Robin Williams: A mighty talent is gone

Like a lot of kids growing up in the late 1970s, I loved "Mork and Mindy."

Can't help it. Still do. (Especially since I'm safe in the knowledge that photographic evidence of myself wearing rainbow suspenders and a T-shirt that said "Nanu Nanu" is long gone.)

That I'd gone on to love "Mork" star Robin Williams in so many films ("Moscow on the Hudson," "The World According to Garp," "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Good Will Hunting," "Dead Again") I thought was proof that he was supremely talented - and I had good taste.

So when Robin Williams' office called me at the appointed time on Jan. 8, 2013 for a 10-minute interview with the Oscar winner, I was a bit nervous. What do you ask Robin Williams? Especially when you only have 10 minutes? We stuck to the script - he was calling to talk about his tour with fellow comedian David Steinberg, in which the two longtime friends got on stage and just talked. I can only imagine the show at the Martin Woldson Theatre at the Fox was amazing - I couldn't make it. But I hung on to the recording of our brief telephone conversation. Listening to it again today, I'm reminded of what a funny guy he was. His death this morning at age 63 is a real loss.

Below are some excerpts from that 2013 interview. In this first one, he talks about getting back to his standup roots:

You can find a link to the story I wrote back then right here. And finally, here's a clip from "Aladdin," the reason my kids know the name Robin Williams:

Nanu nanu.