Robin Williams
- This article is about Robin Williams the comedian. He should not be confused with the famous pop singer, Robbie Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (born July 21, 1952) is a multi-award-winning American actor and comedian who was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He first achieved notice for his stand-up routines in San Francisco. Garry Marshall cast him as the alien Mork in a guest star part in Happy Days that was so popular it led to his own television series, Mork & Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982. The majority of his acting career has been for cinema, although he has made some memorable performances on stage as well (notably as Estragon in a production of Waiting for Godot).
His first starring roles in Popeye and in The World According to Garp were both major flops, but with Good Morning Vietnam Williams established a screen identity. Many of his roles have been comic (eg. The Birdcage, Mrs. Doubtfire). In particular, his role as the Genie in the animated film, Aladdin was instrumental in establishing the importance of star power in voice actor casting. He has also starred in serious movies (Awakenings , What Dreams May Come) and in 1998 he won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role as a psychiatrist in Good Will Hunting. However, by the early 2000s, his choices for dramatic roles grew to be criticized as overly mawkish and sentimental, especially 1998's Patch Adams, prompting him to temporarily dabble in villain roles such as in Insomnia and One Hour Photo.
He is known for his wild improv skills and impersonations. He is a talented mimic and can jump in and out of characters at an extremely fast pace. His comic style is a major influence on late night talk show host/comedian Conan O'Brien. Williams states that he began doing impersonations as a child mimicking the Southern accent of his aunt.
Robin Williams and his wife Marsha Garces Williams founded the Windfall Foundation, a philanthropic organization to raise money for many different charities. Robin Williams devotes much of his energy doing work for charities, including the Comic Relief fund-raising efforts.
Williams first marriage was to Valerie Velardi on June 4, 1978, with whom he had one child, Zachary. Williams apparently fell in love with his son's nanny, Marsha Garces, which resulted in the end of his first marriage in 1988. He subsequently married for the second time, this time to Marsha Garces Williams on April 30, 1989. They have two children together.
Watching his frantic mannerisms and immediate changes in personality, some have speculated that Williams is affected by bipolar disorder, but this has never been confirmed. A more likely explanation for his remarkable creativity and intense impulsive humor may be the reason that he is often referred to as "the poster child for ADD," though this statement is often said with a sarcastic edge.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
Filmography
- Can I Do It 'Till I Need Glasses? (1977)
- Popeye (1980)
- The World According to Garp (1982)
- The Survivors (1983)
- Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
- The Best of Times (1986)
- Club Paradise (1986)
- Seize the Day (1986)
- Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
- Portrait of a White Marriage (1988) (Cameo)
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
- Dead Poets Society (1989)
- Cadillac Man (1990)
- Awakenings (1990)
- Dead Again (1991)
- The Fisher King (1991)
- Hook (1991)
- I'm From Hollywood (1992) (documentary)
- Shakes the Clown (1992)
- FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) (voice)
- From Time to Time (1992) (short subject) (voice)
- Aladdin (1992) (voice)
- Toys (1992)
- Being Human (1993)
- Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) (also producer)
- Nine Months (1995)
- To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)(Cameo)
- Jumanji (1995)
- The Birdcage (1996)
- Jack (1996)
- The Secret Agent (1996)
- Hamlet (1996)
- Fathers' Day (1997)
- Deconstructing Harry (1997)
- Flubber (1997)
- Good Will Hunting (1997)
- What Dreams May Come (1998)
- Junket Whore (1998) (documentary)
- Patch Adams (1998)
- Get Bruce (1999) (documentary)
- Jakob the Liar (1999) (also executive producer)
- Bicentennial Man (1999)
- A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001) (voice only)
- One Hour Photo (2002)
- Death to Smoochy (2002)
- Insomnia (2002)
- The Final Cut (2004)
- House of D (2004)
- Noel (2004) (Cameo)
- The Aristocrats (2005) (documentary)
- Robots (2005) (voice)
- The Big White (2005) (currently completed filming)
- In Search of Ted Demme (2005) (currently in pre-production)
- The Night Listener (2006) (currently filming)
- Happy Feet (2006) (voice) (currently filming)
- R.V. (2006) (currently in pre-production)
- The Krazees (2006) (currently announced start of production)