From his unparalleled improvisational skills, both in comedy and drama, to his unapologetically silly antics, Robin Williams was, for many years, the beating heart of Hollywood. One second he could make you laugh till it hurt, and the next he’d reduce you to a puddle of tears, and for both you would feel extremely grateful.
The shining star went out too early, however, as Williams took his own life on August 11, 2014, after silently battling depression and Lewy body dementia. His loss was a huge lesson to the world that you really never know what a person is going through, no matter how gleeful or entertaining they seem.
Though he left too soon, Robin Williams left us all with the greatest gift: his life’s work. Click through to look back at the unforgettable icon.