British actor and comedian Eric Idle, a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, has revealed actor Robin Williams taught him how to be nice to fans.
Idle and Williams were close friends up until Williams' death in August 2014.
Appearing on the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast to promote his new book The Spamalot Diaries, Idle revealed he used to swear at his fans before Williams taught him about empathy.
"I think you learn empathy. You start by being an egotistical s*** by going into show business and then you can behave very badly," said Idle. "I learned from lots of very good people. Robin Williams taught me how to be nice to fans. I would just tell them to 'f*** off' and they would laugh and go away, but that was good enough for them."
However, eventually Idle caught on to how Williams treated his fans, deciding to try out the tactics for himself.
"Then I watched Robin and his empathy. And remembering that this is somebody's moment in their life and it's a big moment in their life. They love you, they want this moment. So if you are a s*** or are dismissive, it's a nasty memory," Idle told O'Brien. "So what I always say is 'Oh, I'm Eric' and I get their name and then you are on a one-to-one human basis with them and you're not some kind of god. And they're not some abject fan. And I think that works in all sorts of situations when you remind people that they're people."
Newsweek has emailed Eric Idle's representatives for comment.
Idle, 81, has discussed his friendship with Williams in the past, telling British newspaper The Guardian in 2022 that Williams was a "great mate" whom he "never expected to out-survive."
In the same interview, Idle also revealed how he invited Williams to join him onstage—in a live Monty Python show—shortly before he died.
"We were putting a celebrity on stage in a mask and then unmasking them. I asked if he'd come to the last night and do that for us. And he said: 'I don't want to be onstage.' That should have been the clue for me – Robin not wanting to be onstage. Then shortly afterwards we heard the tragic news," said Idle.
Williams died by suicide, aged 63. An autopsy later revealied he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia.
Idle was asked to speak at his memorial. However, he says he couldn't face it so he wrote and performed a song instead.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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