"...life is expensive when you have to pay off two ex-wives and have a family to support.”

So says the friend of Robin Williams who was explaining why the actor had to take on roles like Mrs. Doubtfire that he felt were bad for his mental health:

Robin Williams resented having to do a second Mrs Doubtfire film but felt compelled in order to keep money coming in, a close friend of the actor has told the Telegraph.

Williams, who had been working on four projects when he was believed to have taken his own life this week, was said to have been dreading making more films as they “brought out his demons”. …

“Robin had promised himself he would not do any more as he invested so much in his roles that it left him drained and particularly vulnerable to depressive episodes,” the friend told the paper.

“He signed up to do them purely out of necessity. He wasn’t poor, but the money wasn’t rolling in any more and life is expensive when you have to pay off two ex-wives and have a family to support.”

His three children are all of age and his first wife he was divorced from in 1988. It is sad that in his sixties he was still having to take on roles just for a paycheck to pay off two ex-wives. He may not have been a saint, but his life was not his own if he felt forced to take on roles he did not want to possibly provide for grown children or to ex-wives. It appears that even if you are a famous actor, the pressure of being a man in our society and having to provide for others can take its toll. It’s no wonder more men are opting out of marriage for their own mental health for divorce (and marriage) can lead a man to taking on work he would rather not do and other unpleasant duties for a lifetime. Couple this pressure with serious depression and it can end in tragedy.