also will agree to take an anger management course and make a $50,000 charitable donation, in addition to paying court-ordered fines. The plea agreement does not call for any jail time. The two people insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly before a Wednesday court hearing. Bieber is not expected to attend the hearing. The Miami Herald first reported the plea deal.
Bieber was arrested early Jan. 23 in Miami Beach after what police described as an illegal street race between Bieber's rented Lamborghini and a Ferrari driven by R&B singer Khalil Amir Sharieff. Neither was charged with drag racing and there was little evidence they were even exceeding posted speed limits.
Alcohol breath tests found Bieber's level below the 0.02 limit for underage drivers, but urine tests showed the presence of marijuana and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system. Bieber was also charged with resisting arrest after a profanity-laced tirade against police officers, as well as driving on an expired license.
In July, Bieber resolved another criminal case by pleading no contest to a misdemeanor vandalism charge for throwing eggs at a neighbor's house in Los Angeles. In that case, Bieber agreed to pay more than $80,000 in damages and meet a number of other conditions.
Bieber is also charged in Toronto with assaulting a limousine driver in late December. His lawyers have said he is not guilty in that case.
Also in Miami, Bieber is being sued by a photographer who says he was roughed up while snapping pictures of the singer outside a recording studio.
The Canadian-born Bieber shot to stardom at age 15, with his career overseen by two music industry heavyweights, singer Usher and manager Scooter Braun, after initially gaining notice through YouTube videos. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards for his 2010 full-length album debut "My World 2.0," but his popularity has begun to wane.
_____
Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt
↧
Happy 2nd Birthday, HuffPost Live!
Childhood development guides tell us that 2-year-olds traditionally begin to exhibit growing independence and openly defiant behavior. Well, HuffPost Live, which turns 2 years old today, has been defiantly independent since it launched.
To celebrate this milestone, we are launching a daily HuffPost Live newsletter that will give you a preview of each day's programming highlights and catch you up on the best moments you might have missed. Sign up here.
If you haven't made HuffPost Live a regular part of your HuffPost experience, don't wait any longer! Each weekday features a vibrant, ever-changing mix of smart, compelling conversations with newsmakers, politicians, celebrities and, just as important, members of the HuffPost community, sharing their personal experiences and discussing the issues that most impact their lives.
But instead of spending the rest of this post cataloguing all the things that make HuffPost Live so special, why don't we show you some of the reasons that it was recently awarded the Webby for Best News and Information Channel for the second year in a row, draws 22 million unique visitors a month and has generated 1.5 billion video views since it launched.
Here's a look at some of the actors, comics, athletes, and singers who've joined us on HuffPost Live:
This video offers a look at a number of the many HuffPost Live moments that ended up making headlines from The New York Times to The Daily Show to Good Morning America -- and everywhere in between:
This video features some of the 22,500 HuffPost community members who have joined us live, on-air -- and demonstrates why HuffPost Live is the most social video experience anywhere:
And, in case you missed it when it blew up last month, here's a very funky mashup of Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Wayne Brady and David Lee Roth rapping about The Huffington Post:
To make sure you don't miss more great HuffPost Live moments like the ones above, be sure to sign up for our new daily newsletter here.
Happy 2nd birthday, HuffPost Live! And thank you for not smearing cake all over your head.
P.S. HuffPost Live President and co-creator Roy Sekoff will be leading a discussion with our hosts about their favorite segments from the past year. You can watch it here live at 5 p.m. EDT or on demand anytime after that.
To celebrate this milestone, we are launching a daily HuffPost Live newsletter that will give you a preview of each day's programming highlights and catch you up on the best moments you might have missed. Sign up here.
If you haven't made HuffPost Live a regular part of your HuffPost experience, don't wait any longer! Each weekday features a vibrant, ever-changing mix of smart, compelling conversations with newsmakers, politicians, celebrities and, just as important, members of the HuffPost community, sharing their personal experiences and discussing the issues that most impact their lives.
But instead of spending the rest of this post cataloguing all the things that make HuffPost Live so special, why don't we show you some of the reasons that it was recently awarded the Webby for Best News and Information Channel for the second year in a row, draws 22 million unique visitors a month and has generated 1.5 billion video views since it launched.
Here's a look at some of the actors, comics, athletes, and singers who've joined us on HuffPost Live:
This video offers a look at a number of the many HuffPost Live moments that ended up making headlines from The New York Times to The Daily Show to Good Morning America -- and everywhere in between:
This video features some of the 22,500 HuffPost community members who have joined us live, on-air -- and demonstrates why HuffPost Live is the most social video experience anywhere:
And, in case you missed it when it blew up last month, here's a very funky mashup of Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Wayne Brady and David Lee Roth rapping about The Huffington Post:
To make sure you don't miss more great HuffPost Live moments like the ones above, be sure to sign up for our new daily newsletter here.
Happy 2nd birthday, HuffPost Live! And thank you for not smearing cake all over your head.
P.S. HuffPost Live President and co-creator Roy Sekoff will be leading a discussion with our hosts about their favorite segments from the past year. You can watch it here live at 5 p.m. EDT or on demand anytime after that.
↧
'House Of Cue Cards': Jimmy Fallon Proves 30 Rock Is Just As Sinister As Washington
In the latest "Tonight Show" parody, Jimmy Fallon shows us how working at NBC is actually a lot like the Netflix series "House of Cards." There's backstabbing, a lot of talking to the camera and even a crazy twist.
Like Fallon says, you'll probably love it even more than using someone else's Netflix password.
"House of Cue Cards" Part 1
"House of Cue Cards" Part 2
"The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.
Like Fallon says, you'll probably love it even more than using someone else's Netflix password.
"House of Cue Cards" Part 1
"House of Cue Cards" Part 2
"The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.
↧
↧
Watch Tim McGraw Serenade Doting Fan With Song He Dedicated To Faith Hill
Tim McGraw's serenade to this young fan definitely made her night, and will probably make yours too.
Last month, at a concert in Atlanta, McGraw performed a cover of Billy Preston's "You Are So Beautiful." According to concertgoer Kelly Halcomb, who uploaded a video of the performance to YouTube, McGraw started singing the tune as a dedication to his wife, Faith Hill, and their daughters, but the song took a sweet turn when a young fan joined him on stage. The country superstar began singing to the delighted girl instead, and the pair finished the song together.
Just when you think it's completely impossible for the country crooner to get any more charming, at the 0:38 mark, he embraces the girl and proceeds to sign his own guitar, before giving it to the starstruck fan. "Oh my God!" she exclaims, trying to process the magical moment.
By the end of the video, there's no way you'll get away without that warm, fuzzy feeling.
![]()
Like Us On Facebook
![]()
Follow Us On Twitter
Last month, at a concert in Atlanta, McGraw performed a cover of Billy Preston's "You Are So Beautiful." According to concertgoer Kelly Halcomb, who uploaded a video of the performance to YouTube, McGraw started singing the tune as a dedication to his wife, Faith Hill, and their daughters, but the song took a sweet turn when a young fan joined him on stage. The country superstar began singing to the delighted girl instead, and the pair finished the song together.
Just when you think it's completely impossible for the country crooner to get any more charming, at the 0:38 mark, he embraces the girl and proceeds to sign his own guitar, before giving it to the starstruck fan. "Oh my God!" she exclaims, trying to process the magical moment.
By the end of the video, there's no way you'll get away without that warm, fuzzy feeling.
Like Us On Facebook 
Follow Us On Twitter
↧
Ask Lauren: Dear 18-Year-Old Me… | Lauren Conrad
Those of you who were "Laguna Beach" fans may have realized that it’s officially been 10 years since my friends and I graduated high school and went off into the ‘real world.’
↧
Deconstructing Robin Williams and Losing an Integral Family Member
Like so many of us, I'm still reeling from Robin Williams' death. Like so many of us, when the news first broke, I was shell-shocked and prayed it was another Internet rumor. When his passing was confirmed, I felt so overcome with emotion that it felt as if I just lost a family member. On the verge of tears in the few minutes after reading the reports, I posted countless messages on Facebook and Twitter noting how much I was hurting. No stranger to losing loved ones from suicide, it just crushed me to the point of speechlessness.
Yesterday morning, I found myself wanting to express in words how much Williams meant to me and my family. But I didn't. I sat in front of my computer and drafted my salute to a genius but I couldn't continue it. There were countless tributes pouring in (they continue to) and I thought who needs my two cents. I was simply feeling what everybody else was. That sentiment changed after I read a blog post by actor Dante Basco, who portrayed Rufio alongside Williams in Hook. He said so eloquently what I was feeling that I felt compelled to write something. Here's a passage that struck me: "...with his passing...I can't help feeling like it's the death of my childhood. I guess we can't stay in Neverland forever, we must all grow up."
It's true. Williams' humor filled my home and my life for all of my 38 years. When I think of Mork and Mindy, I think of watching it in my pajamas with my sister anticipating what he'd say in his "call to Orson." I also recall watching the reruns after the series reached the end of its run with Jonathan Winters as Mearth. Mork from Ork was my introduction to Williams, and from then on, he was a huge part of my family. My family saw him in Popeye, and while it was considered a bomb, I loved every minute of it from the music to Williams' portrayal of the spinach-loving muscle man. When the movie was released on video, I remember playing it over and over on my Betamax player -- so much so I'm surprised smoke didn't billow out of it. Similarly, when I first got HBO, I felt like I must've watched his performance as the Frog Prince in Faerie Tale Theatre around the clock.
My love for Williams grew as I grew. I remember my parents taking my sister and I to see Moscow on the Hudson -- probably because we were too young to see it. I remember renting Club Paradise for the sole reason he was in it. As I got older, I discovered there was more to Williams than film and TV roles. I listened to his stand-up cassettes (one, in particular, served as the soundtrack to one of our family Cape Cod summer trips), and found myself watching (often to the wee hours of the morning) each and every Comic Relief. I watched for him first, and the other comedians a distant second. I taped each one, and rewatched them with my family. Similarly, I stayed up late with my parents any time Williams hit the talk show circuit. His spontaneity and edginess always made it a must see. Live TV was created for Robin Williams.
Williams humor always resonated, but again, so did his films. I'd say he's probably one of the most underrated actors we ever had. Sure, he was the funniest comedic geniuses of our time, but his acting was right there as well. The mid-to-late-'80s to the late-'90s were sort of the golden era of Williams' film career. Good Morning, Vietnam really got his acting career blazing, and rightfully so. Guess who I saw it in the theater with? Dead Poets' Society was a master of acting, comedy, and poignancy. His performance made you wish you had a teacher as inspiring, cool and comforting.
For me, Awakenings remains his finest film performance. It's his most vulnerable work, and a master class in restraint. His portrayal of Dr. Malcolm Sayer is the film's soul. You felt his performance. You felt the movie. I still feel it. I still feel for Dr. Sayer when Robert De Niro's character shoves him to the ground. I still remember Williams' face during that scene, and how he slowly picks up his glasses after falling. I've seen Awakenings arguably the most out of any of Williams' films. Whenever I think about it, I remember watching it for second and third times (maybe more) with my mom alone in our living room. There's nothing better than a grown son bonding with his mother.
Look, I could go on and on about Williams. I don't even know where to stop this post.
I could namedrop his guest starring role as a killer in Homicide: Life on the Street, which I watched for him only. I never watched that series, but I watched that episode.
I could mention how I rushed to see Toys even though critics panned it. I liked it, by the way, because of him. Watch his teaser trailer for that film, by the way, and you'll miss him even more.
I could mention how I kept track of his list of upcoming films in a non-IMDB world via Variety, and got excited at the prospect of what he'd do next.
I can ramble on about how Mrs. Doubtfire cracked me up and unexpectedly made me feel something much deeper when the credits rolled.
I could mention how my sides hurt after watching Aladdin, and how disappointed I was he didn't get an Oscar nomination despite not physically being on screen.
I could mention the power The Fisher King had over me, and how his performance drove me to tears.
I could mention how the first movie I saw with my wife (then girlfriend) was Good Will Hunting, and how I lied to her and said I never saw it just so I could see it again for the bench scene.
I could mention so much about this "family" member I never met. Just over a decade ago, I had an opportunity to interview Williams when he was promoting his extraordinary performance in One Hour Photo. Sadly, it fell through. I remember vividly how the publicist told me a "phoner" might be possible but I declined. I regret that now, but I just told everyone at the time "what fun is there interviewing Robin Williams if you're not in the same room as him?" I remember thinking even if it was for five minutes, being in the same room with him would've made me feel like I had finally "made it."
You know Williams is out of focus in Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry and I've been thinking a lot about it lately. It's fitting. We could see him as a lovable clown who made us laugh, but deep inside he probably didn't have enough energy left to love himself. He loved us all so much, and wanted so much for us to be entertained. He was put on this planet to make us laugh, and to make us not just enjoy his talent but to feel it. We saw his talent, we felt his heart.
I will forever wonder what his career resurgence would've looked like. Perhaps Mrs. Doubtfire 2 would've sparked it again or maybe a TV series worthy of his talents would have come by. It was inevitable. You can't contain that talent. In time, I will get over the nature of his death but never the loss. He ended his life on his terms and I'm starting to actually find it fitting. He put us first for his entire career -- he was so selfless. That said, I will always wish he got the help he had longed for, trucked on, and continued to make us laugh, and more importantly, feel.
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
