On August 11th, 2014 our generation, along with many others before ours, lost one of the most prominent figures in our lives. Robin Williams was much like that friend who was so common in our lifestyle that we forgot what life was like without them.

Although he was the present funny man in most of our childhoods, this icon of a man was more versatile than you may have previously imagined. For me, William’s serious side is what locked down my dear admiration for his work.

To get the feel for this side of Robin, imagine the man behind the face of Mrs. Doubtfire as your therapist. Now try to imagine the towering blue genie as your unorthodox high school teacher. You can now say you are at least halfway to enjoying and admiring Robin Williams’ many shades of talent as I do.

Good Will Hunting is a film about a seemingly less fortunate 20 year old Boston native played by Matt Damon. After getting into a brutal fight and nearly being charged with assault, the court rules that Will Hunting must attend weekly meetings with a therapist, played by Williams. With plenty of dysfunction and informal discussion, Williams’s character delves into his profound insight into his experiences with love and loss. Despite Huntington’s natural urge to accept defeat in his monologue, the mentor (Williams) continues to find tangible reason to continue on. Personally, I believe this is one of the most profound moments in Damon’s acting career. While pursuing a mathematical gift and a love interest he finds otherworldly, Will Hunting discovers what matters to him most.

Good Will Hunting was nominated for best picture and won Best Original Screenplay written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, as well as an award for Best Supporting Actor played by Robin Williams.

Next, within the Robin William’s collection, is a film plenty of us as students have seen and can relate to. Dead Poets Society stars Williams playing an English teacher, Mr. Keating, at a private school for boys. Throughout the movie, he guides a class of intelligent young men on a journey to discover the delight of poetry. His teaching style is quite unconventional, which is indicated as he prompts the boys to climb atop their desks to see the world from another perspective. In, arguably, the most iconic scene of the movie, Mr. Keating enlightens the boys by disregarding formal education and teaching his students about the lifestyle of ‘Carpe Diem’. “Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” At this point we see William’s not only as an over the top comedian, but as a mentor and leader we will forever need in our lives.

Dead Poets Society won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay and Robin Williams was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

To many, the death of Robin Williams felt like a loss of a close family member. Although his roles allowed him to reach out and touch others, it was his style of acting that stuck with us throughout the years. What matters most is that in his lifetime he provided us with an array of works that may have helped me become who I am today, as he has done for so many of us growing up. Whether you just want a movie to watch in your down time or you want to reminisce and appreciate the life of such an accomplished and fulfilled man, I hope you take these films into consideration.