Robin Williams Seeks Alcoholism Treatment

Mel Gibson isn't the only celebrity battling the demons of alcohol in the public spotlight, as Robin Williams announced through his publicist this week that he was seeking treatment for alcoholism. Exactly what that means is a little unclear and it's not certain if there was any specific incident that led to the treatment, but Robin Williams' publicist Mara Buxbaum released a statement, as reported by the Associated Press and Reuters, that revealed that Robin Williams had "found himself drinking again and has decided to take proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the well-being of his family. He asks that you respect his and his family's privacy during this time. He looks forward to returning to work this fall to support his upcoming film releases"

Robin Williams knows the symptoms of alcoholism and when he needs to get a handle on the problem better than most considering he's dealt with the affliction before, having been sober for the last 20 years. Robin Williams was very open about his battles with alcohol, incorporating many jokes about it into his stand-up routines in the '70s and '80s.

Despite the alcoholism problem, Robin Williams is pretty much everywhere this year. Robin Williams can currently be seen in The Night Listener and his family comedy R.V. hits DVD shelves on Tuesday. He also has at least three more movies - Man of the Year, Happy Feet, and a small role in Night at the Museum - scheduled to hit theaters before the end of the year. After that, Robin Williams may be seen in August Rush, License to Wed, The Krazees and, yes, Mrs. Doubtfire 2.

One of the most consistently productive actors in Hollywood for the last thirty years, Robin Williams lists over 80 credits to his name in that time period, according to the IMDB. Highlights include his break through on Mork & Mindy, which Robin Williams turned into a successful film career, including, among many others, Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Awakenings, The Fisher King, Hook, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, The Birdcage, Good Will Hunting (for which Robin Williams won an Oscar), Patch Adams, One Hour Photo, Insomnia, and Robots.

[Additional Sources: AP, Reuters, IMDB]