From what I’ve been reading, Robin Williams was facing either bankruptcy or at least massive downsizing of his lifestyle due to his massive alimony payments and a recent string of lackluster roles. Couldn’t he have come back from the brink by branching out into voice acting, or writing a bestselling autobiography, or something?
I know that his suicide was due to his longstanding depression and addiction issues, which might have still been there even without the money problems. I was just curious from sort of an objective standpoint how bad his situation was career-wise, and what other actors in his position might do.
That’s sort of difficult, if not impossible, to answer. If he was happy and optimistic, he had a ton of options. But if his depression made it difficult to work, the options are a lot less.
Even his Parkinson’s didn’t preclude a great career. Michael J. Fox did a whole series based on that.
It was more about his frame of mind than any objective circumstances.
Yeah, I have a little trouble believing he was in that much financial distress. He’s done several movies a year since the 80’s, and I don’t think he had nick cages habit of buying private islands and the like.
Robin Williams was worth about $50 million. Google on “Forbes”, “net worth”, and “Robin Williams” and you’ll come to an article about his net worth. I’m on a strange computer at the moment and I can’t copy links, so I can’t give directly.
Robin Williams could have solved his money problems, if he did have money problems, the same way Nicolas Cage did–by appearing in as many movies as possible, with the only consideration being how big of a paycheck there was.
He was also selling one of his properties, which was a mansion on 650 acres with 18 of those a vineyard, for about $30 million. So with the movie money and the sell of the mansion that probably would have pulled him out of financial troubles.
I believe that information has been released by the family. Whether there will ever be additional information other than just their say-so is difficult to predict. It’s understandable that the widow and children would prefer a discussion of an incurable disease to be the focus, rather than the blame and stigma that typically accompany suicide.
I would guess that whatever the actual financial and medical facts of Robin Williams’ life, on that horrible day he was convinced that what he was doing was the best way he could show his love for his family. That’s the tragic mis-reasoning evident in many suicide notes, at any rate (I’m certainly not pretending to have mind-reading abilities; I’m referring to patterns observable in published suicide notes).
Whatever the pile of pain that added up to critical mass, the act is similar to that of a fox caught in a trap. He doesn’t sit there pondering whether life without a limb will be “better” than waiting to see if he can escape when the hunter comes. He only knows that the current situation is so unbearable that he will do anything to get out of it, and then takes the most direct action available to him.
For people like Robin Williams and John Denver, one can see that the actions most of us believe will makes us feel better - buying our dream home, devoting ourselves to a favorite hobby, having the opportunity to date more people or a certain person - are goals they have already reached, or desires they’ve already fulfilled. They’ve done it all, got it all, and they are still miserable.
I actually am far less confused by suicide in those who appear to have everything. It makes sense that they can’t think of anything else that might make their lives enjoyable.
MAYBE he could have. On the other hand, he was 63 years old and starting to deal with symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Maybe he COULDN’T have done a lengthy standup tour any more.
I feel ridiculously unqualified to judge how good or bad Robin Williams’ options were. I have no idea how much mental and physical pain he was in. I can’t judge whether he was in a horrible emotional pit he couldn’t possibly escape from, or if life might have looked a lot brighter the next morning if he’d just opted to get a good night’s sleep.
I won’t even try to guess what his options were. It was be idiotic at best, probably cruel, and maybe borderline obscene.
Down sizing takes time but eventually Robin could have sold his real estate and turned it into cash.
Seems like he got overwhelmed by a career that was dwindling, aging, and health problems. Add in his depression and it was just too much.
He could have eventually turned things around but it would have been a lot of work. Hard to say whether his health would have allowed him to work that hard.
I’m curious why you’ve noted John Denver in this. The reports were that he died in a plane crash. His hobby was flying planes. What did he have in common with Robin Williams?