Because news of Robin Williams’ passing came after most of the nighttime comedy shows — with the exception of Conan O’Brien — were already filmed on Monday, last evening was the first time late-night hosts were able to salute the man they were surely all inspired by at some point.
One of the most poignant moments was The Tonight Show tribute to Robin Williams. While fighting back tears, Jimmy Fallon deemed Robin “one of a kind.”
“You’d watch him and you would cry laughing,” said Jimmy, who interviewed Robin for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. “And you would think, ‘I’m never going to see anyone like this human, ever.’ It’s just amazing. His brain was always thinking 10 steps ahead of what he was saying. He was like the Muhammad Ali of comedy.”
He then played a clip from Robin’s very first appearance on The Tonight Show before ending with a fitting ode…
As a side-note about how highly regarded Robin was by both audiences and peers, he was the final comedian invited to appear on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. In this video from the show, Johnny introduces Robin (at the 6:18 mark) by saying, “In this business, there are comedians, there are comics and, once in a while, rarely, somebody rises above and supersedes that and becomes a comic persona unto themselves. I never cease to be amazed at the versatility and wonderful work that Robin Williams does.”
The rest is very worth the watch…
