Zelda Williams Remembers Her Father, Robin, on What Would Have Been His 65th Birthday
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Movies News ZeldaZelda Williams, the daughter of the late, beloved comedian Robin Williams, has taken to Instagram in remembrance of her father, whose 65th birthday would have been today. “Still not really sure what to do on days like today,” wrote Zelda in her post. “I know I can’t give you a present anymore, but I guess that means I’ll just have to keep giving them in your name instead.”
Robin passed away in August of 2014 after a long struggle with addiction, depression and a startling diagnosis (which was posthumously deemed incorrect) of Parkinson’s disease, later amended to a degenerative form of dementia. The whole world mourned the selfless, loving comedian and actor who brought children and adults alike joy with hits like Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society and countless others, influencing a new era of stand-up comedians with his fearless ability to draw upon his most personal life experiences for his material. Not only was he an inspiration to fans and audiences, he encouraged his daughter Zelda to follow in his footsteps and start an acting career.
“It’s interesting,” she told Entertainment Weekly when asked about her feelings on an exciting new role as a transgender man in Freeform’s newest drama, Dead of Summer. “[My dad] missed out on me being proud of myself by about a year and a half, and that’s the one thing that’s really sad for me, because I know he was always proud of me. I think he would’ve loved that I was happy.”
Robin was known for his extensive involvement in philanthropy and charity work, which Zelda touched upon in her Instagram post. He was a lifelong supporter of animal shelters, veteran support groups, disability organizations and many others, as Zelda mentions:
This year, I tried to help three causes you cared about in one; rescue dogs, people suffering from disabilities, and our nation’s wounded veterans, so I donated to freedomservicedogs.org. They rescue pups from shelters and train them so that they can be paired with someone in dire need of their help and companionship. Thought you’d get a kick out of furry, four legged friends helping change the world, one warrior in need at a time.
Zelda closed her message with a heartfelt birthday wish and a touching photo of the happy family’s earlier days. Check out the full post below.
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