Danny DeVito has revealed Robin Williams almost made him drown in a swimming pool because he was laughing so hard at his madcap antics.
The 71-year-old actor-and-filmmaker was friends with the late comic star – who died in August 2014 at the age of 63 – and has recalled a time when lost his bearings in the deep end because Williams was telling so many hilarious jokes.
In an interview with the Metro newspaper, the ‘Twins’ star said: "I laughed my ass off with him … He once almost killed me in a pool. I’m not a great swimmer, I was in the deep end and he was holding court, and I never laughed so hard – I swallowed a big gulp of water and choked for five minutes."
Thankfully for DeVito he was pulled to safety but had to suffer some gentle ridicule from ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ star Williams and his other pals who were present.
He explained: "Everybody was laughing at me. It was pretty good. They did help me out of the pool. I don’t remember [the joke]. He used to go off on rants. It could be airplanes, bicycles, anything. He was such a clown and I loved him for that."
Devito first realised he could make people laugh when he was a kid growing up in New Jersey and it was good practice for his career.
He said: "It was a very Italian-American family, like you see in the movies. There was a lot of teasing going on. It prepares your wit if you have family constantly ragging you. I recommend it with your children."
Devito has four children, Lucy, 33, Daniel,29, Grace, 30, and Lexi, with wife Rhea Perlman, and he admits his kids still wind him up.
He said: "They gang up on me."
Danny Devito: Robin Williams almost killed me with laughter
