Editorial — The sad loss of a brilliant entertainer

TUESDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — A few of us will remember seeing Robin Williams as the space alien Mork in the old TV series of the ’70s, Mork and Mindy. The show gave only a hint of the brilliance of Williams, who, for all we knew at the time, was just another whacky, one-dimensional comedian.

Time soon erased any doubts about his talents. The quickness of his mind and the spontaneous brilliance of his wit was most evident in interviews on late-night talk shows. While many stand-up comics rely on the written word and hours of practice to get their timing down, Williams was a blur of energy and off-the-cuff hilarity.

He was one hell of an impressionist, too.

But his genius was in the depth and breadth of his acting ability. Sure, he played a lot of very funny characters, like Mrs. Doubtfire and Patch Adams, but it was roles like Dead Poets Society, Good Morning, Vietnam and Good Will Hunting that showed us how he could combine his comedic genius with character acting that touched the soul.

Williams’ death, announced Monday, from apparent suicide came as a shock to his friends and fans around the world. He wasn’t just admired, he was loved, and they grieve as much for him as a person as for the loss of his talents.