Ben Stiller has proposed that the statue of Theodore Roosevelt, which will soon be removed from the New York City Museum, be replaced with one honoring the late actor Robin Williams.
The 54-year-old star took to social media to put forth his suggestion in response to news that the prominent statue standing at the entrance of The American Museum of Natural History will be taken down after years of objections that it symbolizes colonial expansion and racial discrimination.
"How about replacing it with a statue of Robin Williams. He deserves one," Stiller replied to the announcement in a tweet.
The bronze statue, which has stood at the museum's Central Park West entrance since 1940, depicts Roosevelt on horseback with a Native American man and an African man standing next to the horse.
Mayor Bill de Blasio explained on Sunday that the museum was asked to remove the statue "because it explicitly depicts black and Indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior."
He added: "The city supports the museum's request. It is the right decision and the right time to remove this problematic statue."
Williams played a version of Roosevelt alongside Stiller in the 'Night at the Museum' films. He took his own life months after filming for the third installment of the movie franchise wrapped up in 2014. It made for an emotional farewell to the enchanting character played by Williams.
Director Shawn Levy dedicated the film to the actor and added a special tribute at the film's end.
"I wanted to say the film was in his memory, but something more specific. Which is why I chose the words 'Magic Never Ends,' " Levy said, according to USA Today. "It's true of these museums. But it's more deeply true of Robin and his legacy."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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