archangel Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 (CNN) -- Robin Williams will undergo heart surgery, according to his publicist. The 57-year-old actor and comedian postponed his one-man show tour and entered a hospital for testing this week after suffering a shortness of breath. Williams will undergo an aortic valve replacement, the publicist said. "I'm so touched by everyone's support and well wishes," Williams said in a statement. "This tour has been amazing fun and I can't wait to get back out on the road after a little tune-up." The publicist would not say when or where the surgery will take place. The surgery is similar to the procedure former first lady Barbara Bush underwent Wednesday. Bush's surgeon, Dr. Gerald Lawrie, described it as "a very routine procedure" from the doctors' perspective. Williams was in the middle of an 80-city tour of his "Weapons of Self-Destruction" show, which is expected to resume in the fall, the publicist said. His Web site says the shows "highlight Williams' trademark free associations and riffs on social and political absurdities." Williams rose to fame in the mid-1970s as the childlike alien Mork, who first appeared on an episode of "Happy Days" and then was spun off into his own show, "Mork and Mindy." His manic standup comedy, combining impersonations, commentary, jokes and nonsense in high-speed profusion, was and remains his trademark. Williams began his movie career with 1980's "Popeye," but succeeding films, such as 1982's "The World According to Garp" and 1984's "Moscow on the Hudson," countered his wild standup persona with quiet, pensive performances. (The performer had attended New York's famed Juilliard School to study drama in the 1970s, where one of his classmates was Christopher Reeve.) It wasn't until 1987's "Good Morning, Vietnam," which managed to combine Williams' frenzied comedy style with more sober drama, that he broke through as a film star. He was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of "Vietnam's" DJ Adrian Cronauer. Other Williams films include "Awakenings" (1990), "The Fisher King" (1991), "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993), "Good Will Hunting" (1997) and "Insomnia" (2002). He won a best supporting actor Oscar for "Good Will Hunting." Williams has been active in charitable endeavors, most notably the Comic Relief program, which raises money for various causes. Williams' current heart problems aren't the first time he's coped with health issues. In August 2006, the comedian and actor checked himself into an alcohol rehab center. "After 20 years of sobriety, Robin Williams found himself drinking again and has decided to take proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the well-being of his family," his publicist told CNN at the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Not to be a prick, but is anybody who's ever seen him perform surprised about this? He's spastic and loud for an hour and a half, he turns bright red and you can see the veins sticking out. It was either gonna be heart problems or a brain anyeurism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 yea, this guy goes a million miles an hour...but he's an amazing comic. I hope him well. It's too soon after Carlin to lose another Big Gun like Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 This would be worse, Carlin was a great comedian but he stopped being funny several years before his death, not that i wished death upon him or was any less sorry to hear he died, it just wasn't like we lost a comedic voice there as his good years were already long gone. As for Williams, I'm sure he'll be fine, people get heart surgery all the time so it's not too big a deal. I'm sure he'll probably have to take it easy from now on but he's nigh upon his sixth decade on this earth, he needs to be slowing down anyway. (I am so tempted to put "Face it Hartigan, you're pushing 60 with a bum ticker" in here somewhere, so there it is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpunkyMonkey Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Carlin just got really bitter, it wasn't as much funny social commentary anymore as it was a bitter old man whining about society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signal08 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 well at Carlins defense... he did get thrown in jail for testing the freedom of speech and expression.. bravo to him. He can be bitter all he wants. Williams... well Baytors right, he flies off of the handle for over an hour straight on a regular basis... but he's effin' great for it. Both are great comedians. I am sure he will fully recover, and go on just as he was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpunkyMonkey Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Yeah, Barbara Bush had the same surgery yesterday and she's like 114 and doing fine, so i'm sure he'll do fine, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signal08 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 114? I thought she was about to break the 2nd century mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpunkyMonkey Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 No, no, she was only a teenager when titanic sank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signal08 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I thought she was at Lincoln's side at Fords Theatre... I am way off then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I thought she was at Lincoln's side at Fords Theatre... I am way off then. She was, who do you think broke John Wilkes Boothe's leg? He didn't jump off the balcony, she lifted him over her head and threw him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpunkyMonkey Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 but she was harvard class of '13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iambaytor Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 She built Harvard, she chiseled the buldings out a giant piece of stone with her bare hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signal08 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I heard she had a fling with Cristobal Colon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aartemys Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 to SM, Baytor & Sig...you guys crack me up... Going back on topic...wasn't his surgery done at South Miami Hospital? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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