Sarah Michelle Gellar says Robin Williams was the "father she dreamed of having".
The 37-year-old actress – who has children Charlotte, four, and Rocky, 22 months with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. – has paid an emotional tribute to her ‘The Crazy Ones’ co-star, who was found dead in an apparent suicide yesterday (11.08.14).
She told People: "My life is a better place because I knew Robin Williams. To my children he was Uncle Robin, to everyone he worked with, he was the best boss anyone had ever known, and to me he was not just an inspiration but he was the father I had always dreamed of having.
"There are not enough adjectives to describe the light he was, to anyone that ever had the pleasure to meet him. I will miss him everyday, but I know the memory of him will live on. And to his family, I thank them for letting us know him and seeing the joy they brought him. Us crazy ones love you."
Several crew members who worked with the actor on the CBS show – which was cancelled in May after just one season – have praised how kind he was to everyone on the programme.
One source said: "He was so benevolent. He would appreciate everyone else’s work. He was the first one to say how incredible Sarah and [costar] Jimmy Wolk were. He had affection for everyone. He made sure everyone knew he was part of a team. Who does that? When you’re Robin you don’t have to do that."
And the programme’s creator, David E. Kelley, has paid tribute to the actor’s "kindness and humanity", as well as his "legendary" talent.
He said in a statement: "The talent was legendary. But equally inspiring, perhaps more so, was his kindness and humanity. A gentle soul who touched us all. A very special man, and our hearts are broken."
Sarah Michelle Gellar: Robin Williams was like a dad
