Apple Ad Features Robin Williams’ “Dead Poets Society” Speech

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is known for its iconic ads, and one of its most recent and compelling ads features the voice of well-known actor Robin Williams. He died of a suspected suicide on Monday, and today fans are remembering his four-decade career and mourning the loss of such a comedic talent.

Police told the media that the 63-year-old legendary actor was found alive and breathing but unconscious around noon in his home on Monday. The coroner suspects Williams took his own life through asphyxiation. A spokesperson for Williams said he had been severely depressed recently. The actor had struggled with alcoholism in parts of his life as well.

What will your verse be ipad air

Apple borrows from Robin Williams movie

Apple’s recent ad feature Williams’ voice is simply a voice-over of his iconic speech from the 1989 classic film Dead Poets Society. His character John Keating tells students why people read and write poetry. And the speech ends with these powerful sentences: “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

The video that’s shown over the speech is of people doing the things they are passionate of. Some are painting a picture or watching the sun rise. Others are taking a walk through the woods, attending a concert or dancing. Of course all of the people seen in the video are using Apple products while exploring the world and videotaping parts of it. The full Apple ad is embedded below.

Oh captain, my captain

The speech from the Dead Poets Society is all the more poignant this morning because of Williams’ suicide. His character tells students not only why writing and reading poetry is part of being human but also why there are reasons to live. His speech follows the suicide of one of his students, so it’s especially fitting that this scene is one of Williams’ most popular scenes that’s making the rounds of the web this morning.

In the same film, Williams speaks these words as well: “Seize the day. Because, believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breathing, turn cold and die.”

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