This film is my love letter to Robin Williams

Roger Kabler is professional actor, comedian, and impressionist: an all around entertainer. Starting as a teenager he was inspired and delighted by Robin Williams for many years, and like millions of others, he was devastated by Robin’s passing. And then he was haunted. “Images of Robin kept flashing in my mind. He showed up in dreams. And then he was talking to me, in my head. At moments I felt possessed by him: felt his presence strongly, and sometimes I involuntarily behaved like him. Alone or in front of people, with no warning, Robin would leap out and comment on what was going on, from my mouth, taking over my body, sometimes hilariously and inappropriately. And I felt him having experiences through me.”

At this point, it should be noted that Roger has Bipolar disorder, and was told that he was suffering from delusions.  He had to take medication for this, but Robin didn’t go away.  “I felt him pulling at me, urging me to help him, saying  “I need to get back to work”. In response, Roger created a stage show as a tribute, that Robin should be remembered for his spectacular wit, genius and humanity. With this show, in some way, Roger tried to help Robin go back to what he loved to do. Roger says he wrote it together with Robin, and held rehearsals in the woods. The show toured America for several years. Thousands of people saw it. Many said they felt Robin’s presence during the show, including Robin’s friend, Cindy Williams.

So Roger decided to tell his story in a film using footage from the live shows and reenacting events around it. He called it “Being Robin”.  He raised money and hired a crew to shoot it. Then Covid hit, and they couldn’t finish. During that time, Roger decided to wrap the footage they had with narration to fill in the gaps. He then spent two years editing. “Being Robin” has elements of a documentary, with re-enactments of events, and a bit of fantasy. So Roger coined its style “Genre Fluid”, because  it’s not a true documentary, nor is it like anything you have ever seen. Much of what Roger experienced is told in this film.

“You will see actual footage of events as they happened, caught on camera,  including a T.V. interview where Robin took hold of me in front of countless viewers. While filming the movie, as onstage during the show, I felt Robin so strongly, I often fell into wild improvisational riffs that only Robin could create”.

“Being Robin” also features Alainna Rodgers in her film debut. Alainna’s role is very much the emotional anchor to this film. There is also a cameo by actor/comedian Bill Kirchenbauer. Bill has appeared on The Tonite Show with Johnny Carson thirteen times, played a riotous character on Mork and Mindy alongside Robin Williams, and starred his own sitcom, “Just the Ten of Us”.

Many people who have seen it, have been very impacted by “Being Robin; by its rawness and sense of deep love and devotion for Robin Williams.The humanitarian mission of the film has Roger hoping it will help bring people together. The struggle with Bipolar disease is real, and Roger does not try to hide it in the film. “Being Robin” gives the audience a chance to see what Robin might have done if given a chance to come back for a little while.  A lot of people believe he did. Roger was recently contacted by an Evidential Medium who was very kind, and asked him what proof he had that Robin has actually been with him. “I told her I have no proof. I am not trying to prove anything. I am just telling my story as it happened. I don’t know what the truth is. Except that it happened. Whatever it is, this film is my love letter to Robin Williams.”