“How many people got a chance at a job and the pride of earning an income, even temporarily, from his actions.”
August 11 will mark seven years since one of the world’s greatest comedic minds passed away. Robin Williams was just 63 when he was found dead at his home in California. He had committed suicide after battling severe depression.
But even now, we are still discovering incredible things about the actor and comedian, and further proof that he was one of the most generous and kind-hearted men in showbusiness.
Brian Lord is a fan of the actor and works in the entertainment. In a post on his blog, he shared something he learnt about the actor when he tried to book Williams for an event. Author Perry Marshall shared Lord’s post on Facebook, a revelation that just demonstrated once again the size of Williams’ heart.
The story revolves around the rider (a set of conditions that a celebrity will send to an event before attending) that Williams asked for.
Lord writes: “Years ago I learned a very cool thing about Robin Williams, and I couldn’t watch a movie of his afterward without thinking of it. I never actually booked Robin Williams for an event, but I came close enough that his office sent over his rider.”
He continues: “When I got Robin Williams’ rider, I was very surprised by what I found. 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,” Lord contemplates.
“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.”
https://www.facebook.com/54830869983/photos/a.64846114983/10150430256394984/?type=3
What a man he was.
