LAURA WHITMORE, Dara O'Briain and Graham Norton are among the Irish celebrities that have paid tribute to comedian Robin Williams, who passed away yesterday.
With his quick wit and acclaimed acting skills, the actor, who claimed Irish ancestry, won fans worldwide throughout his lengthy career.
This morning fellow comedian Dara O'Briain spoke of his shock at hearing the news of his death.
“Well that is a proper gut-punch of news to wake up to. What a loss Robin Williams is,” he said.
MTV host Laura Whitmore also paid tribute, stating: “Robin Williams, I can't believe it. An amazing talent. RIP.”
Aged 63, Williams was found dead at his home in California yesterday after an apparent suicide.
His publicist has revealed that the film star had battled with depression and addiction to alcohol and drugs for years and had recently been in rehab.
A statement issued today claimed he had been "battling severe depression of late".
Williams was famous for films such as Dead Poets Society and Mrs Doubtfire and won an Oscar for his role in Good Will Hunting.
Most of Williams Irish fans, however, will remember him for his guest appearance on The Big Breakfast with Zig and Zag.
The legendary comedian was up for a laugh when grilled by the alien duo, quipping that the worst thing about being an alien was that "your balls are on your ears".
Actors and public figures across Ireland continued to express their grief at the loss today.
Actress Evanna Lynch stated, "Noooo this is so tragic, the world needs Robin Williams of all people. So, so cruel. There's nobody like him. Let's send love to his family."
Irish golf star Rory McIlroy also took to twitter to express his grief, stating "RIP Robin Williams.... He brought joy to so many people all over the world, will be fondly remembered and sadly missed."
Comedian and ‘huge’ Williams fan Graham Norton interviewed the American star on his show in 2011. Williams had the crowd in hysterics throughout the interview, where he spoke fondly about his daughter Zelda.
Yesterday Norton tweeted a clip of the interview and expressed his deepest sympathy for the Williams family’s loss.
“Such sad news. My heart goes out to his family. The great Robin Williams,” he said.
Such sad news. My heart goes out to his family. The great Robin Williams. http://t.co/gKqbQZosT2 via @YouTube
— graham norton (@grahnort) August 11, 2014
