Sarah Michelle Gellar Explains Why She Took A Break From Acting After Robin Williams' Death

*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.

Few celebrity deaths have broken as many hearts as Robin Williams' suicide in 2014. And for those who knew and worked alongside him, the loss was of course even more overwhelming.

Actor Sarah Michelle Gellar recently opened up about the experience of losing Williams, with whom she was costarring in the CBS series The Crazy Ones shortly before his death.

In a new interview with People, Gellar discussed how the passing of Williams' and the loss of the paternal relationship they'd cultivated on The Crazy Ones compelled her to take a break.

Gellar told People Williams was "the father I'd always dreamed of having" and her children called him Uncle Robin.

After his loss, she felt she had to focus on her family. 

"I need to be here for these early formative years of my kids' life. I needed that break to be the parent that I wanted to be.

Gellar also told People she needed a break from the frenetic pace of a lifelong Hollywood career—one that only intensified when she began working with Williams on The Crazy Ones.

"I've been working my entire life. When I had kids—and it was right after Robin passed away—there was just so much going on in my life and I just said, 'I need to take a break'."

Gellar, who rose to prominence on the 90s series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, began work on The Crazy Ones in 2013.

The show was meant to be a powerhouse hit for CBS—helmed by television legend David E. Kelley, it not only returned Williams to television after a long film career but reunited him with actor Pam Dawber, his costar on the mega-hit sitcom Mork and Mindy that made them both household names in the 70s and 80s.

But The Crazy Ones failed to connect with audiences.

It was canceled after its first season, three months before Williams' death. After his death it was discovered Williams was suffering from Lewy body dementia, a progressive condition that leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning and independent function.

As for Gellar, she's making her return to screens for the first time since Williams' death in the upcoming Paramount+ series Wolf Pack. In addition to playing the role of Kristin Ramsey, Gellar also executive produces the show.

She told People:

"I started to really miss it. But it's also finding the right opportunity, something that speaks to you that also speaks to your audience."

On Twitter, many were moved to hear how much Gellar loved Williams.

And there was no shortage of excitement about Gellar's return to TV in Wolf Pack, an offshoot of Teen Wolf.

Wolf Pack is currently shooting in Atlanta and will premiere later this year.

***

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/