Robin Williams
Robin Williams was an acclaimed American actor and comedian, born on July 21, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he discovered his passion for drama during high school, leading him to study at Claremont Men's College and later at the prestigious Juilliard School. Williams rose to fame in the late 1970s with his role as the alien Mork on the television series *Mork and Mindy*, which made him a household name and introduced memorable catchphrases to popular culture.
Transitioning to film, he gained recognition for his performances in critically acclaimed movies such as *Good Morning, Vietnam* and *Dead Poets Society*, earning multiple Oscar nominations. Williams won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in *Good Will Hunting*. In addition to his film career, he was known for his successful stand-up comedy specials and his distinctive voice work as the Genie in Disney's *Aladdin*.
Beyond entertainment, Williams was dedicated to charitable endeavors, especially in support of the homeless and U.S. troops. Tragically, he passed away on August 11, 2014, after battling Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. His legacy remains that of a versatile performer who touched many lives through comedy, drama, and philanthropy.
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Robin Williams
Comedian
- Born: July 21, 1951
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: August 11, 2014
- Place of death: Tiburon, California
Williams was best known for his unique, high-intensity, stream-of-consciousness comedy that earned him the reputation as one of the best improvisational comedians of his time.
Robin McLaurin Williams was born in Chicago on July 21, 1951, and was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Williams overcame his childhood shyness by becoming involved in drama during high school and pursued this interest at Claremont Men’s College. In 1973, he was accepted into the highly selective advanced program at Juilliard, along with Christopher Reeve, where the two classmates studied under John Houseman and established a lifelong friendship. At Houseman’s advice, Williams returned to San Francisco to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. In February 1978, he was cast in a guest role as the space alien Mork on the Happy Days television series, which led to a starring role in the spinoff series Mork and Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982. The American public was captivated by the manic, free-associating character of Mork, who was featured on lunchboxes and posters and added several catchphrases to the lexicon, including his trademark greeting, “nanoo nanoo.” Williams had become an overnight sensation.
In 1980, Williams graduated from television to film with his debut in Robert Altman’s version of Popeye, a critical and box-office disappointment. His next movie, The World according to Garp (1982), was a critical success, and Moscow on the Hudson (1984) was also well received, but it was Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) that not only secured Williams’s reputation as a serious actor but also garnered him an Oscar nomination for best actor. In 1989, he received a second Oscar nomination for best actor for his work in Dead Poets Society.
During the 1980s, Williams continued his stand-up career with Home Box Office (HBO) comedy specials in 1982 and 1986 and was named number thirteen on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. He provided the voice of the Genie in the 1992 Walt Disney animated classic Aladdin. He received his third Oscar nomination for best actor in a leading role for his performance in the 1991 film The Fisher King. In the beloved comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Williams played a father who cross-dresses as a British housekeeper in order to spend time with his three children following his divorce. In 1998, he won the Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role for Good Will Hunting (1997). He also appeared in the films Patch Adams (1998), Bicentennial Man (1999), One Hour Photo (2002), and Night at the Museum (2006).
Impact
In addition to his reputation as a comedian, Robin Williams established himself as a well-regarded and versatile actor after the mid-1980s, able to move effortlessly from slapstick comedies to nuanced and sensitive portrayals in serious drama films. He also became well known for his charitable work, particularly the Comic Relief specials on HBO with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal, which raised funds for the homeless. Williams, a tireless supporter of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during the early twenty-first century, appeared in several United Service Organizations shows over the course of the Iraq War.
Williams died at his home in Tiburon, California, on August 11, 2014, at the age of sixty-three. Williams had been suffering from Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disease that can cause severe psychiatric symptoms, and committed suicide. He was survived by his wife Susan Schneider; his son Zak, from his marriage to Valerie Velardi; and his daughter, Zelda, and son Cody, from his marriage to Marsha Garces.
Bibliography
Dougan, Andy. Robin Williams. New York: Thunder’s Mouth, 1999. Print.
Givens, Ron. Robin Williams. New York: Time, 1998. Print.
Itzkoff, Dave. "Robin Williams, Oscar-Winning Comedian, Dies at 63." New York Times. New York Times, 11 Aug. 2014. Web. 22 June 2016.
Jay, David. The Life and Humor of Robin Williams: A Biography. New York: HarperPerennial, 1999. Print.
Spignesi, Stephen J. The Robin Williams Scrapbook. New York: Citadel Press, 1997. Print.
Warner, Kara. "'It Was Not Depression That Killed Robin.'" People. Time, 8 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 June 2016.