*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.
This past Tuesday, actor Jamie Costa posted test footage of himself portraying the late great Robin Williams which left the internet astounded.
Though Williams is best remembered for being one of the funniest people to ever grace the earth, the footage saw Costa portraying him in a dramatic scene where he is informed by his Mork and Mindy co-star, Pam Dawber—portrayed in the scene by Sarah Murphree— John Belushi had died.
Williams visited Belushi only hours before the Saturday Night Live star died of a drug overdose at age 33.
Costa's frighteningly uncanny impression of Williams, who died by suicide in 2014, resulted in fans calling for Costa to play the late Oscar winning star in a biopic.
It seemed inevitable the footage would eventually find its way to Williams' three children. But fans felt the need to tag them just the same.
The Mrs. Doubtfire star's daughter, actress and producer Zelda Williams, revealed on Twitter fans had sent her the footage.
She had a message for all of them—"stop".
"Guys, I'm only saying this because I don't think it'll stop until I acknowledge it... please stop sending me the test footage"
Zelda made it clear she was impressed by Costa's portrayal, but it was simply overwhelming to see another actor portray her late father on one of his darkest days.
"Jamie is SUPER talented, this isn't against hum, but y'all spamming me an impression of my late Dad on one of his saddest days is weird."
In the wake of Williams' passing in 2014, Zelda found herself forced to quit Twitter and Instagram after countless trolls barraged her with hurtful messages.
While she subsequently reinstated both accounts, she still avoids social media on and around the anniversary of her father's death, explaining her reasons in a heartfelt Twitter post in 2020.
"As I've said in the past, while I am constantly touched by all of your boundless continued love for him, some days it can feel a bit like being seen as a roadside memorial- a place, not a person, where people drive past and leave their sentiments to then go about their days comforted their love for him was witnessed."
"But sometimes, that leaves me emotionally buried under a pile of other's memories instead of my own."
After her request to stop, Zelda's fans sent her messages of love and condolence.
Several expressed how strange it must have been for her to watch Costa embody her father.
A few others condemned all those who bombarded Zelda with Costa's video, scolding them for their thoughtless insensitivity.
Perhaps as a way of lifting her spirits, several fans flooded the reply section with adorable pictures of their pets with Zelda eventually returning the favor.
Sending lots of extra warmth to you as well, Zelda.
***
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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