{"id":15912,"date":"2025-01-25T16:59:07","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T16:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=15912"},"modified":"2025-01-25T16:59:07","modified_gmt":"2025-01-25T16:59:07","slug":"10-years-after-robin-williams-death-his-friend-billy-connolly-opened-up-about-the-actors-heartbreaking-final-words-details","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=15912","title":{"rendered":"10 Years after Robin Williams\u2019 Death, His Friend Billy Connolly Opened up about the Actor\u2019s Heartbreaking Final Words \u2013 Details"},"content":{"rendered":"

Robin Williams\u2019 tragic passing left fans around the world heartbroken. One of his closest celebrity friends recently shared the deeply emotional final words the beloved movie star spoke, offering a glimpse into his final moments.<\/p>\n

Robin Williams was an actor who demonstrated his prowess in dramatic roles, earning Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for his performances in \u201cGood Morning, Vietnam\u201d (1987) and \u201cThe Fisher King\u201d (1991). He ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable role in \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d (1997).
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\nRobin Williams on the set of \u201cGood Will Hunting,\u201d 1997 | Source: Getty Images
\nDespite his successful acting career, he battled personal issues such as alcohol addiction. In 2014, Williams spent several weeks at the Hazelden facility in Minnesota, engaging in a program to strengthen his commitment to sobriety.<\/p>\n

His stay was pre-emptive and not as a result of a relapse. The star\u2019s representative explained, \u201cAfter working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud.\u201d
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\nAn undated image of Robin Williams on \u201cThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno\u201d | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

In an August 2014 interview, Williams opened up about his struggle with alcohol abuse. Speaking with Diane Sawyer, the comedian reflected on his relapse after 20 years of sobriety, explaining that it happened gradually.<\/p>\n

He shared, \u201cIt\u2019s the same voice thought that \u2026 you\u2019re standing at a precipice and you look down, there\u2019s a voice and it\u2019s a little quiet voice that goes, \u2018Jump.’\u201d He added that the same voice tempted him with the thought of having one extra drink but acknowledged that for someone like him, that was impossible.
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\nRobin Williams appears during Google co-founder Larry Page\u2019s keynote address on January 6, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Williams had battled alcoholism and cocaine abuse in the early 1980s but quit after the overdose death of his friend, John Belushi, in 1982. The veteran star was sober for two decades. He explained that his relapse wasn\u2019t caused by any particular event. \u201cIt\u2019s [addiction] \u2014 not caused by anything, it\u2019s just there,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Williams, who starred alongside Sally Field in \u201cMrs. Doubtfire,\u201d described addiction as something that lies in wait, ready to resurface when a person feels they are fine. He explained that everything would seem okay for one moment, but suddenly it would not be.
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\nRobin Williams attends the Opening Night For \u201cSpamalot\u201d at The Wynn on March 31, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Tragically, Williams passed away on August 11, 2014, at 63, in what appeared to be a suicide at his home. Marin County Police in California reported that he was pronounced dead shortly after responding to an emergency call around noon.<\/p>\n

The Hollywood star\u2019 publicist revealed that he had been \u201cbattling severe depression\u201d leading up to his death. However, his widowed wife, Susan Schneider, later disclosed more information regarding his demise.
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\nSusan Schneider and Robin Williams arrive at the premiere of \u201cWorld\u2019s Greatest Dad,\u201d 2009 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Schneider discovered a disease that had deeply affected their lives, though she had never heard of it before \u2014 Lewy body dementia (LBD). An autopsy in October 2014 revealed that the actor had been suffering from this condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cA few months before he passed, he was given a Parkinson\u2019s diagnosis. But that was just the tip of the iceberg,\u201d Schneider shared.
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\nSusan Schneider and Robin Williams at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards on March 7, 2010, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Williams had been misdiagnosed in May 2014 after struggling with significant changes in memory, movement, personality, reasoning, sleep, and mood. Despite undergoing numerous tests, the actual cause remained hidden.<\/p>\n

Schneider described the discovery of LBD as uncovering the source of his suffering, saying, \u201cNone of the doctors knew that there was this ghost disease underlying all of this. When that was revealed, that was like essentially finding out the name of my husband\u2019s killer.\u201d
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\nSusan Schneider and Robin Williams attend the 2010 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on August 21, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

It has been a decade since Williams died, and his friend, Sir Billy Connolly, has since spoken out about their friendship. In an interview, the actor shared that he knew Williams very well.
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\nL-R) Robin Williams, Dudley Moore, and Billy Connolly photographed outside Langan\u2019s restaurant on January 1, 1985, in London, England. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

The pair first met in the \u201970s backstage on a talk show in Canada. They kept in touch over the years, and Williams even visited Connolly for the holidays at his home in Scotland.<\/p>\n

Connolly later discovered that Williams had Parkinson\u2019s disease as well, just like him. When asked how it affected his daily life during an October 2021 interview, the Scottish native shared, \u201cThere\u2019s good days and bad days, and the good days outnumber the bad days. So, I\u2019ve got nothing to complain about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what he would have done had he known that Williams planned on taking his own life, the star said he wouldn\u2019t have changed anything. \u201cYou have to give a guy the position that he\u2019s wise enough to make up his own mind,\u201d he said. Asked if he wouldn\u2019t have tried to save his life, Connolly admitted, \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d
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\nRobin Williams and Billy Connolly at the Lonach Highland Games on August 28, 2000, in Strathdon near Balmoral in Scotland. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

In a September 2014 interview, the comedian divulged what type of person Williams was, saying, \u201cHe was not always depressed. He was a complicated man, but a beautiful person. He was a joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an interview, the TV presenter shared that he and Williams frequently discussed their experiences with Parkinson\u2019s, often exchanging insights over the phone.
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\nBilly Connolly during the New York City Tartan Day Parades on April 6, 2019, in New York. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Both were facing an early onset of the disease, and Connolly likened the feeling to having a constant threat looming nearby. He also expressed that they regularly reminded each other of their deep friendship, saying they had told one another that they loved each other many times.
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\nRobin Williams and Billy Connolly at the Lonach Highland Games on August 28, 2000, in Strathdon near Balmoral in Scotland. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Connolly shared that Williams called him during the week of his death, inviting him to dinner, where the movie star made a heartfelt statement. In the BBC program \u201cIn My Own Words,\u201d Connolly reflected on their friendship, calling it a \u201clovely thing\u201d and noting that Williams helped him feel less \u201calone\u201d in the comedy world.<\/p>\n

Recalling their final dinner, Connolly said, \u201cHe phoned me and said, \u2018Let\u2019s have dinner,\u2019 and during the dinner, he said, \u2018I love you.\u2019 I said thanks very much. He said, \u2018Do you believe me?\u2019 I said \u2018Of course I do.\u2019 He said, \u2018Believe me, I love you.\u2019 I said, \u2018That\u2019s great.’\u201d
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\nBilly Connolly pictured at a soccer game on May 13, 2018 in Glasgow, Scotland. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the unusual nature of the conversation, Connolly noted, \u201cI thought \u2018how weird, how weird for him to say that, it\u2019s not like his usual.\u2019 He was dead on the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

He believes this was Williams\u2019 way of saying goodbye, adding, \u201cIt was a sad day in my life because I saw his whole career and it was stunning. He was like a rocket-ship, just took off. He was the best ever.\u201d
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\nSocial media users reacted to Williams\u2019 last words as one person expressed, \u201cSo sad.\u201d Someone else assumed, \u201cRobin Williams wasn\u2019t understood and wasn\u2019t listened to. Anyone who needs to talk should have an ear.\u201d While another wrote, \u201cIt is very difficult to read, heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robin Williams\u2019 life and career touched countless people, and his final moments with close friends revealed the depth of his emotional struggles. His legacy as a brilliant comedian and compassionate individual continues to inspire and resonate with fans worldwide.\/By Gaone Pule<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Robin Williams\u2019 tragic passing left fans around the world heartbroken. One of his closest celebrity friends recently shared the deeply emotional final words the beloved movie star… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15912"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15926,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15912\/revisions\/15926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}