Movies

Cocaine Fueled Robin Williams’ Popeye

BBG News

Cocaine powered the making of Robin Williams‘ hit 1980 film Popeye; according to Barry Diller, this illicit substance made an unexpected appearance on the movie set in a rather chaotic fashion.)

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but marvel at the extraordinary life journey of this 83-year-old visionary. Not too long ago, he publicly acknowledged his identity as a gay man, a courageous step taken half a century after he began sharing his life with Diane Von Furstenberg. Remarkably, for an entire decade, this trailblazer held the reins as CEO of Paramount Pictures, the studio behind countless iconic films that continue to captivate us today.

In a recent interview with Anderson Cooper at 92Y, as reported by Page Six, he described his experience on the unruly film set by saying: “It was inescapable.

Williams, who took his life in August 2014 at the age of 63, shared the screen with Shelley Duvall (known for her role in The Shining) in a movie filmed on the island of Malta. Sadly, Duvall passed away at her home in Blanco, Texas in July 2024 due to complications related to diabetes at the age of 75.

Diller shared an astonishing story about how a stimulant drug found its way onto the movie set, explaining it this way: “Every day, film canisters were shipped back to Los Angeles for film processing. It was through these shipments that the drug made its mysterious appearance on our set.

Additionally, it turned out that those film containers were secretly utilized for transporting cocaine between locations and the film set. Consequently, everyone seemed to be under the influence of marijuana.

The U.S. entrepreneur mentioned that viewers might observe the consequences of cocaine abuse while watching the movie.

Diller clarified that the common speed for playing a vinyl record is 33rpm, while a record running at 78 rpm can be compared to a fast-paced film.

In the past, friends of Williams noticed his alarmingly unstable conduct during his peak cocaine addiction period. They disclosed that he was unable to perform on stage without using drugs.

In the late 70s and early 80s, Williams struggled with substance abuse problems while launching his career. However, it was the tragic overdose-related death of his friend John Belushi in 1982 that jolted him into a sober lifestyle.

In October 2023, the second season of Vice TV’s Dark Side of Comedy scrutinized Williams’ life, and his companions revealed shocking stories about his struggle with drugs.

Based on accounts from his long-term friend and fellow comedian Allan Stephan, it appears that Williams often found it difficult to perform on stage without using cocaine.

In a recollection of a specific chat with the deceased actor, Stephan thought back to when he stated: “Do you know someone who could provide something for me to help me continue? I find myself unable to carry on without it.

In a subsequent moment, I took my seat and responded, “I’ll assist you.” To which he inquired, “Do you have a lighter on you?” I retorted, “No, are you not aware of who you’re speaking to? You’re Robin Williams.” Following that exchange, I believe he no longer indulged in substances as he once did.

 

Friend Mike Binder, a fellow comic and filmmaker shared a similar story.

One evening, he mentioned that we visited a spot known as Flipper’s Disco in Hollywood, and he admitted to having consumed approximately a gram of cocaine.

After discovering that there was cocaine present, Mike remembered Williams’ remarks: “Oh, can I have that?” and “Is it okay if I use some of it in the restroom?

Mike stated, “He returned and it appeared vacant.” He seemed taken aback, as if it were around 8:15 in the evening. He exclaimed to Robin, “Did you clean up everything?” To which Robin replied, “I made a mistake, I apologize.

‘With drugs, he was a monster,’ Mike added. 

Williams’ drug and alcohol problems first arose while he was starring in Mork & Mindy. 

In his biography titled “Robin,” published by New York Times journalist Dave Itzkoff, director Howard Storm shed light on Robin Williams’ struggle with cocaine abuse, describing him as often appearing disheveled and unkempt upon arrival at the film set.

His statement could be rephrased as follows: “He didn’t get any sleep during the entire night. He was taking lines of cocaine, which made him feel restless. To counteract this, he drank alcohol. He was out the whole night and is said to have slept with almost everyone in town.

Back in 1992, on March 5th, the tragic passing of comedic icon John Belushi due to a fatal mix of heroin and cocaine served as a sobering wake-up call for me. Since then, I’ve made a conscious decision to abstain from using cocaine.

After the unfortunate death of John Belushi from a drug overdose in 1992, I chose to stop using cocaine.

On the eve prior to Belushi’s demise, Williams was enjoying a night of festivities alongside the celebrity at the Chateau Marmont in LA.

‘The Belushi tragedy was frightening,’ he told People in 1988.

His demise had a profound impact on many in the entertainment industry, leading to a significant decrease in drug use among them. For me personally, it coincided with the arrival of my child, prompting me to realize that I couldn’t maintain that lifestyle while being a responsible father.

Williams spent the next two decades sober, before relapsing with alcohol in 2005.

In the year 2006, he chose to address his addiction at a rehabilitation center. Later on, about a month prior to his passing in August 2014, he went back to that same rehab facility.

In November 2014, the coroner’s report confirmed that there were no traces of illicit substances or alcohol in Williams’ system at the time of his suicide.

Additionally, it came to light around the same period that the performer had been grappling with a fresh diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, along with issues such as anxiety, suspicion, and melancholy.

In the account given by the coroner, it is stated that the renowned comedian struggled with paranoia. The report also mentions an incident the night prior to his death, where he put multiple watches into a sock and handed them over to someone due to his concern for their security.

On August 11, 2014, the Investigations and Coroner Divisions of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into the death of Robin McLaurin Williams, who was declared dead at 12:02 pm on 95 St. Thomas Way, a location in unincorporated Tiburon, California, according to the report.

The Coroner’s Division has wrapped up their investigation into Mr. Williams’ passing and released these findings: His cause of death was asphyxiation from hanging, and it appears that his death was a suicide.

The toxicology test showed no signs of alcohol or illegal substances. However, prescription drugs were found within their normal, therapeutic ranges.

According to the report, Robin made his final outgoing call at 7:08 PM on the evening prior to his demise. The call was directed to his spouse, Susan, and it continued for approximately 38 seconds.

2021 saw Williams’ son Zak share insights into his father’s struggle with alcohol and drug abuse. He revealed that this battle resonated with his own struggles with mental health, leading him to experiment with illicit substances.

He shared that he struggled with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, needing to perform specific actions before going to bed at night and constantly worrying about various things. As a child, this made it difficult for him to get a good night’s sleep, as he explained in the Apple TV+ documentary on mental health with Prince Harry and Oprah.

‘I had really bad insomnia, a lot of energy and a racing mind and I inherited that to some degree.’

As a teenager, I discovered that using alcohol and drugs seemed to help soothe my thoughts.

Or, in another way:

During my teenage years, I found relief in drinking alcohol and taking drugs for my restless mind.

‘It became a very normal experience to rely on them and things like that to manage the racing mind.

I began noticing similar traits within me that mirrored those of my father, such as my anxiousness, depressive episodes, tendencies towards OCD, and struggles with substance abuse and alcoholism.

When I didn’t rely on self-medication, everyday tasks felt incredibly challenging and overwhelming for me. Over time, coping with each day seemed like an integral aspect of who I was.

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2025-05-24 02:36

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