. >> nano-nano. >> reporter: in the tv show "mork and mindy." he ad libbed most of his dialogue and his wild physical comedy. the show was a huge hit. then came a series of live comedy specials, also big hits. >> we believe now that chernobyl has been taken care of. if you'd like to follow us into the plant i'll show you around. >> reporter: and then of course the movies. ♪ >> reporter: there was that unforgettable role in "popeye." williams very quickly moved into dramatic territory. with "the world according to garp" in 1982 about a struggling writer and his romantic entanglements. >> i wrote a short story. i wrote it for you. >> you wrote it for me. >> many of his most famous roles mixed wit and warmth. "good morning vietnam." >> what is the demilitarized zone? sounds like something from "the with zard of oz." >> reporter: "the dead poet society." >> call me mr. keating or if you're daring captain my captain. >> reporter: "mrs. doubtfire." and "good will hunting." >> talk about you, who you are. and i'm fascinated. i'm in. >> reporter: for wh

as mork from the planet ork in "mork & mindy" williams became a household name. when the series end after a four-year run in 1982, he showed he could do more than make people laugh. >> my name is t.s. garp. >> what does t.s. stand for? >> terribly sexy. >> he unveiled his serious side in the world according to garp. >> i was trained as an actor so it's not like they had to medicate me. >> that serious side earned him oscar nominations for "the fisher king." >> good morning vietnam! >> "good morning vietnam" and "dead poet society." he finally won his only oscar statue in 1998 for "good will hunting." >> this one, yes. the other ones were just foreplay. it's extraordinary. williams never stopped being funny, even when the topic seemed serious. he helped launch and co-hosted eight telethons over 20 years to help the homeless. >> men who sleep with chickens and the women who love them. >> comic relief earned more than $50 million. and even when he talked about his battles with drugs and alcohol. he talked about it with humor. >> you were a drunk? >> well, that's nic

mork was so funny. he touched every element of the human spirit. michelle turner has a look back at this remarkable career. >> reporter: his high octane brand of comic was his trademark public persona. robin williams proved himself an oscar winner with a strong side. born in 1951, it was in his 20s when williams was unleashed, first as an american tv star. >> mindy, run for your life, the emotions are coming. >> reporter: as mork from the planet ork in "mork and mindy" he was a household name. in 1982, he showed he could do more than make people laugh. >> my name is ts gump. >> what does ts stand for? >> terribly sexy. >> reporter: the world according to garth. >> i was trained as an actor. they don't have to medicate me. >> reporter: that serious side earned him nominations for "the fisher king." >> good morning vietnam! >> reporter: "good morning vietnam" and the debt poet society." >> he won in 1998 for "good will hunting." this one, yes, the others were foreplay. it's extraordinary. >> reporter: williams never stopped being funny, even when the

. >> i'll take mork. give me mork. >> any day. comic relief, look at his body of work. >> as if mork was not enough, robin williams also gave so much back to the community as well. he helped to raise $50 million to benefit the homeless comic relief. he entertained troops. he often visited with cancer patients as well. >> robin williams leaves behind three children. last night his daughter zelda posted a message i love you, i'll miss you. i'll try to keep looking up. i think she speaks for all of us. joining us is comedian chuck nice, a 16 veteran of stand-up comedian. and i know you didn't work directly with mr. williams, but you had met him and i imagine that you are like many other comedians out there who can say you feltd his influence. >> absolutely. the entire comedy world, all of entertainment felt his influence. he was such a force and as you mentioned earlier at the top that he was a classically trained actor but more than anything he brought a spirit and an energy to everything that he did. when you saw that clip from mor

i have never seen a situation as desperate as this, as emotionally charged as this. >>> mork callingon, come in, orson. >> in 1980, robin williams was still starring in the popular sitcom "mork & mindy" when he made his big screen premier as popeye for director robert altman. ♪ i yam what i yam what i yam ♪ and that's all that i yam because i yam what i yam ♪ >> popeye and the handful of films that followed were mostly disappointing. >> good morning, vietnam! >> finally, director barry levinson found the actor a role that offered the perfect fit. >> is that me or does that sound like an elvis presley movie? viva dan nang. e >> his role as a rogue military disc jockey won him a nomination for best actor. >> is it too early for being that loud? too late. >> as did his role as a quiet and inspiring boarding school english teacher in 1989's "dead poets society." >> dead poets dedicated to sucking the marrow out of life. >> i think dead poets was probably my favorite. just to get started, the idea of doing a movie that people treated as more than a movie. i once met a guy who said i gave

mork from ork? once called me the nutso from outer space. >> working with henry winkler as the fonz. >> and we started rehearsing, and i realized that i was in the presence of greatness. hands-down, this is not hyperbole. >> henry winkler met williams the day he got on to the set. >> i just realized my only job is to keep a straight face. and 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 become one of only 20 actors admitted to the prestigious juilliard school, along with classmate christopher reeve. >> we were both a program at juilliard called the masters program, which is like an accelerated two year program, basically to get us into

right from the start on mork & mindy sitcom.news now." >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by vistaprint. when you're awake and can't sleep an ounce, unwind with tide, downy, and bounce. the sweet dreams collection is so relaxing, so you can tuck in and turn off after a day oh so taxing. tide, downy, and bounce. official products of the national sleep foundation. she loves to shop online with her debit card. and so does bill, an identity thief who stole mary's identity, took over her bank accounts, and stole her hard earned money. unfortunately, millions of americans just like you learn all it may take is a little misplaced information to wreak havoc on your life. this is identity theft, and no one helps stop it better than lifelock. lifelock has the most comprehensive identity theft protection available. if mary had lifelock's bank account alerts, she may have been notified in time to help stop the damage. lifelock's credit notification service is on the job 24/7. as soon as they detect a threat to your identi

>> i'm mork from mork. >> mork? >> yes. you see, ork is a planet. you follow the big dipper until it comes to a dead end, then you hang it an up. >> an up? >> up, down, hard to tell in hyper space. >> right. i have a poor sense of direction myself. so you're from outer space? >> yes. you mind if i take a few pictures for the folks on the home planet? they'd like to get some postcards. >> oh, no. >> okay. watch the flukey. [ laughter ] >> how did you do that? >> with my gloves. >> great stuff. they taught each other all kinds of life lessons along the way, "mork and mindy." such a shock. >> completely shocking. i saw those come across twitter completely stunned. robin williams was spotted just a few months ago in june at a rehab facility in minnesota and his rep was saying he was going for this sort of tune-up. he hadn't fallen off the wagon, so everything was looking great. so to hear this just shocking. >> the word is that he was very depressed lately. he talked a lot about financial woes, about downsizing. he made a lot of jokes about all of the m

"mork and mindy." >> i was looking at the ratings for "mork and mindy." when it was at its peak in the late 197 0z and early '80s when people like my mom and dad were watching, we were seeing 60 million viewers every week for that show. 60 million viewers. that is of course -- no show on television gets that many viewers nowadays. but it speaks to how significant it was for his career. after all, robin williams was an unknown when he was cast first for the "happy days" role and then it became "mork and mindy." now, the show was moved around on the schedule and it eventually lost audience, but it was the springboard for his career. >> it's amazing. 60 million viewers. >> it just doesn't happen now with cable tv. just unbelievable. >> but from "mork and mindy" williams would go on to play a myriad of different roles. >> cnn entertainment correspondent nischelle turner looks back at his incredibly diverse career. >> reporter: his high-octane brand of comedy was his trademark public persona. but robin williams proved himself an oscar winner with a strong phil

in the tv show "mork & mindy." >> fly!st of his dialogue and wild physical comedy. the show was a huge hit. and then, of course, the movies. ♪ >> reporter: there was that unforgettable role in "popeye." many of his most famous roles, mixed both wit and warmth. "good morning, vietnam." >> what is the demilitarized zone? sounds like something out of the wizard of oz. oh, no, don't go in there. >> reporter: "dead poet's society." >> in this class call me mr. keating, if you are slightly daring, 'o captain, my captain. >> reporter: "mrs. doubtfire." and "good will hunting" he won an oscar for best supporting actor. but all that onscreen humor masked inner turmoil. in the early 1980s, a problem with cocaine, which he claimed to have quit after the fatal overdose of his friend and fellow comedian john belushi. he spoke to abc's barbara walters about it. >> here's a guy who's probably one of the toughest, strongest people you can ever meet and he's taken out. basically it cleaned up a whole generation of people. because this guy

today, this handwritten sign at mork's tv home -- "you will be missed mork." and how about that iconic wake-up call from 1987's good morning vietnam. >> good morning vietnam! >> reporter: williams then carried it around the world. >> good morning, virginia! >> good morning baghdad! >> reporter: and even sent it up to space. >> good morning discovery! >> reporter: dead poets society would show this scene of youthful defines. >> we must constantly look at things in a different way. >> reporter: tonight fans around the world doing it, too, posting these images in

>> i'm mork from mork. >> mork? >> yes. you see, ork is a planet. you follow the big dipper until it comes to a dead end, then you hang it an up. >> an up? >> up, down, hard to tell in hyper space. >> right. i have a poor sense of direction myself. so you're from outer space? >> yes. you mind if i take a few pictures for the folks on the home planet? they'd like to get some postcards. >> oh, no. >> okay. watch the flukey. [ laughter ] >> how did you do that? >> with my gloves. >> great stuff. they taught each other all kinds of life lessons along the way, "mork and mindy." such a shock. >> completely shocking. i saw those come across twitter completely stunned. robin williams was spotted just a few months ago in june at a rehab facility in minnesota and his rep was saying he was going for this sort of tune-up. he hadn't fallen off the wagon, so everything was looking great. so to hear this just shocking. >> the w that he was very depressed lately. he talked a lot about financial woes, about downsizing. he made a lot of jokes about all of the money h

he put jonathan winters in "mork and mindy." he -- i can't tell you enough good things that he does for people around him. how he was with his fans, as claudia pointed out, he would greet people all the time. he was an easy accessible star. a grat talent. what a sad, sad thing. shepa shepard, the hard part of this is to try to understand depression. to get into the head of someone -- think of someone that successful, that funny, that rich, who has entertained so many, that could be so low as to take his own life is incomprehensible. to me it's incomprehensible. >> he was asked about whether when he was dry and sober if he could still be funny, larry. and he said, yeah, he was even funnier then and found himself even quicker then. i wonder if in your format which is frankly the kind of format i miss on tv these days where you can spend a whole hour with somebody, if at times he wasn't in some ways so intimidating. he was so quick. >> yeah, but he was fun to work with. if you're an interviewer, you play right into them. i did a st

he put jonathan winters in "mork and mindy." he -- i can't tell you enough good things that he does for people around him. how he was with his fans, as claudia pointed out, he would greet people all the time. he was an easy accessible star. a grat talent. what a sad, sad thing. shepa shepard, the hard part of this is to try to understand depression. to get into the head of someone -- think of someone that successful, that funny, that rich, who has entertained so many, that could be so low as to take his own life is incomprehensible. to me it's incomprehensible. >> he was asked about whether when he was dry and sober if he could still be funny, larry. and he said, yeah, he was even funnier then and found himself even quicker then. i wonder if in your format which is frankly the kind of format i miss on tv these days where you can spend a whole hour with somebody, if at times he wasn't in some ways so intimidating. he was so quick. >> yeah, but he was fun to work with. if you're an interviewer, you play right into them. i did a st

>> reporter: his breakthrough role came as mork on the sitcom "mork and mindy." >> my name is mork.roducers would leave parts of the scripts blank to allow williams to ad-lib. it drew 60 million viewers every week. and provided a national audience for his genius. >> i can't let you pass up a chance like me, honey. >> stop it! mork, will you help me? >> if you insist. mind if i cut in? thank you. >> reporter: but it wasn't long before he turned his attention to more serious projects, waking up the world in "good morning vietnam." >> in saigon today, according to officials, nothing actually happened. one thing that didn't happen is a bomb didn't explode 14 hours unofficially destroying jimmy's cafe. >> get him out of there! >> reporter: his roles often pushed the envelope mixing the phonetic and the funny. >> you do fossey, fossey, fossey and graham, graham! >> reporter: with the deeply philosophical. >> the poetry. beauty! romance! love! these are what we stay alive for. >> reporter: he was a regular at the academy awards, taking home an oscar in 1998, his only one for his role in "g

here is all the residuals of "mork and mindy."is is a morkimpersonator. >> when we went to the first taping of this new show, "mork and mindy" that went on to be the hugest hit. >> i love this show. [ laughter ] >> nice to be on your show, dave. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> i love these people. i love this show! >> easy. >> i have a reservation for 8:00. i figured out how to do george bush, you take john wayne and you tighten up his [ bleep ]. >> my favorite heckle was a guy in an english club and there was a blind guy sitting in the back of the audience and all of a sudden he went, get off. he said is he gone? [ laughter ] >> i am so happy to be doing comedy tonight. [ laughter ] >> two jews walk into a bar. [ laughter ] >> yeah! [ applause ] yeah! >> give it up, people. get up, people. get up. [ applause ] [ cheers ] >> take it in, honey. take it in. [ laughter ] >> comic genius, indeed. back in the 1980s, the "comic relief" was hosted by robin williams, billy crystal, whoopee goldberg. the sheer comic gene juiceoous man incredi

jim carry posted an imitation he once did of mork. >> anyway, until next time this is mork from morklon did a montage. >> he would get into, thank you, the guys sitting at home and the kid going that's not the way and then he's like ball and chain and yes, thank you. [ applause ] >> reporter: wsb zack kline woved 22 robin williams tv and movie references into his sports cast. >> amelia who had happy feet, julio flexed his muscles like paparazzi. >> reporter: some just dropped. >> 1-0 braves jumanji. >> reporter: at least he didn't stand up on his anchor desk. >> captain my captain. >> sit down, mr. anderson. >> reporter: this scene from "dead poet's society" when students rebel became a tweeted out photo tribute as fans took to their desks and table tops. at the university of north carolina's wilson library where scenes from "patch adams" were shot. the latest peter pan actress dedicated her first training flight to that other peter who got his pan back and disney tweeted out a tribute illustration showing the genie from "alladin." what would robin say about these tributes? >> thank

this is mork signing off till next week.[ applause ] >> t that's how we first got to know him. just everything that he did. >> hard to pick your favorite because he was so good at everything he did. >> it's funny, i asked people to tweet us their favorite moments and so many said all of them. >> great answer. >> too many. too many to choose. >> his voices, improv. genius in "aladdin." brought tears to my eyes in "birdcage." >> martha graham. >> "mrs. doubtfire." >> i know people at home you're doing the same thing as we are and we're going to have much more of our special tribute to robin williams, a look at also his years battling addiction in his own words. >> he was really the bob hope of his generation, remembering that robin williams gave back to our men and women in uniform. something he would do after every show that we never even knew about coming up right here. >> forget you! you have no idea! everyone in america ] whe almost every day, you notice a few things. like the fact that you're pretty attached to these. ok,

as mork from mork and mindi, williams became a household name.n the series came to an end in 1982 beshowed he could do more than make people laugh. >> my name is ts garp. >> what does tv stand for? >> terribly sexy. >> he was in 1982's "the world according to garp." >> i was trained as an actor, so it is not like they have to medicate me. >> the serious side earned him oscar nominations for the fisher king. >> good morning vietnam. >> good morning vietnam and the dead poet's society. he finally won his only oscar statue in 1998 will for "goodwill hunting." >> this one, yes. the others were just foreplay. extraordinary. but williams never stopped being funny even when the topic seemed serious. he helped launch and co-hosted eight telethons over 20 years to help the homeless. >> men who sleep with chickens and the women who love them. >> comic relief earned more than $50 million. even when he talked about his battles with drugs and alcohol, he talked about it with humor. >> you were drunk? >> that's nice of you to say that. >> he took two trips to

i just told you that you sounded like mork and you actually are mork. now i'm embarrassed about all the f-bombs i dropped telling you to shut up. and buddy said, i produce a bunch of specials for hbo, one in particular called "women of the night." i didn't even process it because i was standing there in front of robin williams. i was like, are you telling me i should be a hooker instead of a comedian because i'm not that good? they both laughed and next year i was on "women of the night." >> yeah, and it's those personal stories everyone telling that we're seeing is people so moved today. i want to bring in jay thomas. he's the host of "the jay thomas show" on sirius xm radio. he played a deli owner on "mork and mindy." talk about the robin williams you knew. >> well, we did a lot of drugs. we chased a lot of women. we had a great time. but i don't have an addictive personality. i'm from new orleans, louisiana, where you're taught how to drink and do drugs and chase women at about birth. and i had a great time. i was there with him for like three years.

mork and mindy could end this year, next year.w long it can go. >> reporter: tonight we learned there was a mrs. doubtfire sequel in the works that robin williams had actually attached himself to. that movie was set to be released in 2015, but tonight we have to say the future of that movie certainly in doubt. >> christin ayers in san francisco, thank you. >>> robin williams' final instagram post 12 days ago, this photo of himself with his daughter zelda as a baby. he tweeted quarter of a century old today but always my baby girl. happy birthday, love you. him.. less than a month ago. >>> robin williams struggled with addiction for decades. tonight sharon chin talked to a man who was in aa with him less than a month ago. >> reporter: when he headlined at place like cobbs comedy club in san francisco north beach, we saw robin williams the dazzling entertainer, but tonight we spoke with someone who gave us a different side of him. kpix5this news photographer worked with robin williams more than 10 years ago and ran into him over the

mork?yes, sir. talk about your bad connections here. you been chewing on the lines again? kibble, not cable. >> mork, pull yourself together. >> yes, sir. >> oh, good to have you back. sorry, i lost my head. >> and the entertainment world paying tribute to robin williams. winona judd is here to talk about her friend robin williams. plus, williams was a favorite guest on the late night talk shows. coming up, you will see his first and last appearances on "the tonight show" on johnny carson. our coverage life and death of robin williams continues. >> your is over. >> oh, no, to live, to live adventure.ho >> for a chance to win one million dollars, visit wyndhamrewards.com move better, just talk to one of our scientists. they'll show you a special glue we've developed that bonds metal to plastic. and that makes the things you're trying to move... lighter. the less weight... the less energy. and what you save can be used for speed. for efficiency. or just for fun. this is the human element at w

mork from ork. me the nut from outer space. ♪ up and square >> i found a happy thought. took me three days to find it. guess what happened when i did? i win. you do martha graham, martha graham or twyla or michael kid. michael kid. medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits. necessary to sustain life. but poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. genie? i'm going to miss you. me, too. no matter what anybody says, you'll always be a prince to me. as we watch that, it is so hard to pick that one favorite robin williams movie. >> that's his greatness. you'll hear ten different answer what's their favorite robin williams movie, show. >> he will definitely be missed. "way too early" with thomas roberts starts right now. >>> what is this black liquid? >> this is coffee. >> what do you do with it? >> we have it with our breakfast. >> oh, allow me. repulsive. swimming pancakes. i hope the rest can drink coffee. >> i still can't got over this. i'm sitting here havin

today, this handwritten sign at mork's tv home -- "you will be missed, mork."t that iconic wake-up call from 1987's "good morning vietnam." >> good morning, vietnam! >> reporter: williams then carried it around the world. >> good morning, virginia! >> good morning, baghdad! >> reporter: and even sent it up to space. >> good morning, discovery! >> reporter: "dead poets society" would feature this unforgettable scene of poetic inspiration and later, youthful defiance. >> i stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way. >> reporter: tonight fans around the world doing it, too, posting these images in his memory. >> genie, i need help. >> all right, sparky, here's the deal. >> reporter: the greatest ad-libber of his comic generation, williams was unbottled anarchy as the voice of the genie in aladdin. >> let's work with me here. >> reporter: who could forget williams' role as "mrs. doubtfire," the cleanup woman undercover. even in the sadness of his passing, his sensibility shines, warm, generous, with laughter for al

. >> reporter: as mork from the planet ork in "mork and mindy" williams became a household name. when the series ends after a four-year run in 1982, he showed he could do more than make people laugh. >> my name is ts gump. >> what does ts stand for? >> terribly sexy. >> reporter: the actor unveiled his dramatic side for the first time in "the world according to garth." >> i was trained as an actor. they don't have to medicate me. >> reporter: that serious side earned him nominations for "the fisher king." >> good morning vietnam! >> reporter: "good morning vietnam" and "dead poet society." >> he won in 1998 for "good will hunting." this one, yes, the others were foreplay. it's extraordinary. >> reporter: williams never stopped being funny, even when the topic seemed serious. he helped launch and co-host eight telethons over 20 years to help the homeless. >> men who sleep with chickens and women who love them. >> reporter: comic relief earned more than $50 million. when he talked about his battles with drugs and alcohol, he talked about it with humor. >> we were drunk. >> that's n

mork from ork? you once called me the nutso from outer space? >> for many of us, this is how williams came into our lives as the backwards aging mork from ork. quite a break for a man whose audience beforehand had been just pedestrians. show creator gary marshall said when he he was casting mork, told him he had to see this street performer. what has he done, marshall asked? >> he's done nothing. he stands on the street corner and he does mime and passes his hat around and they give him coins. that's what he's done so far. and you have to see him. >> from the very beginning, there was something unpredictable, even unsafe about what williams brought to the small screen sit-com world. you never knew what was scripted and what was his manic improvisation. >> fly, be free. >> he was a marvel of perpetual motion but even in the earliest days of his career, williams' co-stars knew there was a flipside to his energy. some of it fueled by drugs. as he acknowledged on the "tonight show" with his idol comedian jonathan winters. >> when i first met him and

mork?yes, sir. talk about your bad connections here. you been chewing on the lines again? kibble, not cable. >> mork, pull yourself together. >> yes, sir. >> oh, good to have you back. sorry, i lost my head. >> and the entertainment world paying tribute to robin williams. winona judd is here to talk about her friend robin williams. plus, williams was a favorite guest on the late night talk shows. coming up, you will see his first and last appearances on "the tonight show" on johnny carson. our coverage life and death of robin williams continues. >> your is over. >> oh, no, to live, to live will be an no matter where you want to be or what you want to do, chances are we're already there. 12 brands. more hotels than anyone else in the world. like super 8, where every destination is super. for a chance to win one million dollars, visit wyndhamrewards.com i never know what kind theof adventure awaits. that the days are longer, and the breeze feels a little sweeter. and, thanks to volvo, i'll pa

tonight here a look back at his storied career, his roles from mork and mindy. >> fly, be free! >> to his oscar winning part in "good will hunting." >> you don't know about real love. it only occurs when you love someone more than you love yourself. >> to dead poet society, what we're hearing from his wife tonight, how hollywood has reacted. tonight a special west coast edition of "world news," remembering robin williams. >>> good evening, as we come on the air live tonight, in for diane this evening and we're learning of an incredible loss tonight. robin williams was found dead today at the age of 63. he made us laugh and cry. the beloved actor's body was found in his home after a 911 call today, his publicist saying he had recently been battling depression. he had signed on for a seek wall to his beloved role as "mrs. doubtfire." we have team coverage on his career, his struggles, his family. his wife saying she lost her husband and her best friend. we'll begin with what we know so far. abc's nick watt with the latest from los angeles. >> reporter: good evening. most of what w

as mork, in "mork & mindy". >> the actor unveiled his dramatic side in "the world according to garp". i was trained as an actor. it's not like they have to medicate me. >> that serious side earned him oscar nominations. "good morning vietnam" and "dead poets society". he won his oscar in 1998 for "good will hunting". >> this one, yes the others were just foreplay. >> williams never stopped being funny, even when topics seemed serious, helping launch and co-hosted eight telethons to help the homeless. >> men who sleep with chickens and the women who love them. >> cometic relief earned $50 million. and when talking about his battles with drugs and alcohol he talked about it with humor. >> we're drunk. it's nice of you to say that. >> in 2009 he was rushed to the hospital with heart problems, forced to cancel his one-man show to undergo surgery. he talked about recovery on "the ellen show" >> he have heart surgery, they crack the box. you're like a kitten. then, you get emotional about everything. that is the way of a wonderful thing. it opens you up to everything. >> he sprang back into

. >> mork was such a success on "happy days," it would spin off as its own sitcom. >> you know, whene would break for lunch, and he was working with jonathan winters on his show "mork & mindy," they would walk down the street together, and all of the sudden just stop. and then they would start to kibitz. and then they would start to improvise. and then they would 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. >> it's a man! >> reporter: in the years after "mork & mindy," williams would have great success on the stand-up comedy circuit. >> it's been brief. 'tis over, and the lights do turn bright. i'm melting! help me! >> a comedic genius fueled by his incredible improvisation, something he discussed with james lipton on "inside the actor's studio". >> are you thinking faster than rest of us? what the hell is going on? [ laughter ] >> what it is about the mind? i can't explain itself. >> but it wasn't just williams' brilliance. during those early years, cocaine also fueled him, and a frenetic unp

it was during that period of mork and mindi williams developed a drinking and drug problem and would battle those issues to the until. his film career was also a run away success, most popular film, perhaps, "mrs. doubtfire." he posed as the housekeeper, he had dozen of other film roles over the years, "good morning, vietnam," "dead poet society," both got him an academy nomination. his wife issuing a statement today saying, "this morning i lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings, i am utterly heart broken. it is our hope the focus won't be on robin's death, but on the countless joy he gave." recently, williams reportedly checked out of a rehab program and today we learn he is dead of an apparent suicide, death by asphyxiation. autopsy scheduled for tomorrow. live in the newsroom, nbc bay area news. >> thank you very much. such a sad story, especially because he brought so much joy to so many people. williams was a frequent guest on bay area tv. one of the hosts who had the pleasure of interviewing him, nice

here he is, mork and mindy made him a huge star, blah, blah, blah.r didn't even notice him. any fact i got him and the woman two cokes and he kind of stood in the doorway of the service bar and watched the comic by the name of chris kosher very funny cat from this area, was on stage and he was watching. now, it is dawning on me what i might have just done that if he goes on, after chris and before me, i'm toast. i'm toast. he was famous for going on at clubs all around the country where ever he was filming but for some reason he watched 15 or 20 minutes. club was pack. it wasn't like it was empty. decided nothing to go on and he came up and said hey, i appreciate you taking time with me and i took him back down the steps. >> that was it. >> that was it. >> that was it. >> wow. >> by the way, in person if you put him in bono in the same room you cannot show the difference. both eyes, similar noses and all that. very quiet, very gentle and thank you for robin williams for not going than that night. >> no kidding. >> ain't crowd never even knew he was t

so great it launched "mork & mindy". it aired on abc. seems like everyone has a special memory of him on a movie or tv show. >> i remember him from "mrs. doubt fire". >> "mork & mindy". >> you can tell he loved what he did. and was genuine.çó >> i will say "jumanji". >> just on your feet kind of machine in comedy. just funny. if you didn't laugh at first, you did, and you couldn't stop. >> lots of times we try to interview people in parking lots, they're too busy. today i had no trouble talking to anyone. had a memory of him from when they're a kid over the past four decades, incredible loss. >> allen, thank you. and michael finney has personal stories >> our kids went to school together we were not close, but you know you go to another dad and say hello. we knew each other, neighborhoods close to each other. robin was kind of around. my daughter, you found a tweet from kelly? >> yes. talking about how she will miss seeing him jogging. she used to jog and he was an avid jogger in your neighborhood. and this is one of the interesting thin

we loved him as mork and mindy. nick watt joins me on the phone.his is a stunning loss, not only there in los angeles but for fans of robin williams across this country. >> reporter: absolutely, david. as you say, his publicist saying that he has been suffering from severe depression. we all knew that. he had mental battles in in th past. still, a stunning loss. the man who, as you say, many of us grew up with, watching him on mork and mindy, some amazing performances, playing disturbed people in the fisher king for example. as you say, this morning, found dead, age 6 3, at his california home. no cause of death has been confirmed, but the sheriff's office say that they believe this may have been suicide caused by asphyxia. that's not confirmed so far. all we do know is one of the icons of american comedy is dead. >> we want to be very careful about the cause of death at this hour, but we do know, as nick watt reports, he was 63 years old, known for so many of his roles, mork and mindy early on. i grew up watching mork and mindy and of course so ma

who is this guy in robin williams stole the show long before mork and mindy. i had no clue he was. i thought, this guy's a talent. >> definite true legend. your favorite robin williams movie? >> good morning vietnam. >> love that movie. >> there are so many. there's so many neat moments throughout his entire career that you can just remember certain things and it just makes you chuckle. >> the griego family movie rv. >> rv. >> you were talking about that the other day. >> my kids know bob monroe. >> sorry to see him go, that's for sure. >>> we are going to see some patchy fog around the bay area to start the day. it looks like the threat of thunderstorms, that's sliding up into the sierra nevada. things going to calm down but the temperatures going to stay fairly mild. we have a weak cold front headed toward the bay area. see it just off the coastline bringing us more clouds today and that area of low pressure that we were worried about bringing the thunderstorms is weakening, falling apart and sliding east. out the door we have some partly cloudy skies with patchy fog. temperature

i was in awe of him on mork and mindy. we were working at the same time. at the same studio shows are so scripted. every line with robin it was just kind of left open. so go for it. what will robin do? capture the gold. keep an isolated camera on him rare moment. good morning vietnam. a line from a movie everybody everybody remembers. >> i'm in are artillery. just play it loud okay? >> who gave everyone permission to play modern music. >> there it is suzanne, thank you. >> thanks, greta. very sorry. >> yeah, we all are in our coverage of robin williams death will continue. the latest on the breaking news coming up. you tap the bumper of a station wagon. no big deal... until your insurance company jacks up your rates. you freak out. what good is having insurance if you get punished for using it? hey insurance companies, news flash. nobody's perfect. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. >>> this is a fox news alert. sad news t

at 49, it was mork. >> i remember mork and mindy. and their house was supposedly in boulder, colorado. i grew up in denver and i believed their house was in boulder. i thought it was cool we were all from colorado. that's when i first knew him. seeing that clip with the fonz, i remember that too. i remember watching that on tv. >> he started on "happy days" and blew up from there. >> i don't remember the "happy days." mork and mindy, but some of the phenomenal movies he's been. what an actor. so many characters. he had 50 different characters in aladin. my favorite is cage. but for me the best robin williams was at his best when he was sitting with jay leno or johnny carson or david letterman and just vamping. it was phenomenal. it was so much fun to watch. >> speaking of the films, let's throw a montage and i'll get to the pair over here. >> good morning, vietnam! >> hello! oh, i'm sorry to frighten you, dear. i must look like a yetty in this getup. >> excuse me? are you looking at me? did you rub my lamp? did you wake me up? did yo

tonight here a look back at his storied career, his roles from mork and mindy. >> fly, be free! >> to his oscar winning part in "good will hunting." >> you don't know about real love. it only occurs when you love someone more than you love yourself. >> to dead poet society, what we're hearing from his wife tonight, how hollywood has reacted. tonight a special west coast edition of "world news," remembering robin williams.

when i did mork and mindy, it was a crazy ride.o be here and doing this, to be participating and say, what can i bring and how can i help? >> look at you rehabbing two marriages. who's go the light bulb now my friend? >> we have been tracing robin williams' career. kpix.com, lot of you ran into him on the streets. you saw him in the neighborhood. he's from marin county. >> kind of saw him early on in his career. >> couple of clubs here in the city. you can leave your tributes and remembrances to williams on our facebook page kpix.com. ,,,,,, safeway understands you got to make every dollar count these days. that's why they have lots of ways for you to save. real big club card deals, the safeway app and gas rewards. this week fresh off the vine seedless green and black grapes are just $1.99 a pound. oscar mayer deli fresh or selects lunchmeat are only $3.99. and quilted northern bath tissue is $11.99 for 24 double rolls. there's more savings to love... at safeway. d make sure they . >> san jose has had it with homeless camp. it's sp

. >> mork and mindy could end this year. >>reporter: read ago quote from article he were on williams in 93 80. first of 2 face-to-face interview did he with him. second was at the mill valley film festival 14 years ago. >> there was no off switch with him. whether during the interview would he go into bit and voices and accent and this and that. >>reporter: that las look of off switch whaten dear williams to his fans. generation used to getting one laugh after another. lillian kim abc 7 news. >> since the news of his death heart broken fans have been sharing their memory of robin williams. allen live now in dublin tonight with reaction. allen? >> everyone here seemed to have a favorite robin williams movi movie. because he appealed to so many different people and many of his fans felt like they had a personal connection to him. >> even don't know them but you feel like you know them as a person. so seeing them like that. i think it's hard. >> i'm emotional. he actually i grau up watching him and it made me really love televi

. >> mork and mindy could end this year. >>reporter: read ago quote from article he were on williams in 93 80. first of 2 face-to-face interview did he with him. second was at the mill valley film festival 14 years ago. >> there was no off switch with him. whether during the interview would he go into bit and voices and accent and this and that. >>reporter: that las look of off switch whaten dear williams to his fans. generation used to getting one laugh after another. lillian kim abc 7 news. >> since the news of his death heart broken fans have been sharing their memory of robin williams. allen live now in dublin tonight with reaction. allen? >> everyone here seemed to have a favorite robin williams movi movie. because he appealed to so many different people and many of his fans felt like they had a personal connection to him. >> even don't know them but you feel like you know them as a person. so seeing them like that. i think it's hard. >> i'm emotional. he actually i grau up watching him and it made me really love televi