This is a fitting tribute.
Two years ago this week, the comedic force of nature that was Robin Williams passed away. A man who brought such joy and entertainment to the world was fighting his own personal problems and in the end it was all too much. His passing was a wakeup call for many to look into the nature and effects of depression.
Despite only being 63 when he died, Williams left us with a lifetime of iconic performances and wonderful memories. One of his most loved turns was as Peter Banning in 1991 adventure fantasy Hook. He plays a workaholic corporate lawyer who can’t remember his childhood memories. He is of course Peter Pan.
One night he gets drunk and is taken to Neverland by Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts) to rescue his kids from the dastardly Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman). It is there that he encounters the Lost Boys, who refuse to believe that Peter is a grown up Pan. In the end, he regains his youthful vigour and wins them round.
Seeing as it is 25 years since the Steven Spielberg-directed movie, and to mark Williams’ passing, the original Lost Boys reunited to for a very special photoshoot. Now fully grown adults, they all donned their original Hook gear and posed in the same formation to produce a wonderful then-and-now comparison.
Then:
Now:
Dante Basco, who played lead Lost Boy Rufio, explains how big a deal it was to star alongside such A-list names:
“You have to understand, when you’re 15 and you’re doing this Steven Spielberg movie with megastars Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, you know you want to be cool. Although I don’t know how cool I’m going to look with my belly button out!”
Despite the glittering cast, it was Williams who stood out for the youngsters. “He kept the set very alive,” says James Madio, who played Don’t Ask. “He made sure that he had a relationship with each and every one of us.”
We’re sure he’d appreciate this very fitting tribute.
