Earlier this week, Academy Award winning director Richard Attenborough died at the age of 90. He's had a career in movies spanning almost 70 years. During that time he's won two Oscars (Best Picture and Best Director for Gandhi), and 3 Golden Globe (two back-to-back Best Supporting Actor awards for The Sand Pebbles and Dr. Doolittle, and one for Best Director with Gandhi). He holds the honor of being one of only six actors to ever win an Academy Award for Best Director.

Attenborough enjoyed making films about real-life, extraordinary people. Not only did he direct a film about the life and perserverence of Mahatma Gandhi, but he also made films about actor Charlie Chaplin (Chaplin), Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Young Churchill), political activist Steve Biko (Cry Freedom), and writers C.S. Lewis (Shadowlands) and Ernest Hemingway (In Love and War). If you're like me, you may know him best as John Hammond, the wealthy entrepreneur and visionary of Jurassic Park, who "spared no expense" in bringing the park to life. He also notably played Santa Claus in the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street, and additionally was in the classic film The Great Escape with Steve McQueen and James Garner.

Gandhi became Attenborough's most important film, which he passionately worked on for twenty years, going bankrupt several times in the process. Much like his Jurassic Park character, John Hammond, it seems Attenborough spared no expense when it came to making his films. Ben Kingsley, the star of Gandhi, released the following statement regarding the news of Attenborough's death: “Richard Attenborough trusted me with the crucial and central task of bringing to life a dream it took him twenty years to bring to fruition. When he gave me the part of Gandhi, it was with great grace and joy. He placed in me an absolute trust and in turn, I placed an absolute trust in him and grew to love him. I, along with millions of others whom he touched through his life and work, will miss him dearly.” Additionally, Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg shared a few words about the loss of his friend, stating, "Dickie Attenborough was passionate about everything in his life – family, friends, country and career. He made a gift to the world with his emotional epic Gandhi and he was the perfect ringmaster to bring the dinosaurs back to life as John Hammond in Jurassic Park. He was a dear friend and I am standing in an endless line of those who completely adored him." Attenborough made great contributions to the world of movies, and he will dearly be missed.

Richard Attenborough was a World War II veteran, and was a great influence on many of the most talented people in the film industry. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Sheila Sim, and their three children.

Earlier this week, the unthinkable happened when the universally beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams was found dead in his home after having committed suicide. The news of this terrible tragedy shook the world, leaving us all wondering why a man who was so greatly admired and adored would do such a thing. Although Williams has been sober for many years now, his death has led people to speculate about the late actor's troubled past with drug use and alcoholism, and whether or not foul play may have been involved. Today, Robin's wife, Susan Schneider, release a statement which may help provide some answers.

According to his wife, Robin was in fact still sober, however he had been struggling with the early stages of Parkinson's disease, as well as depression and anxiety. Parkinson's disease, most commonly shared with actor Michael J. Foxx and boxing great Muhammad Ali, is a degenerative disorder that effects the central nervous system, causing erratic body movement and is most commonly found in people over the age of 50. Robin Williams was 63 years-old at the time of his death. You can read Schneider's full statement below:

“Robin’s sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson’s Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly. It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid.

Robin spent so much of his life helping others. Whether he was entertaining millions on stage, film or television, our troops on the frontlines, or comforting a sick child — Robin wanted us to laugh and to feel less afraid. Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched. His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles."

Robin Williams is survived by his third wife, Schneider, who he married in 2011, and his three children. He was a rare, unforgettable talent, and he will truly be missed.