Behind the smile of Robin Williams: The inspiring life of a comedic genius
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How Robin Williams helped Sharon Osbourne during her cancer battle
Robin Williams was an icon. Whether it be his acting or extra-creative activities, he gave us numerous stellar moments over the years that confirm him as one of the all-time greats. From Hook to Mrs. Doubtfire and even Jumanji, for many, Williams was ever-present during childhood, and his position as a perennial force for good was there for all to see, young or old.
Remarkably, the magical essence of his most treasured characters bled into his life, as Williams was indistinguishable from them, which is what made them so powerful for everyone who was watching. This good nature made his suicide in 2014 so hard to take, but as a testament to the man himself, he lives on through the indelible impact he made on the world.
There are a number of brilliant stories about Williams in existence, and one of the most profound is the role he played in Sharon Osbourne’s battle against colon cancer. Featuring as part of Osbourne’s first episode of their podcast back in 2018, they touched on Sharon’s cancer.
“It was not a very fun time at all for anyone. Probably the least amount of fun for Mom,” Jack Osbourne expressed.
Daughter Kelly Osbourne then described that Sharon had started to lose hope during her treatment as her hair had started to fall out. “Mom was lying in this bedroom that she had curtained off. It was pitch black,” she said. “She hadn’t gotten out of bed for like a week. Mom’s dog had to go to the hospital because she was dehydrated. Mom was dehydrated. And we couldn’t get her to go back to finish the chemo.”
It then fell to the patriarch of the family, ‘The Prince of Darkness’ himself, Ozzy Osbourne, to save the day, and it was him who had the idea of getting Robin Williams round to cheer Sharon up.
“Dad said laughter is the best medicine,” Kelly recalled. “And organised for Robin to come over and make Mom laugh. And he just dropped everything. Came over to the house. Got in bed with Mom. I just remember sitting at the bottom of the stairs and we went from crying, not knowing what to do, to peeing ourselves laughing because we could hear Mom upstairs in her room laughing with Robin. The next day it changed everything and Mom went back to chemo.”
Popping up with her own thoughts on the Mrs. Doubtfire actor helping her change her perspective, Sharon could not be thankful enough for Williams, labelling him “one of the nicest genuine people that you could ever meet”.
