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Tag: Robin Williams

  • Anna Kendrick Sexy in Swimsuit, Calls Hawaiian Waters Her Office

    Anna Kendrick Sexy in Swimsuit, Calls Hawaiian Waters Her Office

    Anna Kendrick of Pitch Perfect fame showed off a sexy look in a black studded bandeaux swimsuit as she enjoyed the warm ocean water in Hawaii.

    On location for her latest film, the actress took full advantage of all the locale has to offer.

    Sharing an Instagram photo with her followers–while wearing the sexy two-piece–Anna Kendrick joked about the scene being her office.

    “At the office,” she captioned the photo.

    Anna Kendrick’s “office” is for the upcoming film Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. Also in Hawaii with Anna Kendrick are Zac Efron, Adam Devine, and Aubrey Plaza.

    This film project is allowing Anna Kendrick and Zac Efron to become great friends. They apparently enjoy the same sense of humor, and love to one-up each other.

    Zac Efron shared a photo of Anna Kendrick on Instagram just a few days ago–of her trying to take a picture of him.

    “Caught this sneaky sneak trying to sneak a pic,” he captioned the shot.

    A photo posted by Zac Efron (@zacefron) on

    It sounds like in addition to enjoying some time in a sexy swimsuit, Anna Kendrick has the best of both worlds right now. With the Hawaiian waters as her “office,” and great friends like Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza, and Adam Devine around, work and play are almost the same.

    Wouldn’t you love to have Anna Kendrick’s job right now?

  • Robin Williams’ Last Live Action Film Gets Panned

    Robin Williams did a lot of great work. But if you do enough stuff, you’ll eventually crank out a stinker. Usually you have a chance to bounce back from that. Sadly, it looks like critics are not liking the last live action film that Robin Williams did.

    The film is called Boulevard. In it, Robin Williams plays a 60-year-old bank officer that New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden says “may be the loneliest man Mr. Williams ever played.”

    The point of the film is supposed to be the life of quiet desperation that Williams’ character, Nolan Mack, lives. Sadly, many reviewers say this film doesn’t go much further than chronicling how miserable Mack is. Some say it is the writing itself, but others say the fault may lie in the director not knowing how to tell Robin Williams what he sometimes needs to hear.

    Reviewer Mike D’Angelo says, “Without a strong director to rein him in, however—a Peter Weir or a Gus Van Sant or a Christopher Nolan—he had a tendency to think he was projecting ‘deep’ when he was actually turning in something uncomfortably close to ‘moist.’”

    Nolan Mack is secretly gay. He has repressed this all his life, and is dutifully married to a woman who is his best friend in the world. They sleep in separate bedrooms. On evening, Mack picks up a male prostitute. He does not want sex, only companionship. He becomes infatuated with this troubled young man, and his life suffers for it. His own father will not accept him for who he is.

    While the story sounds like something that is timely, reviewers say the film does not go anywhere with this other than to observe the trouble.

    New York Post reviewer Kyle Smith says that the trouble is not Williams, it’s the script.

    “Thanks to Williams’ deeply human performance, we feel for Nolan,” Smith says, “but the predictability of his story reduces him to a stock figure.”

    Robin Williams has one more film in the chamber yet to be released. It is an animated feature called Absolutely Anything, in which Williams voices a dog. Perhaps we will hear more praise for a genre that Williams always seemed to excel in.

  • Matt Damon and Ben Affleck To Bring FIFA Scandal to Big Screen

    Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are set to produce a film based on Houses of Deceit–an upcoming book highlighting the scandal within the international governing body of soccer. Warner Bros. just acquired rights to the film.

    The Los Angeles Times reports that Gavin O’Connor, who just wrapped filming The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck, is on board to direct the FIFA movie, too.

    The upcoming book, written by Ken Bensinger, will expand upon the author’s 2014 report about Chuck Blazer. Blazer is the American FIFA exec who not only helped popularize the sport in the U.S., but also admitted to accepting bribes and kickbacks amounting to millions over the course of his career.

    Making this film will serve as a reunion of sorts for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The two will forever be known as the Good Will Hunting boys. The 1997 film that also starred the late Robin Williams made Matt Damon and Ben Affleck household names.

    So what have Affleck and Damon been up to since then? Career-wise they’ve stayed prominently visible for the nearly 20 years since Good Will Hunting–which is exceptional in the film world.

    Ben Affleck will soon appear in The Accountant, which hits theaters in January, as well as Batman v. Superman (he plays Batman), which premieres in March.

    Matt Damon is best known for his work on the Bourne franchise. He will appear on the big screen in The Martian in October, and once again alongside Julia Stiles as Jason Bourne in July of 2016.

    Are you excited to learn that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck will soon be back together again as they prepare to work on this film about the FIFA scandal? They will no doubt add passion and intrigue to this facet of the sports world.

  • Boulevard: Robin Williams’ Last Movie Gets an Official Trailer

    Robin Williams provided a voice for the comedy Absolutely Anything, which is yet to be released. But in terms of on-screen roles, the late actor’s last movie is Boulevard, in which he plays a man coming the terms with his homosexuality.

    Today, the film’s official trailer hit the web.

    Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

    Nolan Mack (Robin Williams) has worked at the same bank for almost 26 years in a life of monotony. He and his wife Joy (Kathy Baker) have embraced their marriage as a convenient distraction from facing reality. However one day, what starts as an aimless drive down an unfamiliar street turns into a life-altering decision for Nolan. When he meets a troubled young man named Leo (Roberto Aguire) on his drive home, Nolan finds himself breaking from the confines of his old life and coming to terms with who he really is.

    The film, and especially Williams’ understated performance, received solid reviews after its premiere at Tribeca in 2014. The Hollywood Reporter called it a “tender but unsentimental take on a story that benefits from finesse.” Variety said that Williams “taps into the same loneliness felt in One Hour Photo and Good Will Hunting.”

    Check out the trailer below:

    The film is set to be released on July 10.

  • Robin Williams Final Role Talks Shagging Simon Pegg’s Leg

    Robin Williams was involved with four films at the time of his death. Those projects have winded their way to completion, leaving only his final role to be revealed to the public. Suitably, it was Robin Williams making people laugh.

    The film is called Absolutely Anything, and stars Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale, Eddie Izzard and the voices of the Monty Python crew.

    In the film, Simon Pegg is Neil Clarke, “an ordinary guy who is bestowed with superpowers from a group of power-crazed aliens bent on destroying planet Earth. If he uses his powers for good, Earth will be spared. If he uses his powers for evil, then they will blow up the planet.”

    Upon receiving his powers, one of the first things Neil Clarke does is grant his dog the power to speak. The dog speaks with the voice of Robin Williams.

    “Biscuits. Biscuits. Please, please, please. Nothing else matters,” the dog says. “Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind shagging your leg right now.”

    Robin Williams life was dedicated to making people laugh. After his death, people came out of the woodwork to tell stories of how he took time to talk to them in restaurants, sit with them and make them feel better.

    Comedian Kevin Pollak recently dedicated his documentary “Misery Loves Comedy’ to the memory of Robin Williams. The film talks with numerous comedians about the core misery that is often common to people who make it their lot in life to make others laugh.

    Kevin Pollak says of Robin Williams:

    “He was a mentor of mine when I started out in San Francisco at age 20. He had become a made man from ‘Mork and Mindy,’ but he chose to spend most of his time in San Francisco where he would raise his family and mentor some comedians like myself and Dana Carvey. He was just a friend. He appeared in some specials of mine. Over the years he meant so much to me.”

  • ‘Good Times’ Actor Ben Powers Dead at 64

    ‘Good Times’ Actor Ben Powers Dead at 64

    Good Times actor Ben Powers died earlier in April at the age of 64. Alton “Ben” Powers passed away on April 6th in New Bedford, Massachusetts, according to his obituary.

    Ben Powers played the role of Keith Anderson, a pro football player, who married Thelma Evans (played by Bern Nadette Stanis) early in the sixth and final season of Good Times, from 1978 to 1979. Good Times was the story of Florida and James Evans and their family. The show was a spinoff of Maude, which was a spinoff of All in the Family. In addition to Ben Powers and Bern Nadette Stanis, it starred Jimmie Walker, John Amos, Esther Rolle, and Ralph Carter. Janet Jackson even starred in Good Times during the show’s 5th and 6th seasons.

    Even though Ben Powers was born in New York City, he was raised by his grandparents in Providence, Rhode Island. He did stand-up comedy in Providence and later landing a gig as part of the Laugh-In cast alongside Robin Williams.

    Powers also starred as Moochie on CBS’s Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer and made many guest appearances on hit shows like The New Odd Couple, Laverne & Shirley, and The Greatest American Hero.

    No cause of death was listed in Ben Powers’ obituary. The Good Times actor is survived by his mother and two sisters.

    Ben Powers’ Good Times cast members are no doubt mourning the actor’s passing.

  • Robin Williams’ Wife, Children Embroiled in Fight Over Actor’s Estate

    Robin Williams’ wife and children are fighting over the late comedian’s estate and it looks to get ugly.

    Attorneys for Susan Williams and Robin Williams’ kids — Zachary, Zelda and Cody — are scheduled to appear before a San Francisco probate judge on Monday.

    The parties are arguing over Williams’ clothes and other personal items that were kept at one of the beloved actor’s Northern California homes.

    Williams’ wife, Susan, filed documents in December claiming some of Williams’ personal items were taken without her permission.

    Susan Williams is asking the court to discount Robin Williams’ directive to give jewelry, memorabilia and other items to his children.

    Robin Williams’ children said in response that Susan Williams is “adding insult to a terrible injury” by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them of the late actor’s belongings.

    Susan Williams’ attorney said she was only seeking guidance from the court for clarification on some of the terms of the trust. She apparently believes that since he stipulated that she should remain in the Tiburon home, it makes sense that he also intended her to have the memorabilia in that home.

    Robin Williams took his own life at his home in Tiburon north of San Francisco in August. It was reported that the actor was struggling with depression after a recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

  • Matt Damon Shooting New Film in Massachusetts

    Matt Damon is back in Massachusetts. This time’s the Bourne actor is producing a new film on the North Shore. Several areas in Beverly, Massachusetts served as the backdrop for filming Manchester-By-The-Sea, which stars Casey Affleck.

    The Salem News reports that some of the filming will actually take place in Manchester-By-The-Sea, as well as in Gloucester and Salem. Last week saw several spots in Beverly getting the Hollywood treatment.

    On Tuesday, three spots in Beverly were featured in the filming. Cast and crew were spotted in the Central Cemetery on Hale Street, along Lothrop Street by Washington Street, and inside a funeral home on Cabot Street.

    The film is about Lee Chandler, who is played by Casey Affleck, as he is made the legal guardian of his nephew following the sudden death of his brother Joe, who is played by Kyle Chandler. Lee is then forced to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his wife Randi, who is played by Michelle Williams, and the community in which he was born and raised.

    Matt Damon is, of course, an actor–as well as a screenwriter and producer–from Cambridge, Massachusetts. He grew up alongside Cambridge native Ben Affleck, and the two got their start in the film industry in Good Will Hunting, in which they starred along with the late Robin Williams. Neither Ben Affleck nor Matt Damon has ever lost sight of their roots, and return to Massachusetts often–for work and for play.

    Matt Damon will no doubt be spotted in the aforementioned Massachusetts towns for the next couple of weeks. Filming is expected to wrap some time in early April.

  • Jillian Jacobson, California Teacher, Commits Suicide in Classroom

    Jillian Jacobson, a well liked photography teacher in Southern California, committed suicide in her classroom last week. Her body was discovered by students.

    According to a report from KCRA.com, students arrived at the El Dorado High School classroom of Jillian Jacobson last Monday to find the door locked. Thinking their teacher was simply running a bit late, they got the teacher in the classroom next door to let them in. That’s when they discovered Jillian Jacobson, who was 31, hanging from the ceiling.

    Two teachers cut her down and tried reviving Jacobson with CPR, as they awaited the arrival of paramedics. It was too late to save her, however.

    Students were dismissed for the day at 11 AM, and crisis counselors were made available on to all students and faculty on campus, according to Assistant Superintendent Kevin Lee, of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School Districts. A crisis intervention team planned to remain on campus for the remainder of the week.

    Jillian Jacobson had been employed by El Dorado High School since 2008. She had a bachelor’s degree in ceramics and glass, and art education and a master’s degree in educational leadership.

    On Jacobson’s profile page at El Dorado High School’s website, Jacobson smiles in a photo near the words, “Today is a great day to take a picture!”

    Many of the students at El Dorado High School paid tribute to Jillian Jacobson on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

    Suicide can be a cruel side effect of mental illness. Sadly, no one was able to help Jillian Jacobson with whatever tormented her to the point of taking her life. Hopefully her students will come to understand more about mental illness as a result of their teacher’s suicide. Perhaps if even one reaches out for help in the future, this teacher’s death won’t have been in vain.

    Comedian and actor Robin Williams committed suicide last summer. His daughter, Zelda Williams, recently spoke out for the first time since her dad’s death. She made it clear that it does no good to point fingers or ask why, because mental illness is a disease that leaves many questions unanswered.

    Hopefully the students at El Dorado High School will come to terms with Jillian Jacobson’s death without losing too much of themselves in the process.

  • Zelda Williams Got A Tattoo In Honor Of Her Dad, Robin

    Zelda Williams has been relatively quiet about the loss of her father, comedy icon Robin Williams, since she was the victim of some cruel words via social media last year. News of Robin’s suicide garnered shock and disbelief across the nation, and while his family is still struggling to come to terms with it, his daughter says she’s trying to get back to a place where she can be happy.

    “It’s going to take a lot of work to allow myself to have the sort of fun, happy life that I had, but that’s important. Anybody who has ever lost anyone works very hard to continue that memory in a positive way,” she said in a Today show interview.

    Williams’ wife, Susan, released a statement about his death last summer, acknowledging that the enormity of her loss would be felt by his fans.

    “This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions,” she said.

    Zelda Williams–who took a break from social media immediately following her father’s death, but later returned determined not to let a few people hurt her–also said in the interview that she recently got a tattoo in memory of her dad. The ink is of a hummingbird, which reminds her of him.

    “They’re fun and flighty and strange It’s hard to keep them in one place and dad was a bit like that. Keeping a conversation in one moment was impossible with him,” she said.

  • Robin Williams’ Wife, Children Argue Over His Estate

    Robin Williams’ estate is being scuffled over by the late comedian’s wife of less than three years, Susan, and his children, Zachary, Zelda and Cody.

    Robin Williams‘ widow filed papers in a San Francisco court claiming that the children, from Robin’s two previous marriages, took items from her Tiburon home without her permission.

    She is still living in the home, which she shared with Robin Williams until the day he died, and says it and the things in it should be excluded from what Williams outlined that the children should have.

    The items that Robin Williams wanted his children to have, which are outlined in his will, include jewelry, memorabilia and other items.

    Robin Williams’ widow says that because he wanted her to continue to live at the Tiburon home, it makes sense that he intended for his children to have the things that were kept at his Napa Valley home only.

    “Any other interpretation would lead to Mrs. Williams’ home being stripped while Mrs. Williams still lives there,” her attorneys wrote.

    One of her attorneys, James Wagstaffe, said that this filing wasn’t meant to be ugly, but that Robin Williams’ widow is simply trying to more clearly understand the terms of the trust.

    Hanging with my pal, Crystal, on the set of NATM3.

    A photo posted by therobinwilliams (@therobinwilliams) on

    “This is not ugly,” he said. “I would not say this is anticipated to be a highly contested proceeding.”

    However, the children disagree. They say that Susan Williams is “adding insult to terrible injury” by not letting them have the entirety of what Robin Williams left to them.

    “The Williams’ children are heartbroken that Petitioner, Mr. Williams’ wife of less than three years, has acted against his wishes by challenging the plans he so carefully made for his estate,” attorneys for the children said in court papers.

    What do you think about the scuffle over Robin Williams’ estate?

  • Robin Williams’ Family Is Now Fighting Over His Estate, Wife Accused Of Being “Greedy”

    Robin Williams’ widow and his children from two prior marriages have gone to court over disputes regarding his estate. According to reports, the papers were filed back in December. Robin Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider Williams, alleged that his children have taken items from their Tiburon home without her permission. According to Susan, since the Tiburon home was left to her, the items in the home should be excluded in the list of items that were left for the children.

    According to Robin Williams’ will, Susan is entitled to their Tiburon home while his children, Zak from his first marriage, and Zelda and Cody from his second, are entitled to any memorabilia acquired throughout the course of his career as well as other items that were stored in a second property in Napa.

    In January, Robin Williams’ children filed a response to Susan’s claims. According to them, Susan Schneider Williams “acted against his wishes by challenging the plans he so carefully made for his estate”. They also accused her of being greedy after she asked for additional money to cover for the daily upkeep of the Tiburon home as well as for unexpected renovations and improvements.

    Jim Wagstaffe, Susan Schneider Williams’ lawyer, said, “Mr. Williams wanted his wife to be able to stay in her home and not be disrupted in her life with her children. Compared to what the Williams children were set to receive from their father, this is a bucket of water in a lake.”

    Included in the list of disputed items are Robin Williams’ collection of comic books, posters, action figures, and other memorabilia.

    “These collections were carefully amassed by Mr. Williams over his lifetime and were precious to him,” the response from the Williams children said. “As the Williams children grew, so did their father’s collections and they shared in their father’s excitement as additions were made to his collection.”

  • Jessica Chastain: From High School Dropout to Hollywood Royalty

    Jessica Chastain may have dropped out of high school as a teen, but she is certainly showing where her talents lie with two Oscar nominations, a Golden Globe award and much critical acclaim.

    The 37-year-old actress told Entertainment Weekly Thursday that she didn’t graduate from high school. Chastain attended Sacramento’s El Camino Fundamental High School, but never received her diploma.

    “Nobody knows this about me — I dropped out of high school,” Chastain told the magazine. “I was not a hard worker. I was a terrible student.”

    Like so many other artistic types, the A Most Violent Year actress was just biding her time until she found her niche in life, and she sure found her niche.

    The Interstellar actress has starred in a slew of big films, including Zero Dark Thirty, Mama, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, and the upcoming Crimson Peak.

    “Eventually I got my adult diploma, but I did not graduate,” said Chastain, who later attended Juilliard through a scholarship from Robin Williams when she was 22. “It wasn’t that I just dropped out and never went back — at the end of the year I had too many absences to graduate… I would cut school and sit in my car, reading Shakespeare.”

    Chastain, who was nominated for an Oscar for her roles in 2012’s Zero Dark Thirty and 2011’s The Help, said her failure to complete high school did effect her confidence.

    “I thought that I wasn’t an intelligent person because I did so poorly,” she said. “There are kids out there that aren’t doing well in school and I hope they never think it means they’re stupid. It’s all about finding where your interest lies and finding what you’re good at.”

    Yep, it’s all about finding your niche in life.

  • Jennifer Lawrence Beats Out Kim Kardashian in Google’s Most Searched People List for 2014

    Jennifer Lawrence beat out Kim Kardashian on Google’s Top Trending People List for 2014, despite Kardashian’s quest to “break the internet.”

    Google released its annual Year in Search list, noting that there were trillions of searches around the world this year.

    It’s unclear if the leaked nude photo scandal had anything to do with the Hunger Games actress’ title of most Googled, but she did edge out Kardashian, who purposely leaked her own frontal nude shots, had a plethora of pre- and post-wedding stories written about her (which did earn her a different title) and a slew of booty photos all over the internet.

    Here is a selection of this year’s results:

    Top Trending People:

    1. Jennifer Lawrence 2. Kim Kardashian 3. Julie Gayet 4. Tracy Morgan 5. Rene Zellweger 6. Jared Leto 7. Lorde 8. Matthew McConaughey 9. Amal Alamuddin 10. Donald Sterling

    Beloved actor Robin Williams topped the list of the most searched topic of the year.

    Top Trending Searches for 2014:

    1. Robin Williams 2. World Cup 3. Ebola 4.Malaysia Airlines 5. Flappy Bird 6. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge 7. ISIS 8. Ferguson 9. Frozen 10. Ukraine

    Kardashian and husband Kanye West beat out one of the most anxiously awaited nuptials of the year — the union of the bachelor who swore he’d never marry, George Clooney, and the woman who won his heart, Amal Aladdin — in the wedding category

    Top Trending Weddings:

    1. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West 2. George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin 3. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt 4. Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard 5. Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker 6. Lauren Conrad and William Tell 7. Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo 8. Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson 9. Solange Knowles and Alan Ferguson 10. Kaley Cuoco and Ryan Sweeting

    The ladies scored big time on the red carpet list this year.

    Top Trending Red Carpet Appearances:

    1. Rihanna 2. Lorde 3. Lupita Nyong’o 4. Madonna 5. Pharrell 6. Zendaya 7. Kingsley 8. Solange Knowels 9. Lebron James 10. Kesha

    The world lost so many incredible celebrities in 2014 and reading the list reminds us of how each of them touched our lives.

    Top Trending Losses:

    1. Robin Williams 2. Joan Rivers 3. Philip Seymour Hoffman 4. Maya Angelou 5. Jan Hooks 6. Harold Ramis 7. Shirley Temple 8. Lauren Bacall 9. Mickey Rooney 10. James Avery

    In television, it was all about Game of Thrones in 2014.

    Top Trending TV Shows:

    1. Game of Thrones 2. No, You Shut Up! 3. True Detective 4. Orange is the New Black 5. Blood, Sweat & Heels 6. The Following 7. House of Cards 8. Gotham 9. South Park 10. American Horror Story

    Top Trending Movies:

    1. Frozen 2. Interstellar 3. Divergent 4. Gone Girl 5. Lone Survivor 6. Godzilla 7. 22 Jump Street 8. Big Hero 6 9. Annabelle 10. Maleficent

    Top Trending Athletes:

    1. Ray Rice 2. Adrian Peterson 3. Richard Sherman 4. Paul George 5. Carmelo Anthony 6. Derek Jeter 7. Johnny Manziel 8. Russell Wilson 9. Tony Gwynn 10. Tim Howard

    The list is extensive, check it out here.

  • Robin Williams Leads Google Searches For 2014

    Google has released its annual lists of the top trending searches for the year. In the past, these have come under the “Zeitgeist” label, but this year, Google is just going with “Year in Search” without any explanation as to why that changed.

    Robin Williams took the top spot on Google’s global trends charts this year. According to the company, there was even an uptick in searches related to depression tests and mental health after he died.

    Williams was followed by the World Cup and Ebola. Here’s a look at the global top ten.

    Here in the U.S., the list is only slightly different:

    1. Robin Williams
    2. World Cup
    3. Ebola
    4. Malaysia Airlines
    5. Flappy Bird
    6. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
    7. ISIS
    8. Ferguson
    9. Frozen
    10. Ukraine

    The top trending people in the world were:

    1. Jennifer Lawrence
    2. Kim Kardashian
    3. Julie Gayet
    4. Tracy Morgan
    5. Renee Zellweger
    6. Jared Leto
    7. Lorde
    8. Matthew McConaughey
    9. Amal Almamuddin
    10. Donald Sterling

    On the tech side of things, here’s what the list for consumer electronics looked like (global):

    1. iPhone 6
    2. Samsung Galaxy S5
    3. Nexus 6
    4. Moto G
    5. Samsung Note 4
    6. LG G3
    7. XBox One
    8. Apple Watch
    9. Nokia X
    10. iPad Air

    Of course is plenty more to dig into, and you can do just that on the Year in Search site.

    “On our Year in Search site, you can take an in-depth look at the stories that made 2014 unforgettable,” says Google’s Amit Singhal. “From the rise of the selfie, to understanding if we search for ‘how’ more than ‘why,’ each chapter shares a glimpse into the people and events that drove this year forward.”

    “We’ve also made it easier to find the trending topics of the year directly from Google Search,” he adds. “For the first time, a simple search for [google 2014] will give you a peek at what made the top trending lists from around the world. And you can follow more insights from the year with #YearInSearch. So take a moment to appreciate what this year had to offer. It’ll be 2015 before you know it.”

    Yahoo and Bing have already shared their 2014 lists as well. You can view these here and here respectively.

    Image via Google

  • Jessica Chastain Talks Robin Williams, Sister’s Suicide

    Jessica Chastain attended the prestigious Juilliard School thanks to a scholarship provided by the late Robin Williams. She feels not only gratitude for the late comic’s generosity, but like she holds a kinship with him and his family as well. Chastain lost her younger sister to suicide.

    It’s a topic she doesn’t speak openly about, but alludes to when being particularly insightful. During a recent interview with InStyle magazine, she remarked about how the suicide of her sister–who suffered from depression–changed everything about her.

    “It completely changed the person I am,” she says. “A movie, Oscars, a dress, if someone thinks I’m stupid…I realized nothing is that important.”

    Jessica Chastain never met Robin Williams, but has always vowed to somehow repay his generosity. She hopes to somehow carry on his legacy.

    “I always thought in some way I would have a chance to pay him back,” she says. “It was a very strange thing to have never met him. I didn’t want to be stalkerish, but then you always question yourself: Did I do enough? I’m hoping there’s a way to continue his legacy and keep the scholarship going.”

    Robin Williams likely saw his repayment in Jessica Chastain’s success as an actress. She starred in six films in 2011, and that signified her true emergence as an A-List actress. One of those films was The Help, for which she received her first Academy Award.

    Jessica Chastian most recently appeared on the big screen alongside Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar. She prefers seeing strong women in films. She has a great disdain for stereotypical roles.

    “There were two kinds of roles for women. You’re either the girlfriend, incredibly beautiful but not much going on, or the victim, like the weird neighbor,” she explains. “It’s like the two ideas of women that are talked about: the slut or the wife. And that’s not so interesting…As an audience member, I go to the movies a lot and I want to see women portrayed like the ones I know—women who are really intelligent and strong and vulnerable.”

    There’s clearly nothing stereotypical about Jessica Chastain. In fact, she just bought her mom a most unusual birthday gift–a food truck.

    Robin Williams was no doubt proud of Jessica Chastain’s accomplishments. Do you expect now that he is gone–along with her personal experience with suicide–she might make such an opportunity available for another prospective actor?

  • Robin Williams: Lewy Body Dementia Contributed to Suicide

    Robin Williams was reportedly suffering from Lewy body dementia at the time of his death and it likely played a role in him taking his life.

    The Mayo Clinic says “Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. Patients with Lewy body dementia may have hallucinations—which may appear in the form of animals, objects or deceased people from their past. Conversations with the aforementioned may occur.”

    According to a report from TMZ, patients suffering from Parkinson’s often have Lewy body dementia, too. And those suffering from both diseases often suffer adverse reactions to some Parkinson’s medication.

    Robin Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider, told authorities following her husband’s death that he complained about how the Parkinson’s meds made him feel in the days leading up to his suicide. Now she and her family agree–as do Robin Williams’ doctors–that Lewy body dementia played a strong role in the actor’s passing.

    Last Friday, autopsy reports divulged there were neither illegal drugs nor alcohol in Williams’ system at the time of his death. The only drugs found were those prescribed by his doctors.

    Robin Williams died by hanging in his home in northern California on August 11th. He was 63 years old.

    Do you suppose the knowledge that a medical reason likely contributed to Williams’ death will in any way lighten his family’s load? While it was known the actor and comedian was depressed in the weeks leading up to his death, the presence of Lewy body dementia might indicate he had little to no control over his actions. While this finding won’t make their loss any easier, it might lessen some of the feelings of abandonment and anger that some survivors of suicide experience.

  • Robin Williams’ Autopsy: Does It Shed Light On Suicide?

    Robin Williams shocked the world earlier this year when he committed suicide, and many were left with the questions that surround the sudden death of any famous person; in particular, “Why did he do it?” Although Williams had been known to suffer from depression, his fans and friends wondered if there might have been another factor at work, and now, an autopsy report shows that the comedian suffered from a little-known disorder.

    Known as Lewy body disease, the disorder is similar to Parkinson’s and affects the memory and speech centers. It can also cause hallucinations before it develops into dementia. Unfortunately, the symptoms of both diseases are so similar that often, doctors misdiagnose them and prescribe the wrong medication, which can make things worse for the patient.

    “Even experienced neurologists have trouble distinguishing between (the two diseases). There’s not a clear-cut distinction. It’s two diseases that have a kind of intersection where it’s hard to tease them apart,” said neurologist Gayatri Devi.

    Devi, who did not treat Williams, said that suicide is unusual for patients suffering from Lewy body disease, but TMZ reported this week that a source close to his family admitted that the disorder may have played a role in his choosing to take his own life.

    Williams reportedly left the majority of his $50 million estate to his three children, with his wife Susan taken care of under the terms of their pre-nuptial agreement.

  • Robin Williams Toxicology Report: No Drugs or Alcohol

    Robin Williams hanged himself with a belt in his own bedroom on August 11 of this year. The actor had been battling depression after learning that he was in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.

    According to investigators, closed bottle of Seroquel, a drug to treat bipolar disorders and depression, was found in his room. Williams had been prescribed the medication a week before he died.

    Williams cause of death was determined to be asphyxia. There were superficial cuts on his wrists, and a pocket knife was found nearby. His personal assistant had grown concerned when he hadn’t awakened that morning and went to check on him. Williams had been dead for hours.

    Now a toxicology report has been released that affirms that there were indeed no illegal drugs nor alcohol found in Williams’ system at the time of his death. The only substances were pharmaceuticals in “therapeutic concentrations,” which indicates only the dosage he was prescribed.

    Williams had struggled with alcoholism and drug dependency in the past. Some had expressed concern that he may have succumbed to these in the end. But the report indicates a man who took his medicine properly, but looked into a bleak future and saw no further.

    Williams’ wife Susan Schneider said he had seemed excited when she saw him the night before. The web history of his iPad showed that he had made an online search for discussions of medications including Lyrica and propranolol.

    President Barack Obama said of Williams that he “made us laugh. He made us cry.”

    “He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.”

    Robin Williams was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the San Francisco Bay.

  • Matt Damon Finally Talks Robin Williams’ Death

    The death of Robin Williams shocked the world and it seemed like everyone who knew him wanted to talk about him, share funny stories and special memories. Matt Damon had a close relationship with Robin Williams but remained fairly quiet after his death.

    He recently opened up about Williams and how he touched his life and started his career.

    “Ben [Affleck] and I owe everything to him,” Damon, 43, told Us Weekly. “He said yes to our movie and he got it made. I could never thank him enough. I look around at the life I have and how blessed I feel and so much of it started with him.”

    Damon and Affleck worked with Williams on the hit film Good Will Hunting and Damon said that Williams really helped make the film successful.

    Damon also talked about the death of Williams and said he was shocked when he heard the news.

    “I was shocked,” Damon said. “I hadn’t been in touch with him and obviously he was battling severe depression.”

    He also said that he was surprised to hear that Williams had been battling Parkinson’s Disease.

    He went on to say that he thinks part of the reason Williams’ death was so shocking is because the world knew him as a happy-go-lucky guy and nobody could have imagined how unhappy he really was.

    “I think it affected everybody in the country, actually,” Damon added. “We all felt like we knew him and that he was a part of our lives… I think everyone who wasn’t there with him at the end feels bad that they didn’t see it coming.”

    He said that although Williams’ death was tragic, he thinks it may help people who are battling the same disease as Williams.

    “I hope that it can start a conversation in the country about depression and just how serious it is, and what an exceptionally powerful disease that it is,” he said. “I hope I become better at checking in with my friends. I hope that we, as a country, get better at checking in with each other.”

  • Matt Damon Says He and Ben Affleck ‘Owe Everything’ to Robin Williams

    Matt Damon says he and his Good Will Hunting partner, Ben Affleck, owe “everything” to Robin Williams.

    The Saving Private Ryan star talked to Yahoo Global News anchor Katie Couric about the debt he and his childhood friend owe the late actor after he helped them get their first project off the ground.

    “Ben and I owe everything to him,” he said of Williams. “He said yes to our movie and he got it made. I could never thank him enough. I look around at the life I have and how blessed I feel and so much of it started with him.”

    Williams, 63, died in August by suicide after struggling for years with addiction and depression. After his death, his wife, Susan Schneider, revealed the actor had also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease not long before he took his own life. Damon told Couric the news of Williams’ death “shocked” him and led to a serious bout of regret for not keeping in better touch with the Oscar-winning actor.

    “I think [Williams’ death] affected everybody in the country, actually,” said the 43-year-old Boston native. “We all felt like we knew him and that he was a part of our lives… I think everyone who wasn’t there with him at the end feels bad that they didn’t see it coming.”

    “I hope that it can start a conversation in the country about depression and just how serious it is, and what an exceptionally powerful disease that it is,” he continued. “I hope I become better at checking in with my friends. I hope that we, as a country, get better at checking in with each other.”

    Damon is also known for his work in The Bourne Identity and The Departed. His next appearance will be in Ridley Scott‘s The Martian.