'He made us laugh, he made us cry': Obama leads tributes to Robin Williams as the beloved comic is found dead in apparent suicide at his California home following a long battle against depression

• The legendary comic actor was found dead at his home in Tiburon, California
• The Marin County Coroner said the cause of death was believed to be suicide due to asphyxia
• His third wife Susan Schneider said: 'I lost my husband and my best friend, the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings'
• President Obama said: 'He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most'
  
• Williams had battled depression for years
  
• He won an Oscar for the 1997 film Good Will Hunting

The legendary actor leaves behind a legacy of unforgettable films

Beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams passed away Aug. 11 at the age of 63 in a suspected suicide after a long battle with depression. As the world mourns the loss of a comedic voice that spanned decades, we take a look back at his career.

Williams made the long climb from stand-up comic to leading man. His first roles were strictly in comedy, including stints on The Richard Pryor Show; eventually, he broke big playing a sailor with a love-hate relationship with spinach in Popeye. From there he went on to star in The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson, Jumanji, Good Morning Vietnam, Night at the Museum, Death to Smoochy and many more films.

Emergency crews were called to the legendary comics house in Marin County, just north of San Francisco at approximately noon and his third wife, Susan Schneider issued a statement confirming the 63-year-old's death.

Speaking of her ‘profound grief’, Schneider, who Williams married in a Napa Valley ceremony in 2011 said, 'This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. 

Williams, who won an Academy Award for his supporting role as a fatherly therapist in the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting, had been suffering from severe depression recently, his publicist Mara Buxbaum said.

'As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.'

A statement by the Marin County Sheriff's Department in California said: 'On August 11, 2014, at approximately 11:55 am, Marin County Communications received a 9-1-1 telephone call reporting a male adult had been located unconscious and not breathing inside his residence in unincorporated Tiburon, California. The male subject, pronounced deceased at 12:02 pm has been identified as Robin McLaurin Williams.'

‘The Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Tiburon Fire Department and Southern Marin Fire Protection District were dispatched to the incident with emergency personnel arriving on scene at 12pm.