The news of actor/comedian Robin Williams' passing has sent shockwaves across the industry. And last night, a visibly shaken Conan O'Brien interrupted his show's broadcast to break the news to his audience, according to Deadspin.
As the gravity of the situation surfaced, the normally unflappable O'Brien was reporting the news without a net, which you can see in the video below. Emotional and very distraught, Conan pressed on to report the horrifying news to the crowd as well as to sidekick Andy Richter and guest Will Arnett.
"I'm sorry to anyone in our studio audience that I'm breaking this news. This is absolutely shocking and horrifying," said O'Brien. It is a rarity to see Conan break away from his normally hysterical persona and come back to earth for the emotional announcement. Andy Richter chimed in saying, "He was an amazingly kind and generous person, and it's got to be a terrible time for his family, and our thoughts go out to them."
The news of the brilliant comic's passing has impacted the industry as celebrities have gone on record talking about the death of a legend. The question of "why" has permeated through the country as fans and contemporaries reacted to Williams' passing. Guest Will Arnett was also visibly shocked that the news was true, and he did his best to maintain his cool.
"As funny as he was, he was truly one of the all-time greats. He was even better as a person," said Arnett. O'Brien felt an obligation to let his audience know of the troubling news and there was not even a pin drop as the details of the severity of Williams' passing spread through a shocked studio audience.
Williams was a permanent fixture in the comedy world, and he transcended what was considered to be classic stand-up comedy. Williams went above and beyond what was expected of a comedian, and his manic persona will most definitely be missed.
