August 11 is a sad date in the history of comedy.
Robin Williams died on this day in 2014, tragically taking his own life at the age of 63. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Following an autopsy, it was revealed that the actor had Lewy body disease.
Williams's death stunned the entertainment world. Fans erected makeshift memorials across locations made famous in his film and television career, including the Boston Public Garden bench that was featured in Good Will Hunting and the steps leading to the San Francisco home used in Mrs Doubtfire. The Disney Channel continuously broadcast Aladdin commercial-free and the lights on Broadway were dimmed as a tribute to the comedian.
To quote Williams’s daughter, Zelda, the world forever became "a little darker, less colourful and less full of laughter in his absence.”
Williams’s legacy, however, remains as luminous and uplifting as ever. His eclectic filmography is a testament to his prowess as an actor, not just in comedy, but also in drama and thriller films. After all, who can forget his rousing performance as “Captain” John Keating in Dead Poets Society or his spine-chilling portrayal of Seymour Parrish in One Hour Photo?
We honour Williams’s humour — by highlighting five roles across television, film and the theatre that ensured his place in the pantheon of comedic greats.
Mork in 'Happy Days'
In 1978, Williams was cast as a last-minute replacement for the role of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, on the sitcom Happy Days.
The show’s producers were so impressed by Williams’s improvised, out-of-this-world portrayal of the alien, that they created a spin-off show with Williams in the lead. Mork & Mindy ran for four seasons until 1982. The show had a peak weekly audience of 60 million and elevated the comedian to stardom. It was such a success that Time put Williams on its cover in the March 12, 1979 issue.
Mrs Euphegenia Doubtfire in 'Mrs Doubtfire'
In Mrs Doubtfire, Williams portrays a luckless, divorced actor who disguises himself as an elderly British woman with the aim of being hired as a housekeeper so that he can be closer to his kids.
The plot is so absurd and far-fetched that it could have easily been a train wreck. Instead, Williams’s depiction of the titular character ensured its place as one of the foremost classic family films of the 1990s. His portrayal was as side-stitching as it was compassionate. The performance reinforced a quote famed British filmmaker Terry Gilliam had about the actor’s ability to "go from manic to mad to tender and vulnerable ... [Williams had] the most unique mind on the planet. There's nobody like him out there."
Genie in 'Aladdin'
The role of Genie in Disney’s 1992 film Aladdin was specifically written for Williams.
Williams’s portrayal of the goateed, wisecracking genie is so definitive that it has cast a blue shadow over whoever has attempted the role after him. The character, after all, seems to have been devised especially for the comedian's skill sets in mind. Between the genie’s shapeshifting abilities and Williams’s knack for voices and characters, the character and actor have become inextricable in pop culture.
Adrian Cronauer in 'Good Morning, Vietnam'
Can you really think of the words "Good morning, Vietnam?" without Williams's voice yelling in your head? In the war comedy Good Morning, Vietnam, Williams stars as Adrian Cronauer, a real-life DJ for the Armed Forces Radio Service.
The film is loosely based on Cronauer’s experiences, but Williams made sure to put his idiosyncratic spin on the character. The role gave Williams, aged 36 at the time, the opportunity to put the whole gamut of his acting abilities on display, from the poignant to the manically hilarious. The film earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Estragon in 'Waiting for Godot'
In 1988, Robin Williams took up the role of Estragon in an off-Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, acting opposite Steve Martin as Vladimir.
Okay, so the only way to see this today is through short, grainy clips on YouTube, and according to internet hearsay, there are only two copies of the play available, both of which have been shot using a handheld camcorder and with lacklustre lighting and audio.
Still, according to several critics who saw the production, which ran for 25 shows, Williams’s Estragon was a hoot and proved his prowess on the stage beyond a stand-up performer.
“The scruffy Williams, sporting a beard and shaggy hair, is a brilliant improviser,” wrote AP theatre critic Michael Kuchwara. “His Estragon is a maniacal creature, verging out of control at times; but he can get a laugh out of the simplest of stage business, such as pulling off a boot or trying to eat a raw carrot."
The performance, according to Kuchwara, was also indicative of Williams’s propensity towards free association, a technique he often used in his comedy.
“He veers into some stage antics and line twistings that Beckett never would have dreamt of — giving hilarious imitations of such diverse cultural icons as R2D2 and John Wayne, complete with an improvised machine gun.”
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Results
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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