LS ‘He Made Us Laugh — Until We Cried: Billy Crystal’s Heartfelt Tribute to His Best Friend, Robin Williams”’

When Robin Williams died on August 11, 2014, the world fell silent — but two weeks later, at the Primetime Emmy Awards, his best friend Billy Crystal stood before millions and gave one of the most heartfelt tributes ever seen on television. His voice trembled as he said, “He made us laugh. Hard. Every time you saw him — on television, in movies, nightclubs, arenas, hospitals, homeless shelters, for our troops overseas, and even in a dying child’s living room — he made us laugh. Big time.”

Their friendship began in the late 1970s — long before fame hardened the world around them. Robin was soaring through Mork & Mindy, while Billy had just finished Soap. They met at a New York benefit and talked for an hour straight. “We didn’t know each other,” Billy once told Rolling Stone, “but it felt like we’d been friends forever. He was electric. I couldn’t stop laughing, and neither could he.”

From then on, they were inseparable — calling each other constantly, often leaving ridiculous voicemails. “He’d call pretending to be a Russian tailor or an IRS agent,” Billy recalled. “I saved many of them. Those messages got me through the darkest nights.”

Their connection shone brightest during Comic Relief, alongside Whoopi Goldberg. They raised over $70 million for the homeless, but what people remember most were those unscripted bursts of joy — Billy trying to hold it together as Robin danced around him as a Russian ballet teacher, Whoopi laughing until she cried.

Yet behind the laughter was pain. “He came to my house one night and just needed to talk,” Billy said. “He looked lost. We sat in my backyard for hours. He opened up about everything — fears, loneliness, the noise in his head.”

When Robin’s health declined from Lewy body dementia, Billy didn’t realize how deep the struggle went. “He didn’t sound like himself,” he told Vanity Fair. “I thought it was a rough patch. I didn’t know he was in that much pain.”

At the Emmys, under the soft light of remembrance, Billy’s voice broke. “It’s hard to talk about him in the past tense,” he said. “For almost forty years, he was the brightest star in the comedy universe.”

A clip of Robin’s stand-up followed — that wild, unstoppable smile — and the audience stood in silence, tears streaming. Later, Billy said softly, “It wasn’t a performance. It was a love letter.”

Their friendship was rare — bound by laughter, honesty, and the kind of love that doesn’t fade. Billy once said, “He was the greatest friend you could ever imagine — fierce, loyal, and full of joy. I’ll miss him every day for the rest of my life.”When Robin Williams died on August 11, 2014, the world fell silent — but two weeks later, at the Primetime Emmy Awards, his best friend Billy Crystal stood before millions and gave one of the most heartfelt tributes ever seen on television. His voice trembled as he said, “He made us laugh. Hard. Every time you saw him — on television, in movies, nightclubs, arenas, hospitals, homeless shelters, for our troops overseas, and even in a dying child’s living room — he made us laugh. Big time.”

Their friendship began in the late 1970s — long before fame hardened the world around them. Robin was soaring through Mork & Mindy, while Billy had just finished Soap. They met at a New York benefit and talked for an hour straight. “We didn’t know each other,” Billy once told Rolling Stone, “but it felt like we’d been friends forever. He was electric. I couldn’t stop laughing, and neither could he.”

From then on, they were inseparable — calling each other constantly, often leaving ridiculous voicemails. “He’d call pretending to be a Russian tailor or an IRS agent,” Billy recalled. “I saved many of them. Those messages got me through the darkest nights.”

Their connection shone brightest during Comic Relief, alongside Whoopi Goldberg. They raised over $70 million for the homeless, but what people remember most were those unscripted bursts of joy — Billy trying to hold it together as Robin danced around him as a Russian ballet teacher, Whoopi laughing until she cried.

Yet behind the laughter was pain. “He came to my house one night and just needed to talk,” Billy said. “He looked lost. We sat in my backyard for hours. He opened up about everything — fears, loneliness, the noise in his head.”

When Robin’s health declined from Lewy body dementia, Billy didn’t realize how deep the struggle went. “He didn’t sound like himself,” he told Vanity Fair. “I thought it was a rough patch. I didn’t know he was in that much pain.”

At the Emmys, under the soft light of remembrance, Billy’s voice broke. “It’s hard to talk about him in the past tense,” he said. “For almost forty years, he was the brightest star in the comedy universe.”

A clip of Robin’s stand-up followed — that wild, unstoppable smile — and the audience stood in silence, tears streaming. Later, Billy said softly, “It wasn’t a performance. It was a love letter.”

Their friendship was rare — bound by laughter, honesty, and the kind of love that doesn’t fade. Billy once said, “He was the greatest friend you could ever imagine — fierce, loyal, and full of joy. I’ll miss him every day for the rest of my life.”