Comedy great Robin Williams hanged himself at home

US actor Robin Williams poses for photographers during a photocall in Rome in this file picture taken November 15, 2005.[Photo/Agencies]

'THANKS CHIEF'

A life dedicated to entertaining others

Celebrities, fans mourn the Robin Williams' death

Chinese film fans mourn for star

A force of manic energy, Williams long ago established himself as one of the world's most beloved comedians, and took audiences on wild flights of imagination that often stressed one simple message: seize the day.

His improvisational stand-up routine broke all rules, whether he was giving a comedic account of a nuclear accident in the style of Shakespeare or grabbing a camera from an audience member and pointing the lens down his pants.

Ben Affleck, whose breakthrough role came alongside Williams and Matt Damon in 1997's "Good Will Hunting," for which Williams won his only Oscar, said he was heartbroken.

"Thanks chief - for your friendship and for what you gave the world," Affleck wrote on his Facebook page. "Robin had a ton of love in him. He personally did so much for so many people. He made Matt and my dreams come true. What do you owe a guy who does that? Everything."

Spontaneous acts of tribute sprang up at landmarks from his career.

In Boston, scores of people jotted tributes in chalk to Williams near a bench in the lush Public Garden downtown, which featured in "Good Will Hunting".

Mourners hung signs including "You will be missed" and "RIP Robin" on the wooden fence of the home in Boulder, Colorado, where parts of the intro credits for his breakout 1970s TV comedy, "Mork & Mindy," were filmed.

On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, fans congregated around Williams' star, leaving flowers and candles to honor the actor.

"My kids grew up on 'Mrs Doubtfire'," said Erlinda Fantauzzi, referring to the hit movie in which he played a father who took on the persona of a tender British nanny to be close to his kids. "I feel so bad. He was a tortured soul and he died alone. He touched adults and children," she said.

Interest in his film work spiked on Tuesday, with "Dead Poets Society," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and "Good Morning, Vietnam" making it into the top 20 in the iTunes movie chart.