Earlier in the year I wrote a piece about the death of Rik Mayall, and how it affected me. This week I was asked to write/say a few things about Robin Williams, and thus far I have declined. Partly because I am collecting my thoughts, and planning what to say on The Last Leg this week. But mainly because this one feels a little too close, a little too tender, a little too personal. Robin Williams was my comedy hero. He was the guy that made me want to do what I do, and he was the one I always wanted to meet. I did meet him backstage in a comedy club in a converted mens toilets in Shepherds Bush, and since then Ive dreamed of meeting him again, just so I could say We met in a mens toilets in Shepherds Bush. He was quiet, lovely, polite, and did one of the best twenty minute sets I have ever seen in my life. So many of my close friends were inspired by him, a lot of them met or worked with him, and one or two were close friends with him. All of us are hurting. I showed my wife one of his stand up videos last night, and she commented on how similar some of his onstage traits were to mine. I told her to keep watching, and shed see where most of my act came from. Anytime Im on stage and say a joke with the structure Somewhere theres a (blank) saying (blank), or Even (blank) is saying...; or even when I jump offstage and riff with the audience - its all because of good old Uncle Robin. And not just my act. Whenever I call home to my Mum, or my Dad before he died, I always started the conversation with Howdy cos thats what Robin Williams said at the start of his live show A Night At The Met. My brother and I still say it to each other. I was lucky enough to tell him that he was the reason I got into comedy. I wanted to say more, but didnt for fear of making a fool of myself. I wish I had gushed. Maybe thats why Im saying it all now. There are a lot of people telling their Robin Williams stories this week, and I think thats a good thing. When someone dies, we all gather together and tell our stories of them, because somehow for a brief few moments it makes them feel alive still. Even if you never knew Robin Williams, it is still possible for him to be an enormous part of your life. Which means it is ok to feel sad, or even shattered, when they are gone. Robin Williams was a huge influence on me as a comedian, and as a person. His death, and the circumstances around it, have blown a huge hole in my heart. And when that happens, sometimes you need to tell someone about it. And it seems I just did. Thankyou for listening. Adam
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 22:50:34 +0000
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