00:01Actor and comedian Robin Williams has died of an apparent suicide at the age of 63.
00:06The Oscar winner was pronounced dead shortly before mid-day local time at his home in Northern California,
00:12shortly after officials responded to an emergency call.
00:16His publicist says he had been battling severe depression.
00:19Williams was a man who put a smile on faces around the world
00:23with his roles in films such as Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society,
00:27before going on to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Good Will Hunting.
00:32But there was a sadness in his comedy, as he regularly joked about his struggles with alcohol and drugs.
00:38It was reported he had recently returned to a rehabilitation centre to fine-tune his sobriety.
00:44Tributes have poured in from all corners of the globe, including U.S. President Barack Obama,
00:49who said Williams arrived in our lives as an alien but ended up touching every element of the human spirit.
00:54His wife, Susan Schneider, said she wanted her husband to be remembered
00:59for the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.
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