Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead Monday inside his California home of an apparent suicide, stunning his devoted fans and fellow actors.
Williams, 63, appears to have died of self-inflicted asphyxia inside his Tiburon home, just north of San Francisco, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division.
The beloved actor, known for both his comedic genius and dramatic aptitude, had recently been battling depression, said his representative, Mara Buxbaum, in a statement.
Williams was pronounced dead at about noon, pacific time, the coroner’s division said. He was last seen by his wife inside their home at Sunday at about 10 p.m.
It was not immediately clear where inside the home Williams was found or exactly how he died.
For years Williams battled alcohol and drug addiction, most recently checking himself in to a Minnesota facility last month.
A spokesman for Williams said last month he had not relapsed and had been sober for 20 years.
His wife, Susan Schneider, said she plans on remembering Williams by the “countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.
“This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings,” Schneider added in a statement. “I am utterly heartbroken.”
Three weeks ago, Williams celebrated his birthday by posting a photo of himself with a monkey on Instagram. And on July 31 Williams posted a photo of him and his daughter from several years ago.
“Quarter of a century old today but always my baby girl,” he wrote. “Happy Birthday … Love you!”
Williams has starred in dozens of films. Some of his most well known roles include the cross-dressing nanny in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the funny genie who’s only wish is for freedom in “Aladdin,” the spirited cabaret owner in “The Birdcage” and the thoughtful therapist and teacher in “Good Will Hunting,” for which he won the academy award for best supporting actor.
Williams received his first Oscar nomimation for his role in “Good Morning, Vietnam.”
Williams was involved in several films not yet released, including “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” set to premier in December.
Celebrities took to Twitter Monday evening to voice their grief over the loss of an icon.
“I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams,” Steve Martin wrote on Twitter, “mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul.”
Fellow comedian Sarah Silverman called losing Williams “terrible … By all accounts he was pure love.”
Williams appeared on “Sesame Street” several times throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
“We mourn the loss of our friend Robin Williams,” the kids show wrote with a picture of Williams with the two-headed monster, “who always made us laugh and smile.”
A forensic examination is scheduled for Tuesday, the corner’s division said. Authorities will also perform a toxicology report.
Williams wasn’t the only celebrity to die tragically and too young this year. In February, Philip Seymour Hoffman died inside his West Village apartment of a drug overdose. He was 46.
(With DAN RIVOLI and SHEILA ANNE FEENEY)
