Robin Williams dead: Barack Obama leads tributes to great actor

President Barack Obama has led tributes to Robin Williams, who has been found dead, aged 63, in an apparent suicide.

Marin County Police in California said Robin Williams was pronounced dead at his home after officials responded to an emergency call around noon local time.

Robin Williams was famous for films such as Good Morning Vietnam and won an Oscar for his role in Good Will Hunting.

His publicist said he had been “battling severe depression”.

Barack Obama was one of many offering condolences to Robin Williams’ family saying: “Williams arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.

“He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.”

In the past Robin Williams had talked, and even joked, about his struggles with alcohol and drugs.

The actor had recently returned to a rehabilitation centre to “fine-tune” his sobriety, the Los Angeles Times reported in July.

The local Sheriff’s office said Robin Williams was found unconscious and not breathing at his home near Tiburon, north of San Francisco.

“At this time, the Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made,” police said in a statement.