Editorial: Beloved star who will grow no older

A lot of discussion has taken place over the past two days about people's favourite Robin Williams movies.

The sad catalyst for this, of course, was the actor's death at age 63 at his home this week.

A lot of information - too much really - has been reported widely about Williams' death - believed to be self-inflicted.

In New Zealand, media outlets are restricted in what they can report on suicides, but clearly Marin County where Williams lived has different rules.

With incredible haste we learned how he was believed to have killed himself. We also heard about his state of mind of late - his issues with depression.

We're supposed to put two and two together and get four, though later we may find out the answer is different.

There are theories about the negative and potentially dangerous effects of reporting the methods of suicides.

There are also theories about the dangers of lavishing praise and respect on the memories of those who have killed themselves - perhaps romanticising the act.

But in the case of a celebrity like Robin Williams, there was only going to be widespread sorrow and grief at his untimely death, followed quickly by endless memories - clips, pictures, anecdotes, quotes, listicles and more. A world which may not have thought much about Robin Williams in the past few years now can't talk about anything else, about what a great and talented actor he was.

And he was.

And so we discuss those favourite Robin Williams movies. It's hard to go past Dead Poets Society (one of the themes of which was suicide) and Good Will Hunting - though that gives the mistaken impression I'm not a comedy fan - the man was a comedian after all.

My youngest son best remembers Williams as the man from the Peter Pan movie Hook - playing the boy who eventually did grow up.

Sadly this captain of the Lost Boys will now grow no older.