Robin Williams‘ daughter, Zelda Williams, is asking folks on the internet to stop sending her that viral video of Jamie Costa impersonating her father. The clip, which made the rounds earlier this week, has also gone under fire on social media for being “uniquely repulsive,” with fans rejecting the idea of a biopic entirely.
The clip is titled “ROBIN Test Footage Scene,” and sees Costa give a five-minute impersonation of the late actor as he runs lines for Mork & Mindy opposite actress Pam Dawber (Sarah Murphree). Then, he’s interrupted with the news of John Belushi’s death.
Williams tweeted her thoughts yesterday (Oct. 13), saying that she’s seen the video enough times, especially noting that it’s difficult to watch such a dark moment for her father.
“Guys, I’m only saying this because I don’t think it’ll stop until I acknowledge it,” Williams began. “Please, stop sending me the ‘test footage’. I’ve seen it.”
Still, she had kind words for Costa: “Jamie is SUPER talented, this isn’t against him,” she continued, adding, “but y’all spamming me an impression of my Dad on one of his saddest days is weird.”
Dawber opened up about the scene portrayed in the footage back in the 2018 documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind. Dawber said that Robin had been partying beside Belushi’s side the night he passed away, but left because “he was so stoned he could hardly stand up.” She later had to break the news, which is recreated in the video.
“We just walked together toward our trailers and, just before he went into his trailer, I said, ‘If that ever happens to you, I will find you and kill you first,’” she recalled. “And he said, ‘Dawbs, that’s never gonna happen to me.’” Robin, who died by suicide at age 63 in 2014, said the entire experience sobered him up for a long period in his life.
Initially, the response to the ROBIN Test Footage Scene clip seemed strong. “This is incredible!” one Twitter user shared. “Jamie Costa is an actor/comedian who gained notoriety a few years back for his uncanny impression of #RobinWilliams. He’a since teamed up w/ others to create this ‘test footage’ as a pitch for a potential full-length movie.”
But not soon after, some folks pointed out some glaring issues with the idea, with a handful of folks mentioning Zelda’s response. “ngl the whole mood surrounding the Jamie Costa/Robin Williams thing comes off as ghoulish as fuck to me,” one Twitter user shared. “I don’t want a biopic. What would that affirm? Let the man rest. He’s not a commodity anymore; Keep it that way.”
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