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Robin McLaurin Williams (1951-2014)

 I’m up way too late tonight, because I started adding pop culture stuff to my Facebook profile. Among my ten favorite films are two starring this man: Hook (1991) and What Dreams May Come (1998). I didn’t even add Dead Poets Society (1989) or his Oscar-winning performance in Good Will Hunting (1997) and I don’t much like the two leads who wrote the script: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Robin kept that movie from being youthful self-congratulatory nonsense. Will sucks, and Affleck’s character is pointless. If I didn’t resonate with the trauma and the love story, I might have hated it.

Robin has absolutely iconic films that I haven’t seen. But anyone who thinks he’s just a comedic actor isn’t paying attention. Dude is one of the best actors, period. And he gave us himself without playing himself.

It’s cliche and mainstream to love him, and his death saw an outpouring of emotion that felt weird, even for an admirer like me. But really, he was deeply human in the best way. I hope the Just One overlooked the faults, and gave him rest at Home.

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