Actor/comedian Robin Williams died Monday at his home in California from a possible suicide, according to local law enforcement officials.
Williams, an academy award winning actor for his role in the 1990’s Goodwill Hunting, was pronounced dead at his home this afternoon from what coroner investigators suspect to be a “suicide due to asphyxia,” according to CNN.com.
Williams battled substance abuse issues for much of his adult life. Williams most recently made a trip to a rehab center this summer, according to CNN. Williams' media representative told CNN that the comedian had been battling "severe depression."
Along with a storied movie career that includes such hits as Mrs. Doubtfire, Moscow On The Hudson, Good Morning Vietnam, and Dead Poets Society, Williams hosted several HBO stand-up comedic specials over the years. He also co-hosted several HBO Comic Relief charity specials with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as a 2006 Comic Relief fundraiser for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
HBO said in a statement: "Robin Williams graced HBO for so many years with his uncommon gifts. He never failed to elevate his art and did so with a full, generous and loving heart. Always humble and gracious, Robin was a prince and holds a special place in all our hearts."
President Barack Obama released a statement saying that Williams "ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh, he made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most -- from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets."
“I am deeply saddened to hear of Robin Williams’ death,” said SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard. “He was a performer of limitless versatility, equally adept at comedy and drama, whether scripted or improv. With his incomparable manic style, he could appeal to adult sensibilities in a stand-up comedy routine or elicit giggles from children as the voice of Genie in Aladdin. Outside of his career, he used his considerable talents to raise money for charity. He was not only a talented man, but a true humanitarian. It’s such a tremendous loss.”
