VIDEO: Fans around the world are remembering actor-comedian Robin Williams, who died Monday at age 63 of an apparent suicide at his home near San Francisco. Mike O'Sullivan spoke with admirers who gathered in Hollywood, where Williams' plaque on the Walk of Fame has become a makeshift memorial.
Tributes are pouring in for American actor-comedian Robin Williams, who was found dead of an apparent suicide Monday at his California home. He was 63.
A statement from his publicist said he had been battling depression. Williams' longtime struggle with drugs and alcohol was well-known. Just last month, he admitted himself into a rehabilitation facility to help maintain his sobriety.
During his decades-long career in television and movies, Williams entertained fans of all ages. He won acclaim for numerous films, including Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Morning, Vietnam and Good Will Hunting, which earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1998.
President Barack Obama praised Williams as a "one of a kind" performer who touched "every element of the human spirit."
Williams' fellow actors, friends and fans took to Twitter to share their memories. Steve Martin, who co-starred with Williams in Waiting for Godot, wrote that he "could not be more stunned" by the loss, calling Williams a "great talent, acting partner" and a "genuine soul."
Local authorities say they believe Williams killed himself by asphyxia, but the cause of death is still under investigation. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
TV debut
Born in Chicago in 1951, Williams was a stand-up comedian when he made his television debut in the late 1970s, playing an alien in the situation comedy Mork and Mindy.
Williams also acted on Broadway and continued performing stand-up comedy even after becoming a movie star, delighting audiences with his rapid-fire, improvisational routines.
Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg, who directed Williams in the 1991 film "Hook," described the comedian as "a lightning storm of comic genius."
Outside Williams' home in the town of Tiburon, north of San Francisco, people left flowers, with the entertainer's neighbors praising him for his niceness.
The late actor's wife, Susan Schneider, released a statement saying, "As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions."
In addition to his wife, Williams is survived by his three adult children.
VOA's Mike O'Sullivan contributed to this report from Los Angeles
Robin Williams' Death Prompts Outpouring of Tributes
1/10Festival goers pay tribute to the late actor Robin Williams at a makeshift memorial at the 22nd Sziget (Island) Festival on the Shipyard Island in northern Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 13, 2014.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
2/10A woman walks past graffiti on a wall that shows late actor Robin Williams after he was found dead at his home in California, in Belgrade, Serbia, Aug. 13, 2014.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
3/10People pause by a bench at Boston's Public Garden, Aug. 12, 2014, where a small memorial has sprung up at the place where Robin Williams filmed a scene during the movie, "Good Will Hunting."
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
4/10Visitors look at a photograph of Oscar-winning actor and renowned comedian Robin Williams displayed at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., Aug. 12, 2014.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
5/10Flowers sit in front of the home of Robin Williams, Aug. 11, 2014, in Tiburon, California.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
6/10A photo of the late actor Robin Williams as Mork from Ork hangs with flowers left by people paying their respects, in Boulder, Colorado, Aug. 11, 2014, at the home where his hit 1980s TV series "Mork & Mindy", was set.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
7/10A person walks past the marquee of the Laugh Factory with a message in memory of actor/comedian Robin Williams in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, Aug. 11, 2014.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
8/10Robin Williams' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is seen, Aug. 11, 2014, in Hollywood, California.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
9/10AJ Polis leaves a flower alongside a placard and a photo of the late actor Robin Williams as Mork from Ork, as people pay their respects at the home where the 1980's TV series "Mork & Mindy", was set, in Boulder, Colorado, Aug. 11, 2014.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
10/10Newspapers announcing the death of comedian Robin Williams are stacked on a newsstand in New York, Aug. 12, 2014.
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead at age 63 on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in northern California, authorities said. As the news spread fans, Hollywood celebrities, and many others who knew him, paid tribute to Williams.
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