Emmy Telecast Prepping Tribute to Robin Williams
Less than a year after Robin Williams appeared on the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast to salute his mentor, Jonathan Winters, producers of the Aug. 25 ceremony are preparing an on-air tribute to the actor-comedian whose suicide on Monday sent shockwaves through the showbiz community.
Details are sparse as the effort is just being pulled together by exec producer Don Mischer and others in the wake of the news that surfaced Monday afternoon.
“Plans for the In Memoriam segment are in discussion. While we are all still coming to terms with this week’s tragic news, we are working to give Robin Williams the proper and meaningful remembrance he so well deserves,” Mischer said in a statement.
The 66th annual Emmycast will air live on NBC.
Williams was part of an extended Emmycast tribute last year to five prominent TV personalities who died during the 2012-13 Emmy cycle. Williams paid homage to one of his greatest influences, the frenetic comedian Winters, who died at age 87 in April 2013.
The others saluted on last year’s telecast were “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini, “All in the Family’s” Jean Stapleton, “Family Ties” creator Gary David Goldberg and “Glee” star Cory Monteith.
Marin County officials confirmed Tuesday that Williams, who was 63, hung himself late Monday morning at his home in Tiburon, Calif.
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