Robin Williams RIP: What I'll remember is his remarkable range

Robin Williams

In the wake of shocking and sad news that Oscar winner and comedic icon Robin Williams has died from an apparent suicide at just 63 years old, there has been an incredible outpouring of memories and grief all over social media.

From his famous inspirational lines from Dead Poets Society to shots from the touching denouement of Aladdin, it's been both a little overwhelming and very cathartic.

Like so many great performers whose careers have spanned decades, it became easy to take Robin Williams for granted.

For my generation he was an institution.

I was born during Mork & Mindy's initial television run and like so many people my age I grew up on hilarious movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and The Birdcage.

And while Williams will likely first and foremost be remembered for his work in the world of comedy -- I think his true brilliance was showcased in his darker, more dramatic work.

This is hardly an original observation, and I imagine as the media and culture watchers continue to delve into the depths of Williams' personal battles with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as depression, it may become fashionable to see his more serious roles as a glimpse at the real him.

Robin Williams as Peter Pan in Hook

I wouldn't dare speculate about the man's inner demons but I will say that the range he displayed in his more complex roles in films like The Fisher King, Awakenings, and One Hour Photo, offer a master class in modulation and emotion for any up-and-coming actor.

As terrible as this tragic loss is, his passing presents an opportunity for us all to look back on his considerable body work and maybe rediscover some under-appreciated gems.

For instance, I have always been a fan and defender of Robert Altman's 1980 interpretation of Popeye, which starred Williams in the title role.

It was his first major film role and he delivers a fully committed, gracefully physical performance devoid of his usual manic shtick.

Another favorite of mine is Hook, not because it's a flawless cinematic achievement (even its director Steven Spielberg has distanced himself from it) but because it was one of the first movies I really had a visceral connection with as a child -- and so I will always have a special place in my heart for it.

And even though some of his late career work became increasingly sentimental or silly, he was always hard to dislike because he seemed like a big, albeit extremely hairy, kid (why he was a natural to play a grown up Peter Pan). He seemed like he loved what he did, which is probably why the circumstances of his death feel so incredibly hard to swallow.

He was someone who I think still had more shades to show of his persona. He showed a great flair for dark satire in the under-seen, savagely funny black comedy World's Greatest Dad, and I would have loved to see him play more against-type roles like he did in Christopher Nolan's wildly underrated Insomnia.

In that film, he more than holds his own alongside a powerhouse dramatic actor like Al Pacino, and he is utterly convincing and scary as a truly depraved villain.

Today, like so many people, I am stocking up my Netflix queue with Williams films I've either never seen or feel I need to see again. There really was no one else like him and I don't think there ever will be again.