• Fashion designer Kate Spade died in an apparent suicide on Tuesday.
• Her brother-in-law, David Spade, paid tribute to her in two social media posts. One said: "It's a rough world out there people. Try to hang on."
• The comedian also said: "I don't think everyone knew how f---ing funny she was."
• Kate Spade's sister also said she had mental illness and seemed fixated on Robin Williams' death by hanging in 2014.

The comedian David Spade has paid tribute to his sister-in-law Kate Spade, who died in an apparent suicide on Tuesday morning. Around the same time, Spade's sister said that her death was "not unexpected."

David Spade posted two photos of himself with Kate on Twitter and Facebook, in which he remembered her wit and warned of a "rough world out there."

Kate was married to David's brother, Andy Spade, who was also her business partner.

David Spade wrote on Instagram:

"Fuzzy picture but I love it. Kate and I during Christmas family photos.

"We had so much fun that day. She was so sharp and quick on her feet. She could make me laugh so hard. I still cant believe it. It's a rough world out there people, try to hang on."

The messages appear to be a reference to mental illness, with celebrities, fashion industry figures, and fans also reacting to the designer's death with messages about mental health.

A housekeeper found Kate Spade hanging from a red scarf on a bedroom door in her Park Avenue apartment, the Associated Press reported, citing law-enforcement officials.

'Not unexpected'

Spade suffered from mental illness for years, her sister Reta Saffo said. She suggested that the designer could have been planning her suicide as early as 2014, when Robin Williams died.

Saffo told The Kansas City Star in an email:

"I will say this was not unexpected by me. I'd flown out to Napa and NYC several times in the past 3-4 years to help her to get the treatment she needed (inpatient hospitalization).

"She was always a very excitable little girl and I felt all the stress/pressure of her brand (KS) may have flipped the switch where she eventually became full-on manic depressive..."

Saffo added that she and Spade were at a hotel together in Santa Fe, Mexico, when they saw reports of Williams' death in August 2014.

"We were freaked out/saddened, but she kept watching it and watching it over and over," Saffo said. "I think the plan was already in motion even as far back as then."

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

Remembering Kate Spade:

• 'You don't know me but I know you': After Kate Spade's death, people are sharing how the designer touched their lives through fashion
• Kate Spade has died in an apparent suicide at 55. Here's the story behind the rise of her handbag empire.
• Kate Spade shared how she wanted to be remembered in a 2002 interview
• Kate Spade was totally detached from her namesake brand
• Kate Spade leaves behind her husband and business partner. Here's what we know about their relationship.
• Kate Spade's fans are reacting to her apparent suicide with reminders about mental health
• Celebrities and fashion industry figures are reacting to Kate Spade's apparent suicide

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Papa John's sold eight pounds of their famous garlic sauce for a limited time — so we had to try it

After his father Robin Williams died last year, 32-year-old Zak Williams decided to explore how he could give back to the community. 

Robin Williams publicly struggled with addiction and mental illness, and Zak Williams says his dad had immense empathy for people who "might not have been dealt a great hand in life."

That's one of the reasons Zak Williams teaches a weekly financial literacy class at San Quentin. 

Williams has an MBA from Columbia University and teaches alongside inmate Curtis Carroll, who goes by the nickname "Wall Street" because he spends 18 hours a day studying stock markets. Carroll told CNN Money that he started "picking stocks" a decade ago after reading old issues of the Wall Street Journal.

"Whether [inmates are in for] non-violent or violent crimes, a grossly disproportionate amount [of the crimes] are money related," Zak Williams explained to CNN Money. "What we want to do is reveal a whole slew of ways to think about money, and hopefully reveal to people that they can earn it in ways that they didn't previously see."

In the year since Robin Williams' suicide, Zak Williams said San Quentin has helped him significantly.

"[G]iving back, and trying to add value to people's lives is something that's been very helpful for me personally," he said, adding that he often thinks about his father when he enters San Quentin. "He was very compassionate towards those who might not have been dealt a great hand in life. His capacity for compassion and love was limitless ... it was something that brought him great joy, providing happiness and laughter for untold millions and millions of people."

A humane and educational prison experience can reduce recidivism

Earlier this year, ATTN: reported on the extraordinary success of Norway's Halden Prison, which spends roughly triple the amount on its average prisoner (about $90,000) than the U.S. system spends. Halden prisoners get private rooms with a TV, shower, fridge, and wood furniture.

Though this might seem extravagant for a prison, the approach appears to be working: Norway has a 20 percent recidivism rate, which is among the lowest in the world, according to a March 2014 report from Rhode Island's Salve Regina University. It's a different story in the U.S., where more than 75 percent of released inmates are re-arrested after being released from prison. Norway's incarceration rate is 75 per 100,000 while the U.S. rate is more than ten times higher at 707 per 100,000, totaling more than 2 million people behind bars.

Meanwhile, in the United States President Obama has launched a pilot program to restore Pell Grants for prisoners, so that inmates can better pay for education and earn a college degree. This is a far cry from the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which barred inmates from using grants.

"Many people agree that educating inmates before their release is an excellent way of preparing them for reentry," wrote ATTN:'s Andrew Rose. "But it is not as simple as that: prison education is a fantastic idea, and it can help to dramatically lower the recidivism rate and to improve ex-convicts' quality of life."

Ten years ago, a Bureau of Justice Statistics report found that only 35 percent of corrections facilities provide college courses to inmates. 

A culture of equality in prison

Karin Dwyer-Loken, an American who teaches history and English at Halden Prison, said in an interview with NPR that Halden respects inmates. Halden staffers can be seen eating with inmates in dining areas and playing games with them in the gym.

"Anybody can learn anything," she said. "Anybody can change their lives with the right kind of help, guidance, giving them a chance ... Their punishment is being locked up. Their punishment is not to be treated badly while they're locked up."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how the world's most notorious drug lord escaped from his high-security prison cell

Actor and comedian Robin Williams died one year ago today, on August 11 2014, at his home in California in an apparent suicide. He was 63.  

Williams, who got his breakout role in the 1978 sitcom "Mork and Mindy," had an incredible range. 

The talented star made us laugh in movies like "Mrs. Doubtfire" and won best supporting actor at the 1998 Oscars for the character he portrayed in the drama "Good Will Hunting."

In memory of Williams, we've compiled some of his best moments on screen that display both his comic and dramatic genius. 

In "Moscow on the Hudson" (1984) Williams plays a Russian sax player who comes to New York City. His comic skills shine in the grocery store scene where his character Vladimir Ivanof is overwhelmed by the variety of coffee selections.

(This video may take a moment to load.) 

Williams demonstrates his range of on-screen personalities starring as a radio D.J. in the film"Good Morning Vietnam" (1987) for which he earned an Academy Award nomination.

Williams' "seize the day" speech in "Dead Poet's Society" (1989) also led to an Oscar nod. In the movie, Williams plays an inspirational English teacher, John Keating, who famously tells his students: “Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you’re slightly more daring, O Captain My Captain.”

Today marks one year since beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams died at the age of 63.

From the exuberant Genie in "Aladdin," to the iconic Teddy Roosevelt in "Night at the Museum," the many rousing characters he created over his decades-long career have not been forgotten. We created this graphic to celebrate some of his most memorable faces.
 

View some of Robin Williams' greatest scenes as these unforgettable characters.

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams died one year ago today — here are 10 of his best moments on film

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Listen to this YouTuber perfectly impersonate 15 musicians — including Bruce Springsteen and Sam Smith

Author and newly-named member of the Worth Power 100 List Tony Robbins recently visited Business Insider to talk about personal finance, politics and strategy. 

We asked him to give us his keys to achieve success in work and life.

Produced by Graham Flanagan

Follow BI Video: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

Robin Williams played a lot of roles, one of the most memorable being the Genie from "Aladdin"— one of Disney's most classic animations.

Now, Disney has released footage and never-before-seen stills of the late Williams in this iconic role from the 1992 film, which will be released on Blu-ray on October 13.

On a segment with "Good Morning America," John Musker, the co-director and co-writer of "Aladdin" said the writers had Robin Williams in mind while they wrote the part of the Genie — though they had no idea if he'd agree to play the role. 

Here's the whole segment:

Here are some of the stills and footage:

"We were totally walking down the plank," Musker admitted on GMA. "If he said no, we were going to be in big trouble because the whole concept [of the Genie] was built around Robin."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 4 ways to stay awake without caffeine

Robin Williams' widow, Susan, has publicly spoken about her husband's suicide for the first time in an exclusive interview with ABC News, part of which aired today on "Good Morning America."

Susan Williams spoke candidly with ABC's Amy Robach about Robin's battle with anxiety, depression, and paranoia. She emotionally described her final evening with her husband and revealed that she doesn't blame her husband for his suicide. 

"And I got to tell him, ‘I forgive you 50 billion percent, with all my heart. You're the bravest man I've ever known.’ You know, we were living a nightmare,” she said.

Robin was diagnosed with early stages of Parkinson's disease in May, but the couple was unaware that he was also suffering from Lewy body dementia, which is the third most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

"Lewy body dementia killed Robin. It's what took his life, and that's what I've spent the last year trying to get to the bottom of," she said. Though he was fighting against the symptoms, Susan said he was losing control. "It was like the dam broke,” she said of his last month.

Robin and his doctors had been planning on checking him into a facility to undergo neurocognitive testing the week of his death.

The full interview will air tonight on “World News Tonight with David Muir” and “Nightline.” It will also air in its entirety Friday on “The View.”

Watch part of the interview below: 

SEE ALSO: This graphic celebrates Robin Williams' most memorable characters

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why the World Cup soccer ball looks so different

For the first time since Robin Williams' death, his widow Susan Williams spoke out about her husband's dementia in an exclusive interview with ABC News, a portion of which aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America."

Williams had been diagnosed with early stages of Parkinson's disease before he died by suicide August 2014. But an autopsy revealed he also suffered from Lewy body dementia (LBD), a brain disorder that affects more than a million Americans.

According to The Alzheimer's Association, LBD is a type of progressive disease that causes a decline in thinking, reasoning and independence, linked to the buildup of microscopic deposits — so-called Lewy bodies — in the brain, which damage the cells over time. It's the third most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

LBD shares similarities with Parkinson’s and Alzheimers, and scientists think all three disorders may have a common cause.

The symptoms of LBD include changes in thinking or reasoning, day-to-day confusion, hunched posture and rigid movements, hallucinations, and other problems.

"Lewy body dementia is what killed Robin," Susan Williams told ABC News. "It's what took his life and that's what I spent the last year trying to get to the bottom of, what took my husband's life."

The week of Williams' death, his doctors were planning to check him into a facility where he would undergo neurocognitive testing.

The complete interview airs tonight on "World News Tonight with David Muir" and "Nightline," and again Friday on "The View."

SEE ALSO: There's a debilitating illness that makes you feel exhausted all the time — and we know very little about it

NOW READ: People with these rare brain disorders have a disturbingly skewed perception of reality

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 96% of the brains in an NFL study tested positive for disease

SEE ALSO: Science says lasting relationships come down to 2 basic traits

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A caffeine-free coffee shop opened in NYC and people have a lot to say about it

"Aladdin" is one of those animated classics that could never be replicated, and a good part of that fact is due to the fact that the voice and performance of Robin Williams is so iconic and irreplaceable that it can't be duplicated. According to a clause in the late actor's will, Disney will have no means of even trying, as a treasure trove of outtakes are off limits for any future usage.

The New York Post broke the details, as a former Disney executive dropped the knowledge that there was enough excess material from Williams' 1991 recording sessions to constitute a fourth performance as the Genie in a new "Aladdin" film. Unfortunately for the powers that be, Williams' estate had a prohibition on such activity for at least 25 years after his death. The reason is that any future sequels would have generated financial penalties for his family – as any posthumous earnings are subject to such technicalities. Though looking back on the comedian's history with Disney, we're not sure finances were the only reason.

When Robin Williams worked on the original "Aladdin," he had one major stipulation to ensure his participation: he didn't want his work to be used in shilling any sort of merchandising or tie-in products, such as fast food advertisements. Disney agreed with this stipulation, only to turn around and do exactly the opposite of what Williams asked them to honor – and that left some hurt feelings between the actor and the studio. Though apparently, time and a Picasso peace offering are enough to heal old wounds, as Williams eventually returned to Disney for one more film – the direct-to-video sequel "Aladdin and the King of Thieves."

Despite the "Aladdin" series closing itself off with that final film, the clause in Robin Williams' will has us wondering if this was the reason the studio decided to move forward with the prequel / re-imagining of the series, "Genie." With a fresh take on the character coming into play, we would assume that Disney's endgame is to eventually introduce everyone's favorite blue wise-cracker to a new generation, with his street rat of a best friend by his side. As the studio has taken this tack with many of their other franchises, this could be written off as just an action that fits with the business model, so this could be just a coincidence.

Even if the restrictions on the deleted material from the original film were non-existent, crafting a fourth "Aladdin" film out of Robin Williams' legacy wouldn't be a move forgiven by the fans of both animated films and Williams' comedic stylings. However, after the 25-year clause expires, don't be surprised if some enterprising Disney executives decide to resurrect the materials in question and make good on their plans to give the world one last ride on the magic carpet. Let's just hope that whoever this hypothetical person may be goes through the right channels, so as not to alienate any fans or descendants of Williams' family down the line.

In the meantime, you can enjoy the original "Aladdin" on Diamond Edition Blu-ray, as it's available in stores now.

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams' widow says 'we were living a nightmare' in first interview about his death

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: North Korean defector: Kim Jong Un 'is a terrorist'

Zelda Williams has been busy since her father, Robin Williams, died two months ago. But she always has him in mind.

After his death, Zelda received an outpouring of support. It was an emotional time, as she told Entertainment Weekly.

"I was really appreciative of the fact that everyone loved Dad so much, but [I] did get looked at like a butterfly that you were going to damage, and that’s in its own way sweet, but also alienating and difficult," she told EW. "I had an enormous amount of time to myself."

Zelda and her father were close. Growing up, the two bonded over movies, comic books, and video games. She was even named after the Zelda in the game series"The Legend of Zelda." Without him, Zelda said she felt unmoored.

"Maybe out of stubbornness, but also out of independence, I never asked him for a road map — I didn’t want the curiosity to be dampened for me," she told EW. “I had to figure this out before he was gone, and now I definitely have to figure it out on my own. But I’m enjoying that process."

Since Robin's death, Zelda has been working in independent movies. She's now starring in a horror drama TV series "Dead Summer," where she plays a transgender counselor at the summer camp where the show is set.

She's excited about playing the role of the type of person who's often underrepresented in media, even though she isn't a trans actor herself. Zelda told EW that she spoke with trans men to inform how she plays her character, believing the trans community "deserves an honest portrayal."

"He missed out on me being proud of myself by about a year and a half," she said. "That’s the one thing that’s really sad for me, because I know he was always proud of me. I think he would’ve loved that I was happy.”

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Super-Earths are real and they could be an even better place for life than Earth

In a new interview, Matt Damon gave a moving recollection of a famous scene from "Good Will Hunting" that he acted in with Robin Williams, who died two years ago on August 11, 2014. 

Speaking with JOE.ie, Damon recalled Williams' performance in the emotional park-bench scene.

"I had probably one or two lines in that. It was Robin's scene," Damon said. "And when he was just crushing it on the first take, I just went, 'This is gonna be really good.'"

Damon went on to describe how he recently took his family to Boston Commons to visit the same bench where the scene was filmed. 

"I walked over there with my family and we sat on the bench," he said. "The kids didn't know, they've never seen the movie, they're too young. But it was nice to go back and think about him back there."

"Good Will Hunting" received nine Academy Award nominations in 1998. Damon and Ben Affleck won for best original screenplay, and Williams won for best supporting actor, his first and only Oscar. 

Watch the interview and a clip from the scene below:

SEE ALSO: The 10 best Matt Damon roles that aren't Jason Bourne

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why the World Cup soccer ball looks so different

Take a look inside the house made famous by "Mrs. Doubtfire" 23 years after the film was released. It's listed at $4.45 million and has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths.

Follow BI Video: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

In the months before his death, Robin Williams was besieged by paranoia and so confused he couldn't remember his lines while filming a movie, as his brain was ambushed by what doctors later identified as an unusually severe case of Lewy body dementia.

"Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it. Can you imagine the pain he felt as he experienced himself disintegrating?" the actor's widow, Susan Schneider Williams, wrote in a wrenching editorial published this week in the journal Neurology.

The title of her piece: "The terrorist inside my husband's brain."

Susan Williams addressed the editorial to neurologists, writing that she hoped her husband's story would "help you understand your patients along with their spouses and caregivers a little more."

Susan Williams has previously blamed Lewy body dementia for her husband's death by suicide in 2014. About 1.3 million Americans have the disease, which is caused by protein deposits in the brain. Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few months before he died; the telltale signs of Lewy body dementia in his brain were not discovered until an autopsy.

The editorial chronicles Williams's desperation as he sought to understand a bewildering array of symptoms that started with insomnia, constipation, and an impaired sense of smell and soon spiraled into extreme anxiety, tremors, and difficulty reasoning.

"My husband was trapped in the twisted architecture of his neurons and no matter what I did I could not pull him out," Susan Williams wrote.

For nearly a year, in a painful odyssey that will be familiar to many patients, Williams tried to find out what was wrong with himself — and fix it. He underwent tests and scans, tried new medications, did physical therapy, worked out with a trainer, and sought out alternative treatments like self-hypnosis and yoga.

"He kept saying, 'I just want to reboot my brain,'" his widow recounted.

Nothing worked.

Signs of trouble

Susan Williams traced the first signs of trouble to a celebration of their wedding anniversary, about 10 months before her husband died, when "gut discomfort" made him fearful and anxious. That set off months of escalating problems.

Williams struggled particularly while filming "Night at the Museum 3" in the spring of 2014. He had a panic attack and had trouble remembering "even one line" in his role as Teddy Roosevelt. By contrast, Susan Williams wrote, he had remembered hundreds of lines without error while performing on Broadway three years before.

Another heartbreaking hallmark of the disease: Frequent shifts in and out of clarity.

"I experienced my brilliant husband being lucid with clear reasoning 1 minute and then, 5 minutes later, blank, lost in confusion," she wrote.

Dr. James Leverenz, a behavioral neurologist at Cleveland Clinic, told STAT that reading the editorial "brings back memories of many different patients I've seen with very similar experiences."

Robin Williams' frequent moments of lucidity, he said, illustrate what sets the condition apart from advanced Alzheimer's, where such flashes are rarer. "I've had patients with fairly severe Lewy body dementia that will sit in clinic and make actually nuanced jokes with me," Leverenz said.

After her husband's death, Susan Williams wrote that she had many long conversations with doctors to retrace and understand what had happened to him. All four doctors who had reviewed his records, she said, "indicated his was one of the worst pathologies they had seen."

Though she and her husband both craved a diagnosis during those bewildering months before his death, Susan Williams said in retrospect she is "not convinced that the knowledge would have done much more than prolong Robin's agony" and turn him into "one of the most famous test subjects of new medicines and ongoing clinical trials."

There are no approved drugs to treat the disease, but Leverenz said that early diagnosis can allow patients to access off-label medications that can be very helpful, atypically so for dementia, to manage their disease. Roughly half of patients get diagnosed while they're still alive, he said.

Susan Williams has joined the board of the American Brain Foundation, a nonprofit that funds research on neurological illnesses.

"Hopefully from this sharing of our experience," she wrote, addressing neurologists, "you will be inspired to turn Robin's suffering into something meaningful through your work and wisdom."

She added: "Do not give up."

SEE ALSO: There’s even more evidence that one activity could help slow the aging process

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I tried the newest BlackBerry phone for a week

While treatments for diseases like cancer have had an innovation gold rush, neurological diseases haven't seen the same kind of development.

In November, the field faced another setback after an Alzheimer's disease drug failed a critical late-stage trial. But other drugmakers seem to still have hope, even if the odds are stacked against them. 

At the Forbes Healthcare Summit on Thursday, two CEOs from companies in the neurodegenerative space spoke with Susan Schneider Williams, whose husband Robin Williams was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) after his death in 2014. The condition is the second most common form of dementia, next to Alzheimer's.

Only four approved drugs are in use to treat Alzheimer's; on average about 99% of all drugs in clinical trials never actually make it to approval. There are no approved treatments for Lewy Body disease.

Axovant is developing drugs for Alzheimer's and LBD, while Denali Therapeutics is exploring treatments for Alzheimer's and ALS.

Speaking with Denali Therapeutics CEO Ryan Watts and Axovant CEO Vivek Ramaswamy, Schneider Williams expressed frustration about not knowing the kind of dementia her husband had.

"It wasn’t until three months after Robin left that I found out the name of what took him," she said. Based on his symptoms, Williams had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disease characterized by problems with movement, but it wasn't until later that a doctor diagnosed him with LBD after discovering the presence of Lewy bodies in his brain.

Combining drugs

Both Ramaswamy and Watts expressed interest in combining different therapies to treat complex conditions such as LBD.

"We can just give up," Watts, who admitted initially being himself hesitant about combinations in neurodegenerative diseases, said. "But that's not what we should do. We should try these other novel approaches."

Ramaswamy said people working in the neurodegenerative space should take a similar approach to the one that cancer researchers have taken over the past decade. "The drugs all come step-by-step, without a single silver bullet," said Ramaswamy.

Axovant's Alzheimer's compound, RVT-101, is being tested in combination with Aricept, an available widely-used drug that is used to treat Alzheimer's symptoms including memory loss and confusion. Together, the two drugs appeared to slow people's loss of cognition and improve their ability to perform daily tasks — and these results were better than when Aricept was taken alone. The company's phase 2b trial was promising, and it launched its phase 3 trial in October 2015. Data from that trial should be coming out in 2017.

Two of the main targets Alzheimer's drugs have been going after are called tau and amyloid (solanezumab, the most recent drug to fail a phase 3 trial, was going after the amyloid deposits in the brain to clear them out and treat the disease). Drugs going after both targets have had setbacks in the last year. Axovant's compound goes after a different mechanism, a receptor in the brain called 5-HT6, though drugs going after this receptor have also had setbacks.

So the best way to turn things around? Take it slow and get more drugs approved, even if they may only help incrementally.

"This, more than any other, needs to turn cycle of failure into success," Ramaswamy said. "All it will take is a single success to be a catalyst for change."

SEE ALSO: A major Alzheimer's drug just failed a key trial

DON'T MISS: Allergan CEO: 'I worry today that pharma has a false sense of relief or security' with Trump presidency

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Astronomers just discovered 12 new moons around Jupiter

Pretty much every Harry Potter fan out there absolutely loves Hagrid. He was an incredibly central character to the book series and was brought to life magnificently by Robbie Coltrane in the movies. It turns out things could have been a whole lot different, because Robin Williams really wanted the role for himself, but he was ultimately rejected for it.

Janet Hirshenson, who served as the casting director for the Harry Potter movies, was recently interviewed by The Huffington Post and revealed that Robin Williams did indeed reach out to the team behind the movie about the part. Unfortunately, due to a "Brits-only" rule during the casting process, he wasn't really considered seriously for the part of Hagrid. Here is what she had to say about it:

"Robin had called because he really wanted to be in the movie, but it was a British-only edict, and once he said no to Robin, he wasn't going to say yes to anybody else, that's for sure. It couldn't be."

 You would be hard-pressed to find a Harry Potter fan who wasn't happy with the way the casting worked out for the movies, especially in hindsight. For many, it would probably be very difficult to picture anyone but Robbie Coltrane in the role of Hagrid, who just so happened to be author J.K. Rowling's first choice for the part. That said, it would be equally hard not to see Robin Williams absolutely crushing it in a role like that. It is the type of thing he was truly great at doing. Even though it was an animated character, just look at what he was able to bring to the role of Genie in Aladdin. Couple that with his ability to do truly grounded, serious drama in something like Good Will Hunting and it is hard to argue against, in many ways.

The first entry in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was released in 2001 and the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, was released in 2011. During that decade-long run, Robin Williams worked plenty, but he didn't do anything nearly as significant in terms of critical acclaim or financial success as the Harry Potter movies. The closest thing would be the Night at the Museum trilogy, but that is simply dwarfed by the success of the Harry Potter. Not counting Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Harry Potter movies made a grand total of $7.72 billion worldwide, making it one of the most successful franchises ever. Robin Williams talked a little bit about getting passed over for the part in 2001 in an interview with the New York Post. Here is what he had to say.

"There were a couple of parts I would have wanted to play, but there was a ban on [using] American actors."

Sadly, we lost Robin Williams in 2014 but he remains a truly beloved actor and so much of his work is still celebrated regularly. It is hard to imagine how his legacy would have been shaped had he appeared as Hagrid in Harry Potter. It certainly would have had a major impact on his career in some way. Putting anyone, let alone someone as beloved as Robin Williams, in a hugely successful movie franchise can bring a lot of opportunity someone's way. Things ultimately worked out well the way they did and at the very least, this is something interesting for fans of the Harry Potter franchise to think about.

SEE ALSO: THEN & NOW: The cast of 'Harry Potter' 15 years later

DON'T MISS: 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling rails against bullies and bigots after Donald Trump's win

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How J.K. Rowling's digital publisher 'Pottermore' has successfully expanded the canon and backstories of Harry Potter

• Robin Williams stole the show at the 1994 World Cup draw, making numerous jokes at the expense of the former FIFA administrator Sepp Blatter.
• The 2018 draw took place on Friday.

On Friday, soccer fans witnessed the latest version of one of the most surprisingly fun events in sports: the World Cup draw.

With celebrities, performers, and legends of the game in attendance, as well as plenty of competitive intrigue, we've seen some truly memorable moments occur at draws over the years. But the 1994 event, which featured a funny back-and-forth between Robin Williams and the then-FIFA general secretary Sepp Blatter, may take the cake as the most entertaining.

Williams was invited onstage to select the teams out of Pot 4, and he wasted no time in poking fun at his host. The comedian made jokes about Blatter's name ("Funny, I met you in the men's room just a minute ago!"), the color of the blue balls being selected, and just about anything else he could think of.

Take a look:

It's clear that Blatter wasn't quite prepared for the Williams treatment, but at least the crowd was into it. The late comedian got the best reception of anyone in attendance, beating out fellow stars like Beau Bridges and Mario Andretti.

All the while, Williams' shtick is juxtaposed with straight-laced commentary on the newly completed groups from the ESPN broadcaster Bob Ley. It all makes for a bizarre and hilarious seven minutes, especially in light of this week's draw in Moscow.

The toughest groups for 2018 appear to be D and F — check out our coverage of the action here.

SEE ALSO: The 27 schools that make at least $100 million in college sports

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Brazil's empty $300 million World Cup stadium

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle."

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" (starring Dwayne "The Rock Johnson," Kevin Hart, and Nick Jonas) is a wild and surprisingly not terrible sequel to Robin Williams' 1995 movie about a sentient board game.

"Welcome to the Jungle" pays tribute to Williams, who committed suicide in 2014, by mentioning his original "Jumanji" character Alan Parrish.

In case you've forgotten, the original "Jumanji" opens by showing a pair of kids in the 1800s burying a mysterious chest in the forest of Brantford, New Hampshire. Then we jump to 1969, where the young Alan Parrish finds the chest and opens it to reveal a board game called Jumanji.

Alan and his friend Sarah play the game together, and Alan is literally sucked inside the game after he rolls a five. The game says, "In the jungle you must wait until the dice read five or eight." 

Sarah is rightfully terrified after witnessing this supernatural phenomenon (and being attacked by bats immediately afterwards), so she runs away and never attempts to keep playing the game. The meant Alan was trapped inside Jumanji for 26 years, until a new pair of kids find the game and begin playing in 1995.

When one of them rolls a five or eight, Alan returns to the real world and we realize he's been living in the Jumanji jungle the whole time. After he and the kids (and adult-Sarah) finally finish their game of Jumanji, Alan is transported back to 1969 and becomes a kid again. 

How the "Jumanji" sequel nods to Alan Parrish

So, cut to "Welcome to the Jungle." The new sequel opens with a man finding the Jumanji board game washed up on a beach in 1996. Apparently this beach is also near Brantford, New Hampshire, because the house the man lives in is near a Brantford High School. 

The man gives the board game to his teenage son Alex — a metalhead kid who loves video games. Alex dismisses the game, saying "Who plays board games anymore?"

Jumanji, being the sentient device that it is, apparently hears Alex's scoff and decides it needs to adapt. Overnight, the board game magically produces a video game console and cartridge. Using the telltale drum sounds, the game wakes up Alex. 

He finds the cartridge and decides to play. Upon choosing his avatar, Alex gets sucked into the game — just like Alan Parrish all those years ago.

"Welcome to the Jungle" then jumps to 2017, where a group of high schoolers in detention find the Jumanji console and plug it in. They all get sucked into the game too, and eventually run into Alex. 

Alex is unrecognizable, because the game transformed him into the avatar he chose — Jefferson Seaplane McDonough. He looks like Nick Jonas instead of the metalhead teen we saw in the '90s. 

Unlike Robin Williams' Alan Parrish, Alex seems unaware that a significant amount of time has passed. He thinks he's been in Jumanji for several weeks, when really it's been about 20 years. 

Alex takes the rest of the characters to the treehouse where he's been staying. Scratched onto a wooden post is the simple note: "Alan Parrish was here." 

When asked about the name, Alex says it must be the name of the person who built his hideout. Alan's handiwork keps Alex alive by providing shelter. 

This small mention of the name Alan Parrish is the only connection "Welcome to the Jungle" makes to the original "Jumanji." Virtually everything else about the movie stands on its own with no context needed from the 1995 movie. 

Alex/Jefferson Seaplane helps the rest of the teens (disguised as their own avatars) navigate the jungle of Jumanji. We won't spoil all the fun for you, though. You'll have to see "Welcome to the Jungle" to learn how their story ends.

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is in theaters now. For our spoiler-free thoughts on the movie, read our full review here. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Super-Earths are real and they could be an even better place for life than Earth

• Robin Williams repeatedly groped and flashed his "Mork & Mindy" costar, a new book claims.
• Pam Dawber, who played Mindy, said he did the "grossest things," but "could get away with it."
• Williams killed himself in 2014 after battling severe depression.
• The claims come from an upcoming biography of Williams.

The late Robin Williams repeatedly groped and flashed his "Mork & Mindy" co-star, a new book has revealed.

Pam Dawber, who played Mindy to Williams' Mork in the 1970s sitcom, recalled what is clearly sexual misconduct, saying he groped, grabbed, and flashed her on set.

However, Dawber said Williams' "magic" personality meant that she never minded the behaviour, and even enjoyed it. She added: "It was the 70s, after all."

The claims, based on interviews with his former colleagues, appear in an upcoming biography of Williams by New York Times journalist Dave Itzkoff, and were reproduced by DailyMail.com.

Here are the relevant quotes from Dawber:

"I had the grossest things done to me — by him. And I never took offence. I mean I was flashed, humped, bumped, grabbed. I think he probably did it to a lot of people... but it was so much fun.

"Somehow he had that magic. If you put it on paper you would be appalled. But somehow he had this guileless little thing that he would do — those sparkly eyes.

"He'd look at you, really playful, like a puppy, all of a sudden. And then he'd grab your t**s and then run away. And somehow he could get away with it.

"It was the 70s, after all."

According to Howard Storm, the "Mork & Mindy" producer, Williams also groped Dawber for no reason during rehearsals.

He told Itzkoff: "He'd be doing a paragraph and in the middle of it he would just turn and grab her a**. Or grab a breast. And we'd start again. I'd say, 'Robin, there's nothing in the script that says you grab Pam's a**.' And he'd say: 'Oh, OK.'"

Another producer, Gerry Marshall, also said Williams "would take all his clothes off, he would be standing there totally naked and she was trying to act. His aim in life was to make Pam Dawber blush."

Storm added that he once "goosed" an actress playing Mindy's grandmother in the show in the buttocks with a cane.

"There was nothing lascivious about it, in his mind. It was just Robin being Robin, and he thought it would be funny," Storm said. "He could get away with murder."

"Mork & Mindy" ran from 1978 to 1982, meaning Williams was between 27 and 31 at the time. He previously admitted to abusing cocaine and alcohol around this time.

Williams hanged himself in 2014 after being diagnosed with dementia and battling severe depression. He was 63.

SEE ALSO: This graphic celebrates Robin Williams' most memorable characters

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why the World Cup soccer ball looks so different

• The fashion designer Kate Spade died Tuesday in an apparent suicide.
• Her brother-in-law, David Spade, paid tribute to her in two social-media posts. One said: "It's a rough world out there people. Try to hang on."
• The comedian also said, "I don't think everyone knew how f---ing funny she was."
• Kate Spade's sister also said she had mental illness and seemed fixated on Robin Williams' death by hanging in 2014.

The comedian David Spade has paid tribute to his sister-in-law Kate Spade, who died Tuesday morning in what authorities believe was suicide. Around the same time, Spade's sister said her death was "not unexpected."

David Spade posted two photos of himself with Kate on Twitter and Facebook, also remembering her wit and warning of a "rough world out there."

Kate was married to David's brother Andy Spade, who was also her business partner.

David Spade wrote on Instagram:

"Fuzzy picture but I love it. Kate and I during Christmas family photos.

"We had so much fun that day. She was so sharp and quick on her feet. She could make me laugh so hard. I still cant believe it. Its a rough world out there people, try to hang on."

The messages appear to allude to mental illness, with celebrities, fashion-industry figures, and fans also reacting to the designer's death with messages about mental health.

A housekeeper found Kate Spade hanging from a red scarf on a bedroom door in her Park Avenue apartment, the Associated Press reported, citing law-enforcement officials.

'Not unexpected'

Spade had mental illness for years, her sister Reta Saffo said. She suggested that the designer may have been thinking about killing herself as early as 2014, when the comedian Robin Williams died.

Saffo told The Kansas City Star in an email:

"I will say this was not unexpected by me. I'd flown out to Napa and NYC several times in the past 3-4 years to help her to get the treatment she needed (inpatient hospitalization).

"She was always a very excitable little girl and I felt all the stress/pressure of her brand (KS) may have flipped the switch where she eventually became full-on manic depressive."

Saffo added that she and Spade were at a hotel together in Santa Fe, Mexico, when they saw reports of Williams' death in August 2014.

"We were freaked out/saddened, but she kept watching it and watching it over and over," Saffo said. "I think the plan was already in motion even as far back as then."

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

Remembering Kate Spade:

• 'You don't know me but I know you': After Kate Spade's death, people are sharing how the designer touched their lives through fashion
• Kate Spade has died in an apparent suicide at 55. Here's the story behind the rise of her handbag empire.
• Kate Spade shared how she wanted to be remembered in a 2002 interview
• Kate Spade was totally detached from her namesake brand
• Kate Spade leaves behind her husband and business partner. Here's what we know about their relationship.
• Kate Spade's fans are reacting to her apparent suicide with reminders about mental health
• Celebrities and fashion industry figures are reacting to Kate Spade's apparent suicide

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Nike's dad shoes became an iconic sneaker