Of all the celebrity — and most importantly, fellow comic — remembrances of Robin Williams today, this story by Norm Macdonald, whom I’m a huge fan of, brought tears to my eyes.
On CNN earlier tonight, I heard Bob Zmuda, a legendary comedy writer (for Andy Kaufman, among others) and longtime friend of Williams, mention that, despite being Williams’ friend for 35 years, Robin was always noticeably awkward and uncomfortable in an one-on-one social situation. “He needed two or more people,” Zmuda noted, “and then he had an audience.”
Marc Maron, whose great IFC show (based on his wildly successful WTF podcast), has a wonderful tribute to Williams, which includes a replaying of a 2010 interview he did with Williams, perhaps the most open discussion Williams yet had about depression.
