Friends and fans remembered Robin Williams on Monday as a quintessential comedian whose tragic death instantly broke the hearts of millions and snuffed out one of the world’s funniest voices.
“Robin 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,” President Obama said in a statement on the actor’s death.
“He arrived in our lives as an alien — but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit,” the president added. “He made us laugh. He made us cry.”
The comedic icon’s suicide stung his long-time pal Henry Winkler — aka The Fonz — who performed with Williams on the sitcom “Happy Days” in 1978, where the character Mork of “Mork & Mindy” first appeared.
“I am speechless that this great, great artist is no longer on the Earth,” Winkler told CNN. “It is unimaginable that this is the reality today.”
Winkler said he knew the first time he met Williams that he was in the “presence of greatness” and that he never saw this coming.
Other former co-stars were also floored by Williams’ sudden death. Comedian Ben Stiller posted a long Twitter tribute to his friend, with whom he worked for both “Night At the Museum” flicks.
“His impact on the world was so positive,” said Stiller, who first met Williams when he was 13 years old. “He did so much good for people. He made me and so many people laugh so hard for a very long time.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who starred with Williams in his final TV show, “The Crazy Ones,” shared online a collage of photos of the two goofing off on set and even sharing a smooch on the red carpet.
“Our world has lost a comic genius, a gifted actor and a beautiful man,” CBS, which canceled the show after one season, wrote in a statement.
Those closest to Williams said he was the same guy in real life whom everyone saw on TV.
“Nobody made the world laugh like Robin Williams,” David Steinberg, Williams’ longtime manager, wrote in a statement. “My brother, my friend, my soul mate, I will miss you.”
“So sad to think about this. Hard to speak. Hard to say. Hard to take,” said actor Danny DeVito, who worked with Williams in the 2002 film “Death to Smoochy.”
“All I can think about is what a joy he was to be with,” DeVito said. “I’m devastated. My heart is broken by this news.”
In addition to the president, another politician publicly mourned the Oscar-winning actor. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee described the death as a “profound loss” for the city.
Even New York Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed his condolences on Twitter, saying Williams’ death was “a tragic ending to an inspired life and illustrious artist.”
News of his death quickly swept through the Twitterverse, with more than half of the national trends focused on the movies and catchphrases for which the funnyman was most known.
“Genie, you’re free,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tweeted, with a photo of Disney’s Aladdin embracing the big blue genie voiced by Williams.
[View the story “Celebrities mourn Robin Williams on Twitter and Instagram” on Storify]