My accent wowed gifted genius Robin Williams

Whether it was Popeye the sailor man or cross-dressing as a Scottish nanny, Robin Williams knew a great accent when he heard it.

So it is perhaps no wonder that he was delighted by the Black Country tones of a young man working on props for his 1997 film Fathers' Day.

Darlaston-born actor and singer Stephen Page had left his home town and his job as a Wolverhampton Council youth worker almost three years earlier to seek a new life in Hollywood.

The 48-year-old, currently living in Yorkshire, today paid tribute to Mr Williams, who was found dead aged 63 in an apparent suicide after suffering from depression.

He described how the star of Good Will Hunting, Mrs Doubtfire, Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets' Society and more, dressed in the robe he had been wearing for a scene, had come over to thank him for his work while on set at the Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California.

The comedy, which also starred Billy Crystal, followed two men who had both been convinced they were a boy's father.

Mr Page had been responsible for the food props used in a scene that had been re-shot numerous times to get it right. He had to painstakingly re-create a tray that had been brought into the room, with waffles and granola, before the table gets turned over as hot coffee is poured in Mr Williams' character's lap.

"He must have done the scene about two dozen times to get it right," Mr Page said.

"And every time the tray and the food have to be put together.

"We were chatting after shooting finished for the day.

"Robin came right over to me at the props table shook my hand and said 'thanks for all your hard work today'."

Then the conversation turned to the legendary Black Country accent, which Stephen still sports despite decades living in different parts of the world.

Mr Williams had initially mistaken the accent for Geordie until Mr Page corrected him. Then the actor delighted the Black Country prop maker by saying he knew the area was north of Spaghetti Junction because he drove past it when going to Scotland to play golf.

Mr Page said he was devastated to learn of Mr Williams' death.

"I wish I'd taken a picture of us together but it's not the sort of thing you ask for when you're working.

"He was the nicest, most pleasant guy, full of enthusiasm and with the soul of a child," he said.

Over the years when people have asked me about the stars I have met working in the movie industry I always highlight meeting Robin Williams as the one who was the nicest and most personable.

"I was incredibly sad to get the news of his passing, especially under such tragic circumstances.

"That a man so incredibly gifted who brought so much joy and side-splitting laughter to so many could be so sad on the inside and leave this life in such a tragic way is extremely saddening.

"He could take you on a journey from tears of sorrow to tears of side splitting joy."

Mr Page has spent the past few months in Tenerife singing blues. But he has also had a part on the TV series Lost.