There are a lot of people I know who work in comedy, or are otherwise looking to do so. One of the major conversations I’ve had with all of them has been centered around mental health, because let’s face it, comedy comes from truth, and more often than not the truth can go pretty dark. I remember one of my directors once told me that she used to crank out work that she felt was amazing, but she knew she was in a dark place at the time. She sought help and got better, but she admits that she never quite reached the same heights as she used to. And that’s the rub: When it comes to comedy, sometimes it’s a struggle between being happy or being funny.
Which brings us to the late Robin Williams. I have no idea why he took his own life, but even he admitted that he dealt with a lot of darkness in his own life and it was something he fought against for years. Yet he also worked his ass off to bring some levity to the lives of a lot of people, including a lot of kids who grew up in the 90’s with Aladdin, Jumanji and Mrs. Doubtfire. So with that in mind, here is Zelda Williams‘ (age 25) tribute to her father, which is equal parts beautiful, touching and sad.
https://twitter.com/zeldawilliams/status/499045688559165440