A PURBECK woman who worked as an extra alongside Robin Williams in Steven Spielberg's comedy adventure Hook says she'll always remember him as a “warm, funny, down-to-earth, talented human being.”

The 63-year-old star of Mrs Doubtfire and Good Morning Vietnam was found dead at his home near San Francisco on Monday.

Police have confirmed the actor, who suffered from depression, appeared to have died from asphyxia after hanging himself.

Marilyn Larthe, of Worth Matravers, was working as a lawyer in Los Angeles when the call went out for British volunteers to work as extras in a lavish ballroom scene being filmed for the 1991 Hollywood blockbuster.

She became one of 50 extras chosen for the scene, which also featured stalwart British actress Maggie Smith.

Marilyn recalled: “Robin Williams was not as I expected. He was much funnier, very down-to-earth and very friendly.

“We were nobodies; we weren't actors, and yet in between those times he was performing his scenes - and there was a lot of waiting around - he performed for us.

“He was so funny, cracking jokes all the time. The one I remember, probably because I was a lawyer in the UK and USA, was 'Why is it that when swimmers are injured by sharks they never seem to injure any lawyers? Professional courtesy'.

“We were just rolling about, we felt like we were having a private show. He could have ignored us because we didn't really matter, but he was very personable and he didn't try and act like a superstar.”

However, Mrs Larthe said it was the fact he was so friendly and welcoming that made him a superstar.

She added: “All his friends, and people who only met him once - like us on that day - will remember him as a warm, funny, down-to-earth, talented human being.”

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