>> i hate to have to report this. >> a shocking announcement. >> actor robin williams is dead at the age of 63. >> the apparent suicide of robin williams. >> mr. williams's life ended from asphyxia due to hanging. >> a brilliant comedian, a celebrated actor. >> dead poets dedicated to sucking the marrow out of life. >> yet a tortured soul. >> i will come back in the morning and call you if you lead me. >> he found humor everywhere.

but off camera, he was struggling with a devastating depression and a frightening diagnosis. >> a personal statement from robin williams's widow, her late husband was suffering from parkinson's disease. >> with the world reeling from the shocking news, we look at the life and laughter, the darkness and despair. now a cnn spotlight, remembering robin. the vigil started almost immediately after the world learned that robin williams had died. >> he can be anybody. he can be all of us. he was wasn't just robin. he was like a conduit for a lot

of people. >> this robin williams, dark and depressed could not have been further from the man we just met. ♪ >> morning, the alien was first introduced on the tv sitcom happy days. >> just count to three then, specimen. >> hit him, fonz. >> one, two, three. >> no contest. let's go. >> i got a feeling that gary marshall was inviting a lot of comics. richard lewis walked out saying i don't speak norwegian. i went in and said let's be crazy and see what happens. >> crazy and unscripted. he got the part. >> remember me, morning from owe. you called me the nut from outer space. >> working with henry winkler as the fonz. >> we started rehearsing and i started realized i was in the presence of greatness. hands down. >> henry winkler met williams

the day he got on to the set. >> i realized my only job is to keep a straight face. it was impossible because no matter what you said to him, no matter what line you gave to him, he took it in, processed it, and then it flew out of his mouth, never the same way twice. >> born in chicago on july 21st of 1951, williams grew up in michigan, played football and then settled with his family in marin county, california. despite his shyness, high school drama drew him out of his shell and led him to be one of 20 actors admitted to the juilliard schedule with christopher reeve. >> we were in the masters program, an accelerated two-year program to get us into acting quickly.

he was obviously brought in as the handsome letting man and i was the furry character actor. >> here they both honed their skills. >> we were there together. he was going mr. williams, mr. reefs, we fear to lead you. >> and created a lifelong friendship. >> robin williams is the definition of generosity. >> christopher reeve told them all about it. >> we go back to juilliard together, but there is a crazy story that went around. like went on a napkin in the cafeteria. >> saying what? >> if either of us gets in trouble we will take care of each other. >> in 1976, he left juilliard and williams was on a fast track. >> nanu-nanu. >> he was such a success, it would spin off as a sitcom.

>> you know, when he would break for lunch and he was working with jonathan winters on the show mornik and mindy and it stopped and they would start and start to improvise and do this routine. in minutes, almost the entire lot was standing there like an open air theater. watching these two great minds go at it. >> in the years after mork and mindy, he had great success on the comedy circuit. >> it has been brief. it is over and the lights turn bright. >> i'm melting! help me! >> a comedic genius fuelled by the incredible improvisation, something he discussed with james lip on inside the actor's

studio. >> what are the hell is going on? >> how would you like the mimes? what is this? you can't explain yourself! >> it wasn't just williams's brilliance. during the early years, cocaine also fuelled him. an unpredictability became a hall mark. it would be the death of his friend john bellushy in 1982 and the birth of his son that scared williams straight. years later, addiction became part of his stand up act at the metropolitan opera house. >> you know what i'm talking about? the marching powder. nice thing, cocaine, what a wonderful drug. anything that makes you paranoid and impotent. get me more of that.

>> coming up, a sober robin williams wins over the world, but his depression is still lurking.

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mork calling orson, come in orson. >> robin williams was still starring in the popular sitcom, mork and mindy. >> nanunanu. >> he made a premier of popeye. ♪ i am what i am and that's all that i am cuz i am what i am. >> popeye and the handful of films that followed were mostly disappointing. >> good morning vietnam! >> finally the director found the actor a that offered the perfect fit. >> is that me or is that an elvis presley movie? >> his role as a disk jockey won him an oscar nomination for best

actor. as did a role as a boarding school english teacher in 1989's dead poet's society. >> dead poets dedicated to sucking the marrow out of life. >> dead poets was probably my favorite to get started with a movie that people treated as more than a movie. a guy said i gave up my job at seers to become a teacher. >> then a man who becomes unhinge and homeless after the murder of his wife. >> i will come back in the morning and call you if you let me. >> then came the role as sean mcguire, psychology professor and therapist. >> you don't know about real loss because it only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself. >> finally in 1997's good will hunting, the role that brought his one and only academy award

for best supporting actor. >> you are terrified of what you might say. >> even while tackling the serious roles, he never stopped being funny. it seemed he was always on. >> i put my movies on a plane and people say just let me off. i have to get off. don't you understand? i can't stand the movie. pa. >> i had movies that had premiers on planes. i don't need the head set, thank you. put us down in denver. >> williams and billy crystal teamed up with whoop i goldberg to cohost comic relief. eight telethons over 20 years, using humor to heal and give hope, raising more than $50 million. >> don't be afraid. let go of yourself and get to the phones. >> the last telethon was in 2006, the sim year he played

teddy roosevelt in a night at the museum. 2006 was the year that struggles with addiction led him back to rehab. >> live with larry king! >> he would joke about that and what came after. >> you keep going because there is a strange secret organization you go to. >> alcoholics anonymous. >> don't say it! it's unanimous. you go to those and you find other people who have done things that make you look amish. you come out the other side like i almost have a year without that so it's good. >> but staying clean and sober would remain a challenge for williams, even as other parts of his life seemed to be unraveling. in 2008, his 19-year marriage to his second wife ended in divorce. then 2009, he would be rushed to the hospital, heart problems, surgery, and a difficult recovery he would laugh about on the ellen show. >> you have a heart surgery and

they crack the box. you get really vulnerable. like a kitten. it's a kitten. you get very, very emotional about everything. that's a wonderful thing. it opens you up to everything. >> robin williams's life trajectory takes an upward turn two years later. there was marriage to third wife, susan schneider and his broadway acting debut at the baghdad zoo with williams playing the tiger who narrates the play. >> it's alarming this life after death. the fact is tigers are atheists. all of us, unabashed. >> then last year his career came full circle when he returned to the small screen with former "mork and mindy" costar pam dauber with the crazy ones. >> you are like an alien. >> but off screen, he was

struggling with depression. >> he at least three reasons to have severe depression. he had the genetic base, addiction and in a recent relapse after a long period of sobriety. when you have your chest opened up, the biology is such that it affects the brain and causes severe depression many times. >> there was also something else williams was dealing with. parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder that affects movement. williams was in the early stages of the disease. >> the diagnosis of parkinson's was a fear and burden. it would be for anyone. in the case of robin williams, he used cycling and exercise as a way to help manage his depression. the notion that he wouldn't be able to be as physically active added to that depression. >> on monday, he was found in his home, dead, an apparent suicide. he was 63 years old.

>> the personal assistant was able to gain access to mr. williams's bedroom and entered to find mr. williams clothed in a seated position unresponsive with a belt secured around his neck with the other end of the belt between the clothes closet door and the door frame. >> this poor man survived his cardiac disease, but the brain disease he was taken away from his family, us, himself, the brain disease took him away. partook him away from family, fans, and friends. stunned by the loss. >> yesterday we had a superstar and today unfortunately we have a legend. latte or au lait?

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a brilliant comedian, award winning actor, husband, father, and friend found dead in his home at 63. robin williams was beloved by those who knew him. >> the loss of such a great man and he was always a friend and i admired him and he's a legend. unbelievable. >> one of the greatest we were blessed to have that experience and those of us who had a chance to work with him are even more blessed. if anything, i learned how wonderful it is to be an artist.

rest in peace, my brother. >> by the lives he touched. >> no one can top him. this is my hero. it's a really bad time. >> watching any of his movies. >> they are overcome by profound and want his legacy to be one of happiness. robin's wife released a statement, as he is remembered it is our hope the focus will not be on robin's death, but the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions. various marquees paying tribute to the comedy clubs of hollywood to the san francisco neighborhoods he called home. on the streets of new york and in the halls of washington. the outpouring of tributes to williams are a testament to the impact of his work. president obama recalled some of

his most memorable roles. robin williams was an airman, a doctor, a jeannie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a peter pan and everything in between. but he was one-of-a-kind. he arrived in our lives as an ailient and ended up touching every element of the human spirit. williams's spirit was described by those who knew him as electric. henry winkler worked with him on the television series happy day. >> he was electrifying and like that no matter what he did, all the time. when i watched him and when we crossed paths and when he was doing his show up the street. all i saw was boundless energy. he would work all day and go to the clubs at night and do stand up and work on his act. you met him and there was a wave of warmth that swept out of him that covered you like a blanket.

irreplaceable. those shoes will remain right there, empty forever. >> comedians at carolines in new york remember williams with admiration. >> he was a genius and very, very quick. if you laughed at one of his jokes, if you didn't get it, he was on to the next one. a lot of times when you watch his stuff, you have to rewind it and go back because he's so fast and it came naturally to him. >> at l.a.'s comedy store where his career took off in the 70s, paul rodriguez choked back tears. >> i was working in the comedy store in the parking lot and he talked to the owner and said this kid deserves to be on the lineup. i got on the lineup. >> pauley shore whose family owns the club reminisce. >> we used to have the office at my mom's house on doheny. robin used to pick up his check

in his mork outfit and pick up his check. >> in hollywood, williams is already an icon. >> yesterday we had a superstar. today unfortunately we have a legend. >> he had a lot of heart and compassion and he did a lot of things for a lot of people. publicly and privately. he transcended his sphere of expertise which was like a benchmark and crossed over to other areas and excelled at everything. he is gone way too soon. he was very talent and we are all going to miss him. >> he will be missed for more than his talent. u.s. secretary of defense chuck hagel expressed appreciation, saying from entertaining thousands of service men and women in war zones, from the philanthropy to the hidden wounds of war, he was an advocate for all who served this nation in uniform. he will be dearly missed by the

men and women of dod. so many of whom were personally touched by his humor and generosity. >> we raised over a million dollars and there is more coming in. i feel good. >> an active supporter of comic refrom inception, williams helped raise more than $50 million to combat homelessness regarding the shocking news of his death, billy crystal tweeted, no words. williams was a tireless advocate for st. jude's research report. >> a tough cow girl battling a rare brain tumor. >> generous was a word to describe him, including bird cage costar nathan lane. he said what i will always remember about robin, perhaps even more than his comic genius, extraordinary talent and intellect was his huge heart. his tremendous kindness,

generosity and compassion as an actor, colleague and fellow traveler in a difficult world. a difficult world made lighter by the laughter williams brought to it. williams leaves more comedy work behind. he has several upcoming films including another in the night at the museum series. williams who spoke often and lovingly of his three children might likely consider them his greatest legacy. his daughter zelda had a quote by a great writer. you, you alone will have stars as no one else has. in one of the stars i shall be living. in one of them, i shall be laughing. and so it will be as if all of the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night. she added, i love you, i miss you, i will try to keep looking up.