Robin Williams' young "Hook," "Mrs. Doubtfire" co-stars pay tribute
Robin Williams is being remembered by many in Hollywood, especially by those who worked with him as young up-and-comers in the industry.
Williams' "Hook" castmate Dante Basco and his "Mrs. Doubtfire" co-star Lisa Jakub, both teens at the time of making those films, have each penned personal tributes on social media to the late actor, who was found dead on Monday at 63 after committing suicide in his Northern California home.
Basco, the now-39-year-old actor who played the rebellious teen Rufio in Steven Spielberg's Peter Pan-based epic, shared a photo of himself and Williams on Twitter and YouTube Monday night:
On Tuesday morning, Basco took to his blog to write a farewell message to Williams.
"Although working with him [on 'Hook'] changed my life, in truth, he impacted me several years before when 'Dead Poet's Society' became one of my favorite films and really started me being interested in poetry, at which I later became a poet," Basco wrote. "I was lucky to work with him as an actor and witness first hand the magic of what made him a legend, the wit and other worldly improv skills. As well as see him single handedly put the morale of a movie set, easily hundreds of people, on his shoulders and kept everyone laughing as they worked long hours for what seemed like months on end."
Basco also revealed that he and Williams would spend many early-morning hours in the make-up chair together, often discussing famous poets like Walt Whitman and Charles Bukowski.
"With his passing, I can't help to feel, along with my generation...I can't help feeling like it's the death of my childhood," Basco lamented, "I guess we can't stay in Neverland forever, we must all grow up."
The actor ended his post with, "O' Captain! My Captain! See you in Neverland..."
Jakub, 35, also spoke warmly on her blog about the impact Williams had on her personal life.
The now-retired actress recounted an incident when she was kicked out of her high school at 14 because she had to be away on location for months shooting the "Doubtfire" film.
"It's devastating, at 14, to have your formal education terminated. I felt like a freak and a reject," said Jakub. "When I arrived at work the next day, Robin noticed that I was upset and asked me what was wrong. I explained what had happened, and the next day, he handed me a letter that he wrote to my school."
"He explained that I was just trying to continue my education while pursuing my career. He wrote embarrassingly kind things about my character and my work, and requested that they reconsider and allow me to return to my classes."
Jakub said that the tactic didn't work and the school would not allow her to return, but "the school framed the letter. They hung it in the principal's office."
"Here's what matters from that story," she added, "Robin stood up for me. He was in my corner. I was only 14, but I had already seen that I was in an industry that was full of back-stabbing. And it was entirely clear that Robin had my back."
Jakub said that she wished she had the chance to thank Williams more for coming to her defense.
"Even though I had not spoken with Robin in a very long time," she said, "I always assumed there would be some future opportunity to tell him that his letter changed my life. It taught me that you stand up for the things that matter."
Jakub also revealed that like Williams, she too, counted herself among the 16 million Americans struggling with depression. She encouraged those who need help to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and listed their number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
