Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Legendary comedian and actor Sir Billy Connolly has opened up on the heartbreaking final words Robin Williams said to him.
Connolly, 81, had been good friends with the Mrs. Doubtfire and Night at the Museum star, who tragically died by suicide back in 2014 at the age of 63.
The pair had first met on a Canadian talk show and remained in-touch over the following years, with Williams making several trips to Scotland.
Ahead of his appearance on new BBC series In My Own Words which airs tonight (2 September), Connolly has spoken about his friendship with Williams and revealed how their final conversation had ‘felt like a goodbye’.
Robin Williams and Sir Billy Connolly photographed together in Scotland (Julian Parker/Liaison)
Recalling his final encounter with Williams, Connolly explained that the actor had phoned him up and asked if they could go to dinner together.
It was during this dinner that Williams would speak candidly about their friendship – something that Connolly now thinks of as a ‘goodbye’ from his close friend.
Recalling the encounter, he explained: “He phoned me and said ‘let’s have dinner’, and during the dinner he said, ‘I love you’, I said thanks very much. He said, ‘do you believe me’, I said ‘of course I do’. He said, ‘believe me, I love you’, I said ‘that’s great’.”
Connolly went on to add that it was only when he learnt that Williams had taken his own life the following weekend that he understood the weight behind their final conversation.
“I thought ‘how weird, how weird for him to say that, it’s not like his usual’. He was dead on the weekend,” he said.
“I always felt that was him saying goodbye. He was the best ever.
Connolly has spoken about his life, career and health on a new BBC show (Luiz Rampelotto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“When he took his life it was the saddest day.”
Connolly previously revealed that he and Williams had both bonded over their shared health issues prior to his death.
Connolly had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease back in 2013. Williams had also believed he was in the early stages of the disease at the time, however an autopsy would later reveal the actor had actually been struggling with a condition called Lewy body dementia.
“We used to talk about Parkinson’s a lot. He would call me and we would compare notes. His was early onset, the same as mine,” Connolly told The Telegraph back in 2014.
“Everybody worries about it. It’s like a mugger following you around.”
Billy Connolly: In My Own Words airs 2 September on BBC One at 10.40pm.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Featured Image Credit: BBC/Julian Parker/Liaison
Topics: Robin Williams, Celebrity
