“Thanks, Robin Williams – not just for laughs, but also for a cool example.”
Robin Williams was one of the good guys. That much we knew already.
But just in case anyone did need a reminder of why the late actor was widely regarded as one of the kindest men to ever grace Hollywood, well, look no further than the words shared by former booking agent, Brian Lord.
In a post shared on his own website, Lord details a “little-known” story about Williams, who passed away in 2014.
Lord never actually booked Williams, he explains, but did come very close on one occasion: to the extent that his representatives sent over his rider.
Whereas some of his Hollywood contemporaries might put forward a host of extravagant requests on their own riders, Williams’ was more concerned with using it as an opportunity to help others.
“When I got Robin Williams’ rider, I was very surprised by what I found,” Lord writes.
“He actually had a requirement that for every single event or film he did, the company hiring him also had to hire a certain number of homeless people and put them to work.
“I never watched a Robin Williams movie the same way after that. I’m sure that on his own time and with his own money, he was working with these people in need, but he’d also decided to use his clout as an entertainer to make sure that production companies and event planners also learned the value of giving people a chance to work their way back.
“I wonder how many production companies continued the practice into their next non-Robin Williams project, as well as how many people got a chance at a job and the pride of earning an income, even temporarily, from his actions.
“He was a great multiplier of his impact. Let’s hope that impact lives on without him.
“Thanks, Robin Williams- not just for laughs, but also for a cool example.”
