INSIDE EDITION examines other comedic legends whose time on Earth was short spent.
Robin Williams was uproariously funny, a comic genius, but there were tears that tormented this clown.
Williams battled depression, a crippling sadness that has afflicted other brilliant comics.
Psychotherapist Robi Ludwig told INSIDE EDITION, “Comedians look at life a different kind of way from a different vantage point and making something funny is almost a coping mechanism.”
John Belushi is best remembered for the movie Animal House. He was in the original cast of Saturday Night Live. He was a huge talent, but with an insatiable appetite for drugs. He was just 33 years old when he died of a overdose in 1982. Robin Williams was with him the night before.
Williams also watched his mentor, Richard Pryor, battle addiction and depression. INSIDE EDITION found an affectionate roast from 1977 on YouTube where Williams spoke about Pryor, saying, “This man is a genius, who else can take all forms of comedy. Slapstick, mime, stand-up and turn it into something and offend everyone.”
Pryor's drug abuse contributed to lifelong health problems which ultimately led to his death at age 66.
Chris Farley's comedy routines were a lot like Robin Williams. He was always on manic over-drive. In his all-too-brief time on Earth, Farley went to rehab 17 times. He was just 33 when he ODed in his Chicago apartment in 1997.
Now, Robin Williams is dead. The passing of a comic genius all too soon.
