Sir Billy Connolly has unveiled a side of the late, great Robin Williams that few had the pleasure of witnessing. The Scottish comedy legend shared a funny tale of Williams’s unique method for entertaining guests at Connolly’s Aberdeenshire mansion, Candacraig House.
According to Connolly, Williams, a close friend and frequent guest, had a penchant for creating mischief. The retired stand-up comedian, now 81 and battling Parkinson’s disease, spilt the wild details about Williams’s antics involving a stuffed Scottish wildcat beside the fireplace.
“I had a stuffed Scottish wildcat at the fireplace in my house to frighten the person who sat down by the fire,” Connolly chuckled. “Robin Williams would lift the cat, and he would become the cat. He was talking in a Scottish accent and being a wildcat, really getting into character.”
The unsuspecting victims of Williams’s comedic onslaught were greeted with feline aggressive noises and a masterful display of method acting. Sir Billy Connolly reminisced about one incident involving a guest with a stretch of the river rented out to fishermen.
Billy Connolly and Robin Williams treated the mansion like a playground
“Somebody would come in, like the guy who had a stretch of the river that he rents out to fishermen. He said, ‘What’s that?’ and Robin became the wildcat and made that noise that cats make,” Connolly recalled with a hearty laugh. “The guy nearly sh*t himself. It was an unbelievable moment in life, watching a genius become a wild animal. It was wonderful.”
Describing the late actor as “one of the world’s wonders” and “the real deal,” Billy Connolly highlighted the genuine camaraderie they shared. The moment occurred during the unveiling of Connolly’s latest art collection, featuring a wildcat drawing.
The wildcat theme seems fitting, considering the setting of the comedic escapades. Wildcats, once widespread throughout Britain, now face extinction due to habitat loss, hunting, and persecution. Connolly’s artistic collection, available through Castle Fine Art, showcases his humour and love for Scotland. Naturally, many of the drawings are inspired by country dancing and fishing.
Billy Connolly and his wife, Pamela Stephenson, sold Candacraig House in 2014 for nearly £3 million. The B-listed baronial home, acquired from Body Shop founder Anita Roddick in 1998, witnessed many memorable moments, with celebrity friends like Williams, Ewan McGregor, and Dame Judi Dench joining the festivities.
Sadly, Robin Williams, the Oscar-winning star of Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting, passed away in 2014 at 63. His passing marked a profound loss, leaving a void in the hearts of those who cherished his talent.