been inspired by his work

The Comedy Bang! Bang! actor posted a moving tribute to Williams on his website (paulftompkins.com) Monday, expressing how the comic's Reality ... What a Concept was one of the first comedy albums he ever owned and how he grew up watching Williams' TV sitcom Mork & Mindy. "When I was a kid, having problems of my own, feeling unpleasantly different from the people who populated my world, I found sanctuary watching this guy on TV who was celebrated for being a weirdo, for being an oddball, for being silly," Tompkins wrote. As he grew up and began performing stand-up comedy, Tompkins came to learn that there is "no less sadness in the comedy community than there is in any other workforce; that is to say, jobs are jobs and people are people and no occupation makes anyone depression-proof."

Louis C.K.

Williams is remembered for the melancholy and humanity he brought to his comedy routines and film performances, a sensibility that Louis C.K. taps into on his critically adored FX comedy series, Louie. For that reason, it's no surprise that Williams considered himself a fan — he called C.K. a "combination of (George) Carlin and Richard Pryor" — and appeared in the Season 3 Louie episode "Barney/Never," where he meets Louie at a funeral for a comedy-club manager and the two bond over how much they hated the guy.
Jimmy Fallon

Joining the legions of stars who expressed their condolences on Twitter, Fallon tweeted early Tuesday: "Took a walk in NYC this morning under a tree-lined street. Perfect breeze. Looked like it was raining flowers. I know that was you Robin." In his years on Saturday Night Live, the Tonight Show host echoed Williams' effortless ability to take on whatever kooky character was thrown his way. One such character was playing Williams himself in a Celebrity Jeopardy parody with Will Ferrell.
Josh Gad

In an op-ed article for USA TODAY, the Frozen actor jokes of how he learned "unique words for male and female genitalia" from the Comic Relief charity specials Williams hosted with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal. More important, Gad writes, the comic genius of Williams' Genie in the animated film Aladdin inspired him to become an actor and directly influenced his voice performance as Olaf the snowman in Frozen. "Olaf will never remotely touch the tour de force that is Robin's Genie. Because there is only one Robin Williams," Gad writes. "But the joy and laughter that my little snowman has brought to children is because of the man who has left this world far too early."