Stellan Skarsgård Reveals Robin Williams ‘Had To Be Funny To Survive’

reddit/entertainment

Stellan Skarsgård shared a touching observation about his deceased ‘Good Will Hunting’ co-star Robin Williams whom he regarded as a very private person. The actor proposed that Williams used his extraordinary comedic performance abilities as a means to shield his true self during public situations.

Advertisement

Skarsgård shared his memories of working with Williams during the interview. The comedian appeared to him as composed and beautiful and intelligent when they talked privately. Skarsgård observed complete changes in his personality when other individuals entered their shared location. “He suddenly would get up — to save himself, in a way,” Skarsgård recalled. Williams developed this automatic response because he needed to be funny in order to survive school according to his friend who stated, “He had to be funny to survive.”

The observation resonated with many who saw parallels to their own experiences. One commenter compared the situation to “class clown mentality” which developed from social anxiety because people thought being laughed with was safer than being laughed at.

The private side of Williams was revealed through this personal account which matched the multiple personal stories told by his acquaintances. The people who met Williams in common places confirmed Skarsgård’s description of him as a gentle person who became unexpectedly shy when not performing.

A former neighbor from Tiburon, California shared their story about their interactions with local residents. “We had a little puppy… and he would go into a French character and spoke to him and entertained us just on a walk after dinner,” they shared. They described Williams as “the sweetest person” and “as shy a person as you have ever met,” who was often alone.

Advertisement

A former San Francisco bartender at one of Williams’s favorite steakhouses shared a different story about Williams. The star would sneak into the bar area which was less visible to patrons in the busy restaurant according to the staff members who worked there. Their conversations were stri