Robin Williams kept the world laughing, something that made it all the harder for friends and fans to accept that beneath that reservoir of frenetic energy and seemingly endless good humor resided demons so dark they could push him to suicide. It was no secret that the Oscar-winning actor had periodic bouts of substance abuse and depression he made reference to it himself in his comedy routines.

But word that he had killed himself Monday at his San Francisco Bay Area home left both friends in the Hollywood community and neighbors in the quiet neighborhood of Tiburon that he called home equally stunned and grief-stricken. He was last seen alive at home about 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the Marin County coroner's office. Shortly before noon, the Sheriff's Department received an emergency call from the home, where the star of "Good Will Hunting," ''Mrs. Doubtfire," ''Good Morning, Vietnam" and dozens of other films was pronounced dead. Sheriff's officials said a preliminary investigation determined Williams hanged himself.

He was 63. "This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken," said Williams' wife, Susan Schneider. "On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions."

His struggles never seemed to affect his talent. "You look at the world and see how scary it can be sometimes and still try to deal with the fear," he said in 1989. "Comedy can deal with the fear and still not paralyze you or tell you that it's going away. You say, OK, you got certain choices here, you can laugh at them and then once you've laughed at them and you have expunged the demon, now you can deal with them.

That's what I do when I do my act." From his breakthrough in the late 1970s as the alien in the hit TV show "Mork & Mindy," through his standup act and numerous hit films, the short, barrel-chested Williams ranted and shouted as if just sprung from solitary confinement. Loud, fast and manic, he parodied everyone from actor John Wayne to Keith Richards, impersonating a Russian immigrant as easily as a pack of Nazi attack dogs. He was a riot in drag in "Mrs. Doubtfire," or as a cartoon genie in "Aladdin."

"The World According to Garp" co-star Glenn Close, in a statement. "I've never known a sweeter, brighter, more considerate person than Robin. Robin's commitment as an artist to lifting our mood and making us happy is compared to none. He loved us all and we loved him back." "Old Dogs" co-star John Travolta, in a statement. "He always lit up when he was able to make people laugh, and he made them laugh his whole life long " tirelessly. He was one of a kind. There will not be another. "Mrs. Doubtfire" co-star Sally Field, in a statement."A big tenacious overflowing hyperkinetic eruption of compassion would be (the) best tribute to Williams."

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