Great interview Jake! First time watching your channel. What is the latest with regards to the statue? I instantly visioned what it might look like in my mind. It really is a great idea, and I hope it happens.
I was lucky/blessed to have worked on 5 of Robin's film as Craft Service. My heart hurts just typing this. I was on set (Patch Adams) on the Berkeley campus the morning after he won the Oscar. He brought it to lunch - he was beaming. I said, "You want me to get him his own chair Robin?" He smiled and stuck it up on the table and I congratulated him on finally getting what he deserved for so many roles he portrayed prior to Good Will. He was such a loving, caring, sharing kind of man - always having lunch with Make-A-Wish children - which from my perspective had to be one of the hardest things, because many of thise children were terminal and meeting Robin was their final wish, which he graciously performed for them bringing laughter and smiles from everyone of them. He was just amazing. Anyhow, I asked him if I could hold his Oscar, and that he had to be tired of lugging it around at this point because he probably hadnt slept in over 24 hours at this point but he was beaming, and he said, "Sure Joe, here." When he handed it to me I was amazed at how heavy this statue was. At this point I'd worked on 3 of his films already and he was just so open to allowing everyone on the crew into his world. But, I could see (over time) that for as gregarious, ebullient and entertaining as he always was, always "on" and loved by millions (billions?) of people around the world, and always trying to make us laugh on set, whether it was between filming and he was doing his new stand up material and working out bits usually until it hurt from laughing uncontrollably, and he was a dirty funny guy for us, there was, a lonely man, a little boy inside even, that lived his life for others, to bring them joy, and I saw him in a different more gentle light after that. It always amazed me that I watched him ("Mork") on Happy Days as a kid, and now here I am working in the film industry with/for/around him and as one of his most trusted stagehands. If Robin didnt like you, you didnt get the privilege of repeatedly working on his films, or in my particular case feeding him - he was very particular about cleanliness and eating only good (& healthy) food, which I always went the extra mile to provide just for him. He poured so many hours into his craft, and like Matt said, he would do 10 takes even though only 4 are needed. He didnt do it just to perfect it to make himself look better on camera, but also to remind everyone on set that this was "everyones" film - we all worked on it and poured our heart and souls into making his films better, if by doing so would make him happier to be there, as the nicest man in Hollywood. I worked on a couple of dozen features, big ones, and he was the absolute nicest, most genuine, caring and compassionate (besides being one of the funniest as well) actors I ever met and worked around. I miss him being on Earth. The world has just continually spiralled into a dumster fire since he went back home, and like George Carlin, he would be compelled to point out all the twisted wickedness, that we all now know exists in Hollywood (or "Hollywood" for the ugly, greedy, criminal "actors" in DC) andntry to make us at least laugh about it a little - because we see it and we all onow that theres nothing we can do about it either - so we might as well hear about it from Robin's comedic perspective and laugh along with him. He was an Angel. He went back home and the World is worse because of it IMHO. I just wanted to say, I think he would love that statue because he really did care about people, and it would bring his oversized heart and soul great joy knowing that he still has such a profound effect on people even after the 10 years since his sad and terrible passing.💔 RIP Master Robin.🙏 I just watched an old episode of The Tonight Show with Carson tonight and Jonathon Winters was on it, which of course made me think of Robin and how he loved that man and idolized him. Like I still feel about watching Robin smile and thinking, "How could you NOT love this man? He was a gift to mankind, but now, as one of his funny friends said, "he's back home - making God laugh."
@@richwightman3044 Thanks for that. I'm shadowbanned on social media, so I'm glad someone (an actual someone) actually read it. I imagine you were a fan of Robin too. I hope it helped validate why you liked him. He was the real deal.
We would see Robin in North Beach just browsing at the used book store near City Lights or doing a bit at a tiny comedy event at the Original Old Spaghetti Factory or his week long “Working On Material” shows at Bimbo’s 365 Club. Soon after moving to an apartment above the Broadway tunnel I watched a film crew prepare the tunnel for a scene. I was told the movie was “What Dreams May Come” which naughty Robin had renamed “WET Dreams May Come”. The scene is when Robin’s screen wife dies which is the basis of his search for her. The rainbow painted Waldo Tunnel in Marin was renamed Robin Williams Tunnel. San Francisco loved him… he was OUR guy. I never met Robin but had friends who knew him well. You are so fortunate to have had the personal experiences and thank you for sharing!
Really cool to read your story... Thanks for sharing it. I had an odd experience a day or so before Williams died. I remember, it was a Saturday night, and I started crying, and crying, almost gushing and I had no idea why. It wouldn't stop either. I had to force myself to stop so I could go into the video store, like I had planned. When I heard Williams had died, I didn't think about that Sat. night 'till about a week later. I think something in me had tapped into what Carl Jung called, the "collective unconscious." The event just hadn't happened yet. I have had similar experiences like that before. ***He will always be making people laugh.
There is a bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin sitting on a bench in downtown Holland, MI. He is there just like that - so you can sit with him, get smarter, and take a picture. 🙂 Williams sitting on the bench would be perfect.
If you drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, you will pass through a RAINBOW tunnel, and the highway sign says. ROBIN WILLIAMS TUNNEL. Robin referred to that tunnel in his act, and he lived maybe ten miles away. I spoke with the local newspaper editor the morning after he died, and the editor agreed to print my proposal to name the tunnel after Robin, two days later. In Marin County, it takes time for OK's, as George Lucas was experiencing, trying to build a facility. He battled for sixteen YEARS, which is why my appeal to the Supervisors to OK the tunnel name refers to Lucas. What ended up happening was a petition was created, and our State Assemblyman put a bill for consideration, and it passed through every committee and office almost instantly, and the naming was official. In his act, Robin referred to the rainbow over the tunnel, and asks what we think it is. "An ethnic detector!" Marin County, where he went to high school and also died, is wealthy and white. Now, you can understand why I encourage everyone to follow up and make the statue happen. NOW, not in sixteen years.
Robin Williams comedy saved my life, and that of my son...bit of a story. I was pregnant at 17, was diagnosed with preeclampsia and placed on bed rest to help combat it. For those that don't know, preeclampsia is high blood pressure caused by pregnancy and generally occurs in teen first time mothers, though is not exclusively associated with that. My blood pressure would skyrocket, and the only thing that would bring it down was Robin Williams stand up comedy. I wore out the copy of Robin Williams at the Met. By the end, my organs were shutting down, my blood was black from toxicity, and the small hospital I was in was ready to medi-flight me to the city hospital. I and my unborn son were close to death. But my doctor told me we would have died if I hadn't been able to keep my blood pressure down for the 6 weeks of bed rest. If I hadn't found that Robin's comedy helped my b/p I wouldn't be here, and neither would my now 3 sons. I remember Robin Williams every time I look at my 27 year old son, and could never repay Robin Williams for my sons' lives. RW lives forever because of the impact he had on so very many people.
Thanks for sharing that heartwarming story. Robin is irreplaceable and you've added another big reason he was a gift to humanity. Have you told your son this?
It is kind of weird that there isn't a statue of Williams there already. It seems like a perfect tribute, and really serves a purpose. It would definitely be a very fitting and poetic tribute to him, and to a great movie that likely changed so many lives for the better.
Please make this statue happen! Robin Williams was one of the formulaic people of my childhood and deserves to be honored posthumously by the regular folks that he effected!
I saw Robin for the first time in 1976 San Francisco at The Cannery, he did a standup routine. I met him in 1991 at the DMV on Haight St. and then at Gamescape on Divisadero St. the same day, he is one of those people I wish were still around.
Robin Williams - one of the few celebs whose death I have teared up over. He was a beautiful soul, and his death was both a loss for the world and tragic. A man who gave so much of himself and cared for so many..
"Not with that attitude" always works with Jake lol I love how the questions lead co-stars to ask each other like Casey asking Matt about Good Will Hunting
Bostonians, please do install a bronze statue of Robin Williams on that bench. That idea is epic! Please include an inscription that reads, "It's not your fault."
Matt...I have a place in the South End of Boston walking distance to that bench. If you put together the effort to commission an artist to create that bronze statue of Robin I would donate.
Jake is one of the kindest, genuine interviewers/people with passion for his trade. No wonder Matt and Casey are so comfortable and open up him and have real conversation. And we get these amazing gems.
That statue would be a tourist attraction. People who might not realize it's that bench, or not care that much about taking their picture with it, will be more likely to go there to get a pic with that statue.
I know its specifically relative to that one bench, but I'd love to see Robin statues in parks all around the world!!!! He was a treasure to humanity and one of the most tragic losses to mental health ever. MORE TIBUTES TO HIS LEGACY PLEASE!!!! I wish these junkets had variable time slots. To be brutally honest, some ppl only deserve 10 minutes with these actors but the rapport you have with your guests justifies full 30 minute segments.
Sometime in 2015, for work, I walked into a warehouse looking for the manager. A man, no more than 5' 8", clean shavin, walked towards me. I didn't have to say a word. He saw my confused look, my jaw hanging. I loved Robin Williams, from his work to his time with our troops. This manager nearly made a 54 yr old man cry. I wanted to hug him. He told me of his past difficulty walking through airports. How he literally had to sign autographs to get away. It was all there. A Robin twin. Honestly, I was so shocked I didn't get a photo. I believe it was in Watertown, CT. Time to investigate.
This is the best physically that I've seen Matt Damon at in years, and he's seemingly kept it for some time now. My guess is at this point, it's beyond getting in shape for a role this time around, and more about finally finding that healthy routine that was more sustainable for him now. Good for him. Makes it easier for him to prep for another Bourne film.. just in case 🤞
I've been a huge Robin fan since I was a kid watching Mork and Mindy. I was also a huge fan of Popeye and absolutely loved him in that. I've struggled with drug addiction and very serious mental health issues as well. Whenever I need a good laugh or even a good cry I can count on Robin to get me through one more day. I love the statue idea and wish I could afford to pay for it myself.
Make it happen Matt, Ben, & Casey! It would be a tremendous way of honoring & remembering the life of from what I hear, one of Hollywood's most generous, down-to-earth, humble, kind, funny, talented, tragic, missed, leading men! I can already envision people down on their luck or just going through a tough time in their lives sitting down next to this statue, replaying that tremendously powerful scene in their heads & how it relates to their own issues, & walking away feeling just a little better then they did yesterday!
Love that idea! Those who struggle can share a tear for Robin and maybe find a little peace as well. You guys are great actors and AWESOME HUMAN BEINGS. What a tragic loss.
I wish Robin had that someone to sit and talk to in his troubled days. I'm not American, but have never seen a humble, gentle soul like him ever. What an extraordinary artist! If there were an inter-planetary version of 'Got Talent', he would be the one representing Earth.
If that happens, it might even be the very last thing I do in my life but I swear I'll be a pilgrim for the very first and only time in a lifetime just to go there and sit next to his statue and rest my head onto his shoulder. Robin saved my life, literally, at least a couple of times by simply being himself. Life has never been the same ever since. I miss Robin, immensely.
Man, they should seriously make that statue and put it there on that bench. It's such an iconic scene that, along with the rest of the movie, has affected so many people, it would be an important part of the movie's legacy, Robin's legacy and the city itself if they were to do that.
I love movies set in Boston and glad they are increasing. I get homesick for Massachusetts but can't travel now. Good Will was my favorite movie of Robin's.
Oh, Robin! We miss you so much! I don't know how a spirit reconciles such a manner of death with so much love from people that you never met. I am certain, despite some religious dogma, that you are in a heaven like that in your movie What Dreams Will Come.
♥️One of my favorite movies for all time. So much wisdom in these men at that young age. And so beautifully made. Incredibly amazing. Thank you for making that movie. This statue would be so wonderful to represent this wisdom and love.♥️
Good Will Hunting is the best, so many lines that really touch me, I only have to lookat a photo of Robin Williams to get emotional, a statue would be Increable, 😢❤
I'm a pretty stoic individual but I woulddd sit with Robin and just talk to him. All of my problems, all of my hopes. One of the few people ever in my life that I cried for when he passed.
There's a statue at the entrance of The Legion of Honor museum here in San Francisco that Robin took a famous photo in front of that always reminds me of him. I get choked up every time I pass by it. I'm pretty sure if I got to sit next to a statue of him made for people to be comforted with his presence I would straight up burst into tears. I still miss him terribly.
A bronze statue of Robin on that bench would be a FANTASTIC idea. Such a thoughtful gesture for one of the best human beings that ever walked this Earth.
That would be so awesome if they could get that done as an homage to Robin but the only thing that worries me about it would be the real possibilities of, as stupid as it sounds, vandalism or someone trying to steal it for some ignorant selfish reason. Sorry to even bring that up but I know the real world we live in and not everybody would see it for what it truly could be. I sincerely hope it happens and it stays pure and intact and unmolested for the world to enjoy. It's truly a great idea. Rest in peace, Robin.... there's millions of folks down here that love and miss you every day. I know I'm one of em. ❤✌️
The idea of a statue to Robin is probably one of the best idea's I have heard in a long time. There are literally millions of people who miss him in our lives. Having a statue of him on a bench or at a table would be amazing.
I love the thought of the statue being made and Robin Williams looking down from heaven (or wherever) for all of eternity, just watching thousands of people sitting next to him and finding comfort there. I think it would help his soul attain the ultimate comfort he deserves.
Literally my favorite #1 movie of all time. It's a bit hard to watch now 'cuz I get choked up a lot. We've all lived so much life since then & losing Robin Williams was hard. But at least once a year or ever 6 months or so, I put it in again & get blown away... (Also - that statue is an absolute MUST. Someone needs to make that happen.) R.I.P. Robin.
I had the esteem pleasure of meeting Robin Williams in Studio 54 with some friends of his and I gave him a small tour of the place and he was kind enough to sit down with me afterwards when we talked about Johnathan Winters. He was so Cool and kind to me. I'll never forget it.
My late wife loved watching patch Adams with Robin Williams in it .he put a smile on a lot of people's faces its sad he struggled with his own health issues.
Jake, can you write a book on how you come up with questions? I’ve been following you forever and I’m always amazed at your ability to spark the most captivating and interesting conversations.
I live in the SF bay area. One day im driving home from a job in Napa, in a really nice secluded area..i think to myself, jeeze, i wonder if this is where Robin Williams lives. Within minutes, it comes over the radio that he was gone. Blew me away
PLEASE follow up, get Matt and Casey, get everyone to make the bronze statue of Robin happen. It takes persuasion and timing. So says he who got the tunnel named after Robin.
Robin deserves to have his own statue and regarding Matt & Casey, they both were lucky to have worked with a comic legend like Robin, who raised lots of generations through Good Will Hunting, Jumanji or even Patch Adams. In fact, yesterday I saw Mrs. Doubtfire with my mom, and you don't imagine how much the movie made me cry because Robin is no longer with us. Furthermore, it was Robin Williams's 1st movie I watched as a kid, so that's why a movie like this hits you different when you're mature. You're greatly missed, Robin R.I.P.
@jakestakestv first time watching your channel and love your energy bro!! Superb questions and love how informed you are of the films they acted in and dates and awards won 😮 bravo keep up the good work! Ps great idea for the statue❤