Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name (as requested) | When Did Robin Williams Die (Robin McLaurin Williams) |
| Born | July 21, 1951 |
| Died | August 11, 2014 |
| Occupation | Comedian, actor, voice artist |
| Breakthrough TV role | Mork & Mindy (1978–1982) |
| Major awards | Academy Award (Supporting Actor), multiple Golden Globes, Emmys, Grammys |
| Spouses (years) | Valerie Velardi (1978–1988); Marsha Garces Williams (1989–2010); Susan Schneider (m. 2011–2014) |
| Children (birth years) | Zak (Zachary) Williams (1983); Zelda Williams (1989); Cody Williams (1991) |
| Estimated net worth at death | ~ $50 million (public estimates) |
I write about When Did Robin Williams Die like someone sketching a portrait with a microphone in hand — because his life reads like a rapid, hilarious, heartbreaking monologue that keeps looping in my head. He arrived on screens and stages as a flood of voice, physical comedy, and improvisation: think of a human jazz solo who could switch from manic to molten in a single breath.
Early arc and rise — dates that shaped a comic
Born July 21, 1951, he trained in stand-up and improv before landing the life-changing role of Mork in 1978. The late 1970s through the 1980s were a rocket for him: national fame from Mork & Mindy (1978–1982), a leap into film with Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), and then a string of roles that proved he could anchor drama as easily as he could detonate a joke. By 1997 he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting — a number that clipped the badge of “comic” and added the gravitas of “actor to reckon with.”
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Mork & Mindy (breakthrough) |
| 1987 | Good Morning, Vietnam (major film breakthrough) |
| 1989 | Dead Poets Society (dramatic acclaim) |
| 1992 | Voice of the Genie, Aladdin |
| 1993 | Mrs. Doubtfire (box-office hit) |
| 1998 | Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1997 film) |
Those numbers—dates, awards, box-office runs—are a ledger of accomplishment. But they don’t capture the riffs: the way he could turn a voice into a carnival of characters, or then quietly slide into a scene that left you weeping.
Family, relationships, and the people who mattered
If you’re reading for the family chapter, here’s the cast list — not just names on a résumé, but characters who shaped the man behind the mask.
| Family member | Role & short intro |
|---|---|
| Valerie Velardi | First wife (m. 1978–1988); mother of Zak; part of his early-adult chapter. |
| Marsha Garces Williams | Second wife (m. 1989–2010); started as a nanny, became a producing partner and mother to Zelda and Cody. |
| Susan Schneider | Third wife (m. 2011–2014); a steadying presence in his final years and later an advocate explaining his health challenges. |
| Zak (Zachary) Williams (b. 1983) | Son who has spoken openly about mental health and continued his father’s spirit in public conversations. |
| Zelda Williams (b. 1989) | Daughter, actor and voice artist, public defender of her father’s image in the digital age. |
| Cody Williams (b. 1991) | Son who has worked behind the camera and kept a lower public profile. |
| Robert F. Williams & Laurie McLaurin | Parents — family roots, and an American story threaded into his upbringing. |
I find myself circling the family table in memory: Zak’s advocacy for mental-health conversations; Zelda’s public persona that, like a mirror, reflects both her father’s humor and her own creative life; Marsha and Susan as bookends of different decades, each part of a complex human story. The domestic chapters included joyful summers, tough legal and financial negotiations through divorces, and ultimately, the family rallying around a man whose inner life became alarmingly fragile.
Health, death, and legacy — numbers that matter
August 11, 2014 is a date stamped on millions of grief threads: the day When Did Robin Williams Die passed away. The official determination was suicide by hanging; later medical reporting noted he was also affected by diffuse Lewy body disease, a neurodegenerative condition that can produce hallucinations, cognitive changes, and mood shifts—details that reframed many public discussions about his final months.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2014 | Death (ruled suicide) |
| Post-2014 | Family disclosures about Lewy body disease and its effects |
That conjunction—mental pain and neurological illness—pushed conversations about depression, brain disorders, and the private pain behind public laughter into public view. It also spawned debates: about celebrity responsibility, about how the entertainment machine consumes its stars, and about how families should protect legacies.
Career totals & the financial footnote
By the time of his death he had decades of work across film, TV, voice acting, and stand-up. Industry estimates at the time placed his net worth near the $50 million mark — a ballpark figure that, like many celebrity valuations, reads as shorthand for a long career of ticket sales, contracts, settlements, and estate complexities.
| Metric | Approximate figure |
|---|---|
| Career span | ~1970s–2014 (40+ years) |
| Estimated net worth at death | ~$50,000,000 |
Beyond dollars, his cultural currency—lines from Aladdin, the manic energy of Mork, the tender beat in Good Will Hunting—keeps being quoted, memed, and mourned. Zelda’s public objections to synthetic recreations of his performances in recent years underscore an ongoing tension: the tech that can resurrect a voice now collides with a family’s wish that the person, and his pain, remain undistorted.
FAQ
When did When Did Robin Williams Die?
He died on August 11, 2014.
Who were his spouses?
He was married three times: Valerie Velardi (1978–1988), Marsha Garces Williams (1989–2010), and Susan Schneider (2011–2014).
Who are his children and when were they born?
His children are Zak (b. 1983), Zelda (b. 1989), and Cody (b. 1991).
What caused his death?
His death was ruled a suicide, and posthumous medical findings noted diffuse Lewy body disease that contributed to his decline.
What are the major career highlights?
Highlights include Mork & Mindy, Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Aladdin (voice of the Genie), Mrs. Doubtfire, and an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting.
What was his estimated net worth at the time of death?
Public estimates placed his net worth at roughly $50 million.
How has the family addressed his legacy recently?
Family members have spoken publicly about Lewy body disease, mental health, and have objected to synthetic recreations of his performances, seeking to protect his image and memory.
