Robin Williams

It was Christmas - probably 1979, or 1980. We were in school and it was the last day of term. We were in the sport's hall - just our class - and we were playing a game. I can't remember the game, but we also played that stop the music game, what's it called---- odd one out. No, that's not right. Musical chairs! That's it. For getting questions right, we could choose a toy. Everyone wanted the Mork toy. And it was some 8 year-old little gob-shite who got it. Certainly wasn't me. I think I got a Thunderbird toy. The green ship. Is that thunderbird 2? The one where the middle separates - drops out. Or maybe I got one of the shit Thunderbird ships. '4' or something? I don't know. But everyone wanted Mork, because Mork was fucking insane and hilarious and naughty and weird... he was everything an 8 year old wants in their comedic character.

Basically, it was Robin Williams.

Then we saw the Popeye trailer. Popeye. Every kid loved Popeye, and boy-o-boy, it was going to be Mork who was going to be playing him. And he sounded just like Popeye. Even more like Popeye than Popeye. And he looked like Popeye.

But it was a weird thing. Someone in my class (of 8 year olds) said that the actor who played Popeye was dead and that he'd died years ago.

I was 8. I naturally thought Mork had been made years before and so too was Popeye. I accepted it.

Then I got a little older and I heard about a film called Good Morning Vietnam. And look who was in it. Mork, from Mork and Mindy. And he was alive! What made this film more poignant for me was that I was getting closer to my dream of joining the forces, so a film being about war was something that interested me and my friends. When I finally got to see it, it truly was one of the best films I'd ever seen. It had me in stitches almost the whole way through, and the points where I wasn't laughing, I was holding back a 15 year old boy's tears.

I'm going to start off another sentence with 'and' ---

And then there was Dead Poet's Society. Any words I use to explain the effect this film had on me will not do it justice. It was my favourite film until I saw Schindler's List. Whenever I was feeling low, I would put the video on and by the end, I was feeling inspired.

O Captain, My Captain.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I... I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.

One day, you will be food for worms.

What will your verse be?

Carpe Diem.

Thank you, boys. Thank you.

The Awakenings was next. Another moving, memorable movie.

Aladdin. Incredible. I don't care if I'm adult, I'm buying it on laser disc and watching it over and over and over again... because of Robin Williams.

Mrs Doubtfire. I was married. I wasn't yet divorced.

Nine Months. We were pregnant too.

Jumanji. I enjoyed it.

Then The Birdcage. My wife thought I was gay because I enjoyed watching it so much. It was one of the films of the year.

Flubber. Fun for kids.

And in 1997 another great film. His second best behind Dead Poet's Society. It's okay.

In his later years, he made Insomnia, One Hour Photo and World's Greatest Dad. They weren't great films, but he played really good roles.

But those were his film roles. Robin Williams: Live at the Met had me in tears. Sides splitting and ears bursting. (not ears bursting).

So today is a sad day. Rik Mayall died two months ago and that affected me in a big way. I think, as strange as it is to write it, this affects me more. Rik Mayall was huge in my own life, but Robin Williams seemed to be big globally.

And I want to give a shout out to a film he made with Walter Matthau, 'The Survivors' which I really enjoyed, but no one else knows anything about.

That's okay. It'll just be between Robin, Walter and me.

Carpe Diem!

Thank you, Robin... thank you.