Nanu-nanu, Robin

There will be no Bad Idea of the Week this week, because today is a sad day for comedy - Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams, who dazzled in such wide-ranging dramatic and comedic roles as alien, nanny, therapist, and cartoon genie during a four-decades long career, has been found dead in his northern California home in a suspected suicide. Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien, but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most - from troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on the streets. The Marin County Sheriff's Department said in a statement that Williams was found unconscious and not breathing in his home around noon yesterday Pacific Daylight Time. The statement said the investigation into Williams' death is ongoing, but the coroner "suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia." Celebrity colleagues and admirers of Robin Williams shared their reactions to his death:

• "I am completely and totally devastated. What more can be said?" — Pam Dawber, in a statement.
• "I feel stunned and so sad about Robin. I'm sad for the world of comedy. And so very sad for his family. And I'm sad for Robin. He always lit up when he was able to make people laugh, and he made them laugh his whole life long... tirelessly. He was one of a kind. There will not be another. Please God, let him now rest in peace." — Sally Field, in a statement.
• "Robin was a lightning storm of comic genius and our laughter was the thunder that sustained him. He was a pal and I can't believe he's gone." — Steven Spielberg, in a statement.
• "I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul." — Steve Martin, on Twitter.
• "I saw him on stage the very first time he auditioned at the Improv and we have been friends ever since. It's a very sad day." — Jay Leno, in a statement.
• "We have lost one of our most inspired and gifted comic minds, as well as one of this generation's greatest actors. To watch Robin work, was a magical and special privilege. His performances were unlike anything any of us had ever seen, they came from some spiritual and otherworldly place. He truly was one of the few people who deserved the title of 'genius.'" — Chris Columbus, in a statement.
• "Robin and I were great friends, suffering from the same little-known disease: depression. I never could have expected this ending to his life, and to ours with him. God bless him and God bless us all for his LIFE! I cannot believe this. I am overwhelmed with grief. What a wonderful man/boy, and what a tremendous talent in the most important art of any time - comedy! I loved him." — Chevy Chase in a statement.
• "Robin was as sweet a man as he was funny. If you're sad, please tell someone." — Jimmy Kimmel, on Twitter.
• "Robin was friend, boss, brother, inspiration. His generosity and intelligence knew no limits." — Harvey Fierstein, on Twitter.
• "I've never known a sweeter, brighter, more considerate person than Robin. Robin's commitment as an artist to lifting our mood and making us happy is compared to none. He loved us all and we loved him back." — John Travolta, in a statement.
• "A big tenacious overflowing hyperkinetic eruption of compassion would be (the) best tribute to Williams." — John Cusack on Twitter.
• "RIP to my dear brother and friend Robin Williams. The world will miss the decades of laughter that you gave all of us." — Quincy Jones on Twitter.

Genie, you're free.