ACTOR · BORN 1951 · DIED 2014
Robin Williams
- Born
- 21 July 1951, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Died
- 11 August 2014
- Known for
- Schindler's List (1993), Good Will Hunting (1997), Flubber (1997), RV (2006)
75 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Robin Williams (21 July 1951 – 11 August 2014) was an actor best known for Schindler's List, Good Will Hunting and Flubber.
75 Interesting Facts About Robin Williams
Interesting Facts (31)
- #001
At school, Robin Williams was voted both 'Funniest' and 'Most Likely to Fail' by his classmates, an ironic pair of labels for someone who went on to become one of the greatest comedians in film history.
Robin Williams: behind the scenesImage: Wikimedia Commons · Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel, Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #002
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Robin Williams agreed to voice the Genie in Aladdin (1992) because he wanted to be part of the animation tradition, on condition that he be paid scale and that his voice not be used to sell merchandise; when Disney broke those terms, he refused to work with the studio again, which is why he didn't voice the Genie in The Return of Jafar (1994).
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There's more than one version of Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) because Robin Williams improvised so much that cutting the film to the script was almost impossible; director Chris Columbus compared it to editing a documentary, and the other versions couldn't be used because their tone was inconsistent.
- #014
Robin Williams was one of the few celebrities to appear in a Sesame Street (1969) segment with no Muppets or regular characters.
- #015
Robin Williams was a fan of the BBC's Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969), and the admiration was mutual: after his death, Michael Palin put him on a par with his all-time heroes Spike Milligan and Peter Cook, said performing with him was 'like being invited into a jazz group when you can't play an instrument,' and added that Williams was possessed by a 'comedy demon' that could be hard to live with.
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Robin Williams was a big rugby fan who especially admired New Zealand All Black Jonah Lomu; Lomu came to San Francisco and gave him a signed All Blacks jersey, and when Williams visited New Zealand the two met again on national TV, where he received another one with Lomu's number 11 on the back.
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Robin Williams was offered the Riddler in Batman Forever (1995), but the role went to Jim Carrey.
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Williams was set to play time traveler Prof. Berlinghoff Rasmussen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode 'A Matter of Time' (1991), inspired by his friend Whoopi Goldberg, who had a recurring role as bartender Guinan, but a scheduling conflict with Hook (1991) forced him out, and the role went to Matt Frewer.
- #029
When Chris Columbus saw Williams doing stand-up in Los Angeles comedy clubs, he likened him to 'an impressive fireball' and called him 'one of the brightest minds he had ever encountered in comedy'; they later made Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Nine Months (1995) and Bicentennial Man (1999) together.
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Behind the Scenes (20)
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Chris Columbus was amazed by Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993): Williams would do each scene two or three times as scripted and then improvise, and Columbus realized the funniest moments came from those improvisations, so he gave him free rein; some scenes took 15 to 22 takes because Williams wasn't satisfied until he'd got them just right, and Columbus admitted he never knew where Williams would take the character.
- #035
Robin Williams's childhood was difficult because he was overweight; other children did not want to play with him. To entertain himself and ease his loneliness, he began imitating different voices and characters. This early habit laid the foundation for his later unique comedy style and improvisational ability. Perhaps this loneliness fed the imagination that would make him one of the world's most beloved comedians.
- #036
When Robin Williams auditioned for the role of Mork from Ork on Happy Days (1974), producer Garry Marshall told him to sit down. Williams then sat on the chair upside down, on his head. This unusual move impressed Marshall so much that he hired him and said he was 'the only alien who auditioned.' This incident was one of the first signs of Williams's bold and creative approach to comedy, far from the ordinary.
- #037
After winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting (1997), Robin Williams sent a small Oscar statuette to his German dubbing voice, Peer Augustinski. He attached a note to the statuette reading 'Thank you for making me famous in Germany.' This gesture shows that Williams did not forget the people who contributed to his success and loved to share his achievements.
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Robin Williams was invited to a party hosted by Steve Martin. It turned out, however, that the party was Martin's surprise wedding. Williams was one of the lucky names to witness this unexpected celebration. The event is an example of the surprise developments that take place in the private lives of Hollywood stars.
- #040
On March 13, 2009, Robin Williams recovered at the Cleveland Clinic after open-heart surgery to replace his aortic valve. This surgery was an important turning point in his struggle with health problems. After the operation, Williams became a vegetarian and began paying more attention to his health.
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- #042
Robin Williams met his second wife, Marsha Garces Williams, while she was the nanny of his son Zak Williams. Marsha was caring for his child with his first wife, Valerie Velardi. This meeting turned into love over time, and the couple married in 1989. Williams had two children with Marsha.
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His role in August Rush (2007) was modeled on the character Fagin in Oliver Twist (1948), played by Alec Guinness in David Lean's film. Guinness also played Osric in John Gielgud's theatrical production of 'Hamlet.' Williams played Osric in Kenneth Branagh's film version of Hamlet (1996).
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He was to appear as time traveler Prof. Berlinghoff Rasmussen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode 'A Matter of Time' (1991), but a scheduling conflict with Hook (1991) forced him to give up the role (the part eventually went to Matt Frewer). He was inspired to take a role in Trek by his friend Whoopi Goldberg, who had a recurring role in the series as the bartender Guinan.
- #048
In his first year of college, he attended Claremont Men's College in Claremont, California (renamed Claremont McKenna College in 1981) to study political science. There he played soccer and took an improvisational theater class because it was the only course open to both men and students from the nearby women's school, Scripps College. Both colleges went coeducational in the 1970s. He soon stopped attending his political science classes, and his father said he would no longer pay for college.
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Characters & Cast (5)
- #052
When Robin Williams auditioned to play Mork from Ork on Happy Days (1974), producer Garry Marshall asked him to sit down, so Williams sat upside down on the chair, on his head, and Marshall, impressed, hired him as 'the only alien who auditioned,' an early sign of his wildly original comedy.
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Career & Awards (9)
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When 'Blame Canada' from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) was nominated for Best Original Song, Robin Williams performed it at the ceremony because Mary Kay Bergman, who sang it in the film, had died by suicide a few months earlier; tragically, Williams himself died by suicide fifteen years later.
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Life & Family (10)
- #066
A week after Christopher Reeve's riding accident, Robin Williams visited him in hospital dressed head to toe in scrubs and a surgical mask, speaking with a Russian accent, introducing himself as a real doctor and launching into a string of strange, funny antics; when he took off the mask, Reeve said it was the first time he'd laughed since the accident.
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As a freshman, Williams went to Claremont Men's College in Claremont, California (renamed Claremont McKenna College in 1981), intending to study political science; he played soccer and took an improv class because it was the only course open to both men and students from nearby women's school Pitzer College (both colleges went coed in the 1970s), soon stopped going to his political science classes, and his father refused to keep paying for college.
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Related pages
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian — Robin Williams comes up in the facts on that page
- God Bless America — Robin Williams comes up in the facts on that page
- What About Bob? — Robin Williams comes up in the facts on that page
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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