Celebrities

On ‘Tonight Show,’ Jimmy Fallon pays tribute to Robin Williams

Associated Press
FILE - This Nov. 9, 2009 file photo shows actor Robin Williams, right, and his wife Susan Schneider at the premiere of "Old Dogs" in Los Angeles. Williams, whose free-form comedy and adept impressions dazzled audiences for decades, died Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, of suicide. Williams was 63.
FILE - This Nov. 9, 2009 file photo shows actor Robin Williams, right, and his wife Susan Schneider at the premiere of "Old Dogs" in Los Angeles. Williams, whose free-form comedy and adept impressions dazzled audiences for decades, died Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, of suicide. Williams was 63. Associated Press File photo
NEW YORK

Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to Robin Williams on the “Tonight Show,” where the late comic made many memorable, seldom-seated appearances.

His voice cracking, Fallon called Williams “the Muhammad Ali of comedy” on Tuesday and stood atop his desk to declare, “O Captain, my captain, you will be missed.” Fallon performed a brief impression of Williams’ fast-talking, riffing delivery, but mostly let a clip from Williams’ first appearance on the “Tonight Show” in 1981 speak for itself.

To the delight of host Johnny Carson, Williams jumped into the crowd playing a mock evangelist. Such frenetic guest spots became regular events for Williams.

With many late-night hosts on break this week, few have yet reacted on air to Williams’ death on Monday. Conan O’Brien heard the news while taping his TBS show Monday.

This story was originally published August 13, 2014 at 1:27 PM with the headline "On ‘Tonight Show,’ Jimmy Fallon pays tribute to Robin Williams."

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