Presenting Hollywoodland - Robin Williams: A Manic Mind at Breakneck Speed, an Addiction to Laughter, and the Devil’s Dandruff

DISGRACELAND

Jake Brennan

True Crime, Music, Society & Culture

4.6 • 13.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 July 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Robin Williams’ manic mind moved at such a breakneck speed that cocaine had the opposite effect than it had on most other people: it slowed him down. Robin’s primary addiction, however, wasn’t cocaine. He was addicted to the dopamine rush of being on a stage, where he could let his mind run wild with free association, and be rewarded with uproarious laughter. He was addicted to proving himself as a dramatic actor, even if that meant attempting to trigger his own mental breakdown by running in place for hours. And when he died tragically at the age of 63, the cause of his death was surprisingly not what anyone suspected. It still isn’t. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including suicide. If you're thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Subscribe to Hollywoodland wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Double Elvis.
0:06.0	Oh, that's my prime delivery.
0:09.0	What, already?
0:10.0	Only one thing can match the buzz of Primes fast delivery.
0:13.0	And that's the buzz of Primes entertainment.
0:16.0	What are we watching?
0:17.0	Heads of State, that new action comedy with Idris Elba as the Prime Minister,
0:20.0	John Sina as the president and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, as their only hope.
0:24.1	Looks like a blast.
0:25.4	From fast delivery to explosive entertainment, it's on Prime.
0:29.6	For only $899 a month, join now.
0:32.3	Content includes limited ads, subscription or to our news.
0:34.6	For more information, go to amazon.com.uk.u.com.
0:37.3	Rated T for Teen. Each year, thousands of adults lose their shred. It's an epidemic simply known as shred loss. But it doesn't have to be this way. Because rekindling your shred is as easy as playing the new Tony Ox Pro Skater 3 and 4. With new parks, cross-platform multiplayer, and sick new game modes, we can put an end to shred loss everywhere.
0:59.0	Let the new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 and show the world that the shred's not dead.
1:03.0	Get Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 available now.
1:07.0	Hey, disgrace, and listeners, if you're listening to me, then you are in for a treat.
1:12.7	Right here, right now, we are presenting to you our Robin Williams episode of the Hollywoodland
1:17.9	podcast.
1:19.4	Hollywoodland is, of course, our podcast from the corner of Hollywood in true crime.
1:24.1	Much like Disgraceland, yes, but different from Disgraceland. Hollywoodland features
1:29.7	actors and actresses and directors, and Disgraceland features, of course, musicians. And most
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jake Brennan, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jake Brennan and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.