August 13, 2014 by David K. Sutton

Russell Brand Says What We Are All Thinking About Robin Williams

As we have come to expect, we can turn to the wise words of Russell Brand to make sense of a senseless act. In his article on The Guardian, Brand asks, “Is it melancholy to think that a world that Robin Williams can’t live in must be broken?”

While the world may not be broken, Robin Williams was a rare talent, allowing us an escape from our fears, our anxieties, and our concerns, transporting us to a zany and hilarious view of the world that only he was capable of delivering. When you saw Robin Williams do stand-up comedy, or an appearance on a late night talk show, even if you didn’t really know what the hell he was talking about, you enjoyed the ride, and you spent your time with him removed from the day-to-day drama that taxes our emotions and our energy. Robin Williams was a lightning bolt, a jolt of energy, that powered us all through the good times and the bad times.

He must have known his wife and kids loved him, that his mates all thought he was great, that millions of strangers the world over held him in their hearts, a hilarious stranger that we could rely on to anarchically interrupt, the all-encompassing sadness of the world. – Russell Brand

It’s weird, I never dwell that much on celebrity deaths. There are some celebrity deaths that do hit closer to home, but by the next day, life pretty much goes on as usual. But a day after learning Robin Williams died, I’m still kind of in shock. I can’t say I was his biggest fan, but it turns out I was a bigger fan than I realized. I think a lot of people are feeling that right now.

/photo (top) by Peggy Sirota for Parade