Cathal BarrySuicide awareness charity Pieta House has pleaded with people living with mental health difficulties to reach out in the wake of the tragic death of comic actor Robin Williams. Mr Williams died August 11 and police say they believe he took his own life.
The film star had reportedly recently been battling severe depression and had repeatedly talked about his past struggles with alcohol and drug addiction.
Mr Williams, whose appeal stretched across generations and genres, will be perhaps best remembered for his Oscar winning portrayal of a fatherly therapist in Good Will Hunting (1997).
Some of the actor’s lesser known roles include Catholic priest Fr Monaghan in The Big Wedding (2013) and Reverend Frank who puts an engaged couple through a gruelling marriage preparation course in License to Wed (2007).
Mr Williams, who referred to his religious beliefs as “Catholic-lite: half the religion, half the guilt”, often made God a pivot point in his jokes. He once quipped: “Cocaine is God’s way of telling you you are making too much money.”