Lord wasn’t a close friend of Williams, nor was he privy to the entertainer’s day-to-day life. All the same, through attempting to book the Mrs. Doubtfire star once, he got an insight he won’t soon forget.
“Years ago I learned a very cool thing about Robin Williams, and I couldn’t watch a movie of his afterward without thinking of it,” Lord wrote on his blog.
“I never actually booked Robin Williams for an event, but I came close enough that his office sent over his rider. You can learn a lot about a person from their rider.”
It transpired that though Williams might well have asked for extravagant things, or made bizarre requests, instead all he wanted was something that spoke volumes about his character.
“When I got Robin Williams’ rider, I was very surprised by what I found.
“He actually had a requirement that, for every single event or film he did, the company hiring him also had to hire a certain number of homeless people and put them to work.”
“I’m sure that on his own time and with his own money, he was working with these people in need, but he’d also decided to use his clout as an entertainer to make sure that production companies and event planners also learned the value of giving people a chance to work their way back,” Lord continued.
“He was a great multiplier of his impact. Let’s hope that impact lives on without him. Thanks, Robin Williams—not just for laughs, but also for a cool example.”
As if it were possible for Robin Williams to become even more likeable. The actor is greatly missed to this day, not just for his talents on-screen but also for his compassionate and humane approach to topics so many others ignore on a regular basis.
We miss you, Robin Williams!
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