Oscar Winning veteran actor Robin Williams,63, was found dead, police said on Monday.
The apparent cause of the death was suicide, authorities said.
Around 11:55 a.m. local time on Monday, a 911 call came in about a man who was unresponsive in his home in Tiburon in California. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the Sheriff’s office said.
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According to a press release issued by the Marin County Coronor’s office, the Sheriff’s office suspects the death to be “suicide due to asphyxia”. The 911 phone call came in just before noon on Monday.
However, his publicist wouldn’t confirm that his death was a suicide.
“Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time,” a statement issued by his publicists said.
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“This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one if its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief,” the actor’s wife Susan Schneider released the statement to the New York Times .
“As he is remembered, it is our hope that the focus will not be on Robin’s death but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions,” she said.
Williams, dubbed as “the funniest man alive” by Entertainment Weekly in 1997, brought audiences hours of laughter, putting his imaginative spin on characters in film and television.
He was also lauded for his serious roles. Williams’s performance as Sean Maguire, the therapist who counsels Matt Damon’s math genius in Good Will Hunting (1997), earned him a best supporting actor Oscar.
He was also nominated for his performances in films like The Fisher King (1991), Dead Poets Society (1989) and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987).
Born in Chicago in 1951, Williams became one of only two students accepted into John Houseman’s prestigious acting program at Julliard, the other being Christopher Reeve, who became a lifelong friend.
Williams, One of the most beloved American entertainers of his generation, gained fame as Mork, the bizarre, suspenders-sporting alien on the iconic American sitcom Mork & Mindy , a spinoff from Happy Days .
He used to depart from the script so often that producers intentionally left blank moments on page for Williams to have space to indulge his ad-libbing genius.
Most recently, Williams had starred in the new CBS sitcom The Crazy Ones . It was cancelled after just one season.