Robin Williams
A hyperkinetic improviser whose comic energy was matched by unusual dramatic depth and warmth. He died on August 11, 2014, aged 63.
Personality
Williams described himself as a quiet, shy child who came out of his shell through his high-school drama club. As a performer he worked by free association, improvising at high speed and inventing characters on the spot; at Juilliard his teachers struggled to contain him, and for Aladdin he recorded around 30 hours of largely improvised material. He also valued restraint, crediting Robert De Niro with teaching him the power of silence. Offstage he was known for generosity, supporting charities and making USO tours to entertain troops overseas.
Under pressure
Williams's career had sharp swings. Popeye (1980), his first starring film, was a commercial disappointment, and several smaller mid-1980s roles did little for him before Good Morning, Vietnam turned things around. When Disney used his Genie in Aladdin marketing against their agreement, he stood his ground and declined the first sequel until the studio publicly apologised. He kept returning to live stand-up to stay sharp, announcing a 26-city tour in 2008 after a six-year break, and took on darker, riskier roles in the early 2000s. His final sitcom, The Crazy Ones, was cancelled after one season.
The arc
Born in Chicago and raised in Lake Forest, suburban Detroit and Marin County, Williams studied at Juilliard before starting stand-up in San Francisco in 1976. Playing the alien Mork on Happy Days led to Mork & Mindy (1978-1982), which made him a star. Films followed, from The World According to Garp to Dead Poets Society, Awakenings and The Fisher King, alongside family hits such as Hook, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji. He won his Oscar for Good Will Hunting, played against type in Insomnia and One Hour Photo in 2002, and made his Broadway acting debut in 2011.
Legacy
Williams is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time and one of the most distinctive improvisers in entertainment. His range across comedy and drama earned an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmys, six Golden Globes and five Grammys. In 1986 he co-founded Comic Relief USA with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg, helping raise more than $80 million for homeless Americans, and he performed for tens of thousands of troops in 13 countries on USO tours. Judd Apatow has described his rapid-fire style as an inspiration that no one else could hope to copy.
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