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The Emmy Awards' tribute to Robin Williams was no laughing matter.
In the most moving moment on television's biggest night, the industry tapped Williams' longtime pal Billy Crystal to pay tribute to the late actor who started his career on the medium.
'As genius as he was on stage, he was the greatest friend you could ever imagine,' said a somber Crystal, 'It is very hard to talk about him in the past tense because he was so present in all of our lives.'
Williams, who founded the 'Comics Relief' specials to raise money for the homeless in the 1980s with Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg, committed suicide on Aug. 11 in his California home.
But instead on dwelling on the sadness of the comic's death, Crystal focused his speech on the bright legacy of 'the brighest star in our comedy galaxy.'
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He relayed anecdotes like the time they shared a visit to the Mets' then-home stadium of Shea Stadium for a charity event.
Knowing that Williams' didn't know anything about the sport, Crystal quipped that he had brought the greatest baseball player in Russia.
Without missing a beat, Williams switched to a Russian accent and quipped, 'We only have one team in my country - the Reds.'
'I used to think if I could just put a saddle on him and last for eight seconds I would be okay,' said Crystal, who also starred with Williams in the 1997 movie, 'Father's Day.'
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Crystal's speech was followed by a short highlight reel of some of Williams' best moments on late night television.
Among the highlights was an early '90s visit to Jay Leno in which he quipped, 'God gives you a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time.'
The segment ended in a moment of silence in the auditorium and a fade to commercial.
Entities 0 Name: Williams Count: 6 1 Name: Crystal Count: 5 2 Name: Robin Williams Count: 1 3 Name: Mets Count: 1 4 Name: Billy Crystal Count: 1 5 Name: Jay Leno Count: 1 6 Name: Whoopi Goldberg Count: 1 7 Name: Starkey Hearing Crystal Count: 1 8 Name: California Count: 1 9 Name: Russian Count: 1 10 Name: Reds Count: 1 11 Name: Russia Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1qizPCg Title: What To Expect From The Emmy Awards' Robin Williams Tribute Description: The entertainment world continues to mourn the loss of comedian Robin Williams, found dead in his home earlier this month. Tonight, at the 66th Primetime Emmys, Billy Crystal will present a tribute to the late actor. Crystal and Williams have a friendship spanning more than three decades, from when they met as up-and-coming television actors in the late '70s.
