--- title: Alan Alda on Robin Williams Suicide: A Niagara of Wit Silenced description: Where did that manic waterfall of funny have its source? canonical: https://time.com/3103214/alan-alda-robin-williams-suicide/ author: Alan Alda article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-12T11:29:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:33.083Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Alan Alda on Hosting the Oscars With Robin Williams og:description: Can we turn the loss of this artist we loved so much into something that pushes back against the ravages of despair? og:url: https://time.com/3103214/alan-alda-robin-williams-suicide/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5173d72b2b3a4c8/69869f1d1eebf76ae2372336/741ede04123442a49fa0b96db2747706-0.jpg?branch=production&width=800&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 800 og:image:height: 450 og:image:alt: Robin Williams og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Alan Alda on Hosting the Oscars With Robin Williams twitter:description: Can we turn the loss of this artist we loved so much into something that pushes back against the ravages of despair? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5173d72b2b3a4c8/69869f1d1eebf76ae2372336/741ede04123442a49fa0b96db2747706-0.jpg?branch=production&width=800&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Alan Alda: A Niagara of Wit Falls Silent > Sponsored content. 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A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=cc8c90fd-b106-4efe-b994-4fe7467b5329&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 10 Questions for Robin Williams [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Questions for Robin Williams](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/e5SUiinR.m3u8) (5:56)  _Published 2011-04-14. The comedian and actor talks about playing a tiger in his first Broadway role, the war in Iraq and why it isn't always a good thing to be funny_ by [Alan Alda](https://time.com/author/alan-alda/) ## Alan Alda Aug 12, 2014 11:29 AM UTC  Reed Saxon—AP by [Alan Alda](https://time.com/author/alan-alda/) ## Alan Alda Aug 12, 2014 11:29 AM UTC Within minutes we were telling one another he was gone. His genius, that had burned so hot, was cold, and the whole country felt the chill at once. For years, we had watched with awe as a Niagara of wit poured from his unconscious. Where did that manic waterfall of funny have its source? And where did his fearlessness come from? The night that he and Jane Fonda and I hosted the Academy Awards show together, he kept coming up with outrageous jokes in the wings. But before he went out on stage, he seemed to be using me as his taste monitor. He would think of a line and say, “Is that too tasteless?” Invariably, I’d say, “Yes, it’s too tasteless,” and invariably he’d go on stage, say the line and kill with it. Unfortunately, sometimes the mind that runs so fast it can’t keep up with itself also has its down time. I didn’t know he suffered from depression, although it doesn’t surprise me. But it makes me want to _do_ something. I hope it makes us all want to do something. While the whole country, and much of the world, feels this moment of sadness at his death, can we turn the loss of this artist we loved so much into something that pushes back against the ravages of despair? Can we educate one another to recognize the early signs of depression? Can we make it clear to one another how dangerous it is? We all know now that drunk driving kills. But, when I looked up the numbers, I was astonished. Each year there are more than twice as many suicides attributed to depression as deaths on the road due to alcohol. Maybe our grief can be transformed into an awakening. The man who enriched our lives could be the focus of saving countless other lives. Robin Williams could be with us a little longer. ## Transcript >> I'm not gonna lie. When I get hungry, I get stupid. Twelve years back, I screwed up, okay? I followed the scent. I took a bite and then, fhwipp-- >> A gold [ unk ] gun. >> a tranquilizer dart comes from out of nowhere, and I wake up in Baghdad. >> Sweet ass. >> So, that was depressing. >> Hi. I'm Belinda Luscombe. This is TIME Magazine's 10 Questions. Today, we are asking our questions of Robin Williams. Hello, Mr. Williams. >> Welcome, Ms. Luscombe. >> So, in your new play, the Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, you're playing the tiger. >> Yes. >> How does one prepare to play a tiger? Prowling, little-- >> A little pacing, biting whenever possible. I'm basically playing the soul of a tiger, so I don't have to do a lot of tiger behavior except for that, but it's pretty much two- legged tiger 'cause I'm in a cage, and beginning to treat it more like jail. But it's, you know, the essence of a tiger with not a lot of-- no costume except for just beaten up clothing, you know. >> This is your Broadway debut in a serious Broadway play. >> Yeah. When I did Godot, it was under Broadway. >> That's right. >> That's about 20 years ago, actually. So, yeah, this is Broadway debut. >> And you left Juilliard in, what? 1975? >> Five, yeah. >> Yeah. So-- >> Exactly. I left school, I fell in love, and went back to live in San Francisco. >> This is actually a serious play. >> Uh- huh, very. >> And does your appearance in the play reflect any personal feelings you have about the Iraq war? >> You know, I've been there five times, Afghanistan six. My feelings are more about-- I mean, I'm still wondering, " Where are the weapons of mass destruction ." Even though they had Hussein, you had the guy himself, you think of anybody new. Saddam, what is it? I'm not telling. Too late, he's gone. How weird is that. Crazy. But my feelings about the war is just the idea of ghost especially in this war, is because I was just there recently, and you know, they're " winding down ." They're supposed to be out of there by Christmas next year. So, where do we come back from? What's the damage to the Iraqis? What's the damage to us? What do you leave for them when it just ends? You know, like he said, in the lines in the play about, " The Americans think when something dies, that's it, it's over ." But when you go to Middle East, you realize there's a real sense that things stay around. >> You did a stand- up tour in 2009 ,-- >> Right. >> Weapons of Self- destruction. >> Yes, yes. >> If I went to the right club on the right night, might I find you? Do you still have a-- >> I haven't been able to go out yet since I've started the play, but I think I'm gonna have to start to go out again 'cause it's about time, now, that I've the gig. >> Yeah. >> I can start to go out and, you know, do shows maybe on the weekends. And just I-- 'cause I've started, you know-- I'm starting to get the urge to go back in again. And it's important to go out and do it 'cause there's so much to talk about. The fact that Donald Trump wants to see Obama's birth certificate, it's kind of, " I wanna see his hairline first ." >> Absolutely. >> I think so. >> When did it stop? >> I believe the hair is actually him. I believe, at night, he walks into a small room, sits down and the hair goes, " Who should we marry next? We're going out! Put your name on that building !" >> Okay. Leading on from that question to that answer ,-- >> Leading onto that. >> Is being funny sometimes a hindrance to social interaction? >> Example, I was once walking in an airport, and a woman came up to me and said, " Be zany !" >> No. >> Big time. >> But what about with, say, family? Do you sometimes-- >> Oh, no. It's-- Years ago, my-- I was reading a story to my-- to my daughter. I was doing voices and everything and she turned to me and said, " Just read the story ." >> Ouch. >> Yeah. It was just-- >> Not. >> Yeah, it was just-- And just stay to the main points. >> Okay. No voices? >> No voices. Yeah, " Thanks dad ." >> How often does someone else make you laugh? >> Oh, big time. >> Is it kids? Or is it-- >> No. Kids do and comics, comedians that make me laugh, Chris Rock, Louis C. K ., Puddin Oswalt. I've now been hanging out with Mort Sahl and that's been a gift. I've been hanging out with him is two things. It's history, but it's also that he's amazingly funny and still has everything going and also in which which has been wonderful. >> So, you can-- when you get older as a comic, you stay funny, you can still-- what do you need to-- >> You try to stay funny as you get older as a comedian and then you get to this program, " Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Robin Williams. Thank you for coming to my show ." You try to stay funny, yeah. I mean, when you seem like that and [ unk ]. When you see these guys who are just still doing great, that's what keeps them alive. I mean, that's what keeps them going. >> Billy Crystal had said that stand- up is how comedians process things that are painful. >> Yeah. >> But does that mean we have to wish more painful things on you? Or-- >> You don't have to. I find them. I was coming in with-- you know, that concept of the Tourette's is the thing where people say kind of nasty things. Is there-- Is there another thing of like a positive Tourette's, like, " That dress is beautiful. Your legs are nice ?" So, everything is wonderful, like, " You really are lovely. Nice, nice eyes. Nice eyes !" Something like, " Your teeth are beautiful. Your teeth are beautiful, all of them ." >> Why do they have to get it the other way? >> Yeah. Oh, I think-- >> Do you think they did? >> But because-- it actually because it's the subconscious creeping out, but then you think, " Is there a nice side of your subconscious going, " I really like you. I just wanna pet you in a nice way ." >> You are sort of unique among comedians and I don't think you've actually written a book. >> No. I hope not to. >> You have not to? >> Especially biography. I mean, I have a lot of friends who are authors, who are great. I just don't have the discipline to do it. The learning is somewhat, but the discipline is to really sit down and write a book. Maybe, I've got to five years from now. I'm here with my new book, so that's the way you like it. But I don't think so. I think-- >> You know, you could just talk into a tape recorder and then someone will-- >> You're right. >> type it up. We do that here at TIME. >> Oh, then, I should do a book. >> I've got-- You've gone through all my questions. >> We did every question. 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