Robin Williams
Robin Williams | |
![]() Robin Williams in 2011
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Born | Robin McLaurin Williams July 21 1951 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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Died | August 11 2014 (aged 63) Paradise Cay, California, U.S. |
Education |
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Occupation | Actor, comedian |
Years active | 1976–2014 |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | Zelda, Zachary, and Cody |
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, he is regarded as one of the best comedians of all time.
Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982). After his first starring film role in Popeye (1980), he starred in several critically and commercially successful films including The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Patch Adams (1998), One Hour Photo (2002), and World's Greatest Dad (2009). He also starred in box office successes such as Hook (1991), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Good Will Hunting (1997), and the Night at the Museum trilogy (2006–2014). He was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting. He also received two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards.
On August 11, 2014, at age 63, Williams died by suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California. His autopsy revealed undiagnosed Lewy body disease. The world reacted in shock on hearing that this beloved actor who had made everyone laugh was gone in such a tragic fashion. Despite the tragedy of the end of Williams' life, his ability to bringing joy to world remains an inspirational legacy.
Life
Robin McLaurin Williams was born a in Chicago, Illinois,[1] on July 21, 1951. His father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a senior executive in Ford's Lincoln-Mercury Division.[2][3] His mother, Laurie McLaurin, was a former model from Jackson, Mississippi, whose great-grandfather was Mississippi senator and governor Anselm J. McLaurin, a Democrat.[4] Williams had two elder half-brothers: paternal half-brother Robert (also known as Todd)[5] and maternal half-brother McLaurin.[6] While his mother was a practitioner of Christian Science, Williams was raised in his father's Episcopal faith.[7][8] During a television interview on Inside the Actors Studio in 2001, Williams credited his mother as an important early influence on his humor, and he tried to make her laugh to gain attention.[9]
Williams attended public elementary school in Lake Forest at Gorton Elementary School and middle school at Deer Path Junior High School.[10] He described himself as a quiet child who did not overcome his shyness until he became involved with his high school drama department.[11] His friends recall him as very funny.[10] In late 1963, when Williams was 12, his father was transferred to Detroit. The family lived in a 40-room farmhouse on 20 acres[2] in suburban Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he was a student at the private Detroit Country Day School.[10][12] He excelled in school, where he was on the school's wrestling team and was elected class president.[13]
As both his parents worked, Williams was partially raised by the family's maid, who was his main companion. When he was 16, his father took early retirement and the family moved to Tiburon, California.[2][14][15] Following their move, Williams attended Redwood High School in nearby Larkspur. At the time of his graduation in 1969, he was voted "Most Likely Not to Succeed" and "Funniest" by his classmates.[16] After high school graduation, Williams enrolled at Claremont Men's College in Claremont, California, to study political science; he dropped out to pursue acting.[2][17] Williams studied theatre for three years at the College of Marin, a community college in Kentfield, California. According to College of Marin's drama professor James Dunn, the depth of the young actor's talent became evident when he was cast in the musical Oliver! as Fagin. Williams often improvised during his time in the drama program, leaving cast members in hysterics.[18] Dunn called his wife after one late rehearsal to tell her Williams "was going to be something special".[18]
In 1973, Williams attained a full scholarship to the Juilliard School (Group 6, 1973–1976) in New York City. He was one of 20 students accepted into the freshman class, and he and Christopher Reeve were the only two accepted by John Houseman into the Advanced Program at the school that year. William Hurt and Mandy Patinkin were also classmates.[19][20] According to biographer Jean Dorsinville, Franklyn Seales and Williams were roommates at Juilliard.[21] Reeve remembered his first impression of Williams when they were new students at Juilliard: "He wore tie-dyed shirts with tracksuit bottoms and talked a mile a minute. I'd never seen so much energy contained in one person. He was like an untied balloon that had been inflated and immediately released. I watched in awe as he virtually caromed off the walls of the classrooms and hallways. To say that he was 'on' would be a major understatement."[20]
Williams and Reeve had a class in dialects taught by Edith Skinner, who Reeve said was one of the world's leading voice and speech teachers; according to Reeve, Skinner was bewildered by Williams and his ability to instantly perform in many different accents. Their primary acting teacher was Michael Kahn, who was "equally baffled by this human dynamo".[20] Williams already had a reputation for being funny, but Kahn criticized his antics as simple stand-up comedy. In a later production, Williams silenced his critics with his well-received performance as an old man in Tennessee Williams's Night of the Iguana. Reeve wrote, "He simply was the old man. I was astonished by his work and very grateful that fate had thrown us together."[20] The two remained close friends until Reeve's death in 2004. Their friendship was like "brothers from another mother", according to Williams's son Zak.[22]
During the summers of 1974, 1975, and 1976, Williams worked as a busboy at The Trident in Sausalito, California.[23] He left Juilliard[24][25] during his junior year in 1976 at the suggestion of Houseman, who said there was nothing more Juilliard could teach him.[19][26] Gerald Freedman, another of his teachers at Juilliard, said Williams was a "genius" and that the school's conservative and classical style of training did not suit him; no one was surprised that he left.[27]
Marriages and children
Williams married his first wife, Valerie Velardi, in June 1978, following a live-in relationship with comedian Elayne Boosler.[28] Velardi and Williams met in 1976 while he was working as a bartender at a tavern in San Francisco. Their son Zachary Pym "Zak" Williams was born in 1983.[29] Velardi and Williams were divorced in 1988.[30]
While it was reported that Williams began an affair with Zachary's nanny Marsha Garces in 1986,[31] Velardi stated in the 2018 documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind that the relationship with Garces began after the two had separated.[32] On April 30, 1989, Williams married Garces, who was six months pregnant with his child. They had two children, Zelda Rae Williams (born 1989) and Cody Alan Williams (born 1991). In March 2008, Garces filed for divorce from Williams, citing irreconcilable differences.[33][34] Their divorce was finalized in 2010.
Williams married his third wife, graphic designer Susan Schneider, on October 22, 2011, in St. Helena, California.[35][36] The two lived at their house in Sea Cliff, San Francisco, California.[33]
Williams said, "My children give me a great sense of wonder. Just to see them develop into these extraordinary human beings."[37]
Health
Addiction
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Williams had an addiction to cocaine.[38][39] He was a casual friend of John Belushi,[40] and the Saturday Night Live comic's death in 1982 from a drug overdose, which happened the morning after the two had partied together, along with the birth of his own son Zak, prompted him to quit drugs and alcohol: "Was it a wake-up call? Oh yeah, on a huge level. The grand jury helped, too."[38] Williams later said of Belushi's death, "It sobered the shit out of me."[41] Williams turned to exercise and cycling to help alleviate his depression shortly after Belushi's death; according to bicycle shop owner Tony Tom, Williams said, "cycling saved my life."[42][43][44]
In 2003, Williams started drinking again while working on a film in Alaska.[39] In 2006, he checked himself in to a substance-abuse rehabilitation center in Newberg, Oregon, saying he was an alcoholic.[45][46] Years afterward, Williams acknowledged his failure to maintain sobriety, but said he never returned to using cocaine, declaring in a 2010 interview:
No. Cocaine—paranoid and impotent, what fun. There was no bit of me thinking, ooh, let's go back to that. Useless conversations until midnight, waking up at dawn feeling like a vampire on a day pass. No.[39]
In mid-2014, Williams admitted himself into the Hazelden Foundation Addiction Treatment Center in Center City, Minnesota, for treatment for alcoholism.[47]
Later health problems
In March 2009, he was hospitalized due to heart problems. He postponed his one-man tour for surgery to replace his aortic valve,[48] repair his mitral valve, and correct his irregular heartbeat.[49] The surgery was completed on March 13, 2009, at the Cleveland Clinic.[50]
His publicist, Mara Buxbaum, commented that he was suffering from severe depression before his death.[51] His wife, Susan Schneider, said that in the period before his death, Williams had been sober, but was diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's disease, which was information he was "not yet ready to share publicly".[52][53] An autopsy revealed that Williams had diffuse Lewy bodies which had been misdiagnosed as Parkinson's. This may have contributed to his depression.[54][55][56]
In an essay published in the journal Neurology two years after his death, Schneider revealed that the pathology of Lewy body disease in Williams was described by several doctors as among the worst pathologies they had seen. She described the early symptoms of his disease as beginning in October 2013. Williams's initial condition included a sudden and prolonged spike in fear and anxiety, stress and insomnia, which worsened in severity to include memory loss, paranoia, and delusions. According to Schneider, "Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it ... He kept saying, 'I just want to reboot my brain.'" [57]
Death
Williams was found dead in his home in Paradise Cay, California on August 11, 2014.[58] The final autopsy report, released in November 2014, concluded that Williams' death was a suicide resulting from "asphyxia due to hanging".[59] Neither alcohol nor illegal drugs were involved, and prescription drugs present in his body were at therapeutic levels. The report also noted that Williams had been suffering from depression and anxiety.[60][61] An examination of his brain tissue suggested Williams suffered from "diffuse Lewy body dementia".[55] Describing the disease as "the terrorist inside my husband's brain", his widow Susan Schneider Williams said that "however you look at it—the presence of Lewy bodies took his life", referring to his previous diagnosis of Parkinson's.[57] She revealed that in the year before his death, Williams had experienced a sudden and prolonged spike in fear and anxiety, depression, and insomnia, which worsened in severity to include memory loss, paranoia, and delusions. Medical experts struggled to determine a cause, and eventually diagnosed him with Parkinson's disease.[57]
On August 11, 2014, at age 63, Williams died by suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California. His autopsy revealed undiagnosed Lewy body disease.[62][63]
The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) clarified the distinction between the term used in the autopsy report, "diffuse Lewy body dementia"—which is more commonly called "diffuse Lewy body disease" and refers to the underlying disease process—and the umbrella term "Lewy body dementia"—which encompasses both Parkinson's disease dementia (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).[64] According to LBDA spokesperson Dennis Dickson, "The report confirms he experienced depression, anxiety, and paranoia, which may occur in either Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies. ... In early PD, Lewy bodies are generally limited in distribution, but in DLB, the Lewy bodies are spread widely throughout the brain, as was the case with Robin Williams."[64] Ian G. McKeith, professor and researcher of Lewy body dementias, commented that Williams's symptoms and autopsy findings were explained by DLB.[65]
Williams' body was cremated at Monte's Chapel of the Hills in San Anselmo, and his ashes were scattered over San Francisco Bay on August 21, 2014.[66][67]
Career
Stand-up comedy
Williams began performing stand-up comedy in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1976.[68] He gave his first performance at the Holy City Zoo, a comedy club in San Francisco, where he worked his way up from tending bar.[69] In the 1960s, San Francisco was a center for a rock music renaissance, hippies, drugs, and a sexual revolution, and in the late 1970s, Williams helped lead its "comedy renaissance", writes critic Gerald Nachman.[70] Williams says he found out about "drugs and happiness" during that period, adding that he saw "the best brains of my time turned to mud".[19]
Williams moved to Los Angeles and continued performing stand-up at clubs including The Comedy Store. There, in 1977, he was seen by TV producer George Schlatter, who asked him to appear on a revival of his show Laugh-In. The show aired in late 1977 and was his debut TV appearance.[19] That year, Williams also performed a show at the L.A. Improv for Home Box Office.[71] While the Laugh-In revival failed, it led Williams into his television career; he continued performing stand-up at comedy clubs such as the Roxy to help keep his improvisational skills sharp.[19][72] In England, Williams notably performed at The Fighting Cocks.
With his success on Mork & Mindy, Williams began to reach a wider audience with his stand-up comedy, starting in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, including three HBO comedy specials: Off The Wall (1978), An Evening with Robin Williams (1983), and A Night at the Met (1986).[73] Williams won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the recording of his 1979 live show at the Copacabana in New York, Reality ... What a Concept.[74]
David Letterman, who knew Williams for nearly 40 years, recalls seeing him first perform as a new comedian at The Comedy Store in Hollywood, where Letterman and other comedians had already been doing stand-up. "He came in like a hurricane", said Letterman, who said he then thought to himself, "Holy crap, there goes my chance in show business."[75]
Williams said that partly due to the stress of performing stand-up, he started using drugs and alcohol early in his career. He further said that he neither drank nor took drugs while on stage, but occasionally performed when hung over from the previous day. During the period he was using cocaine, he said it made him paranoid when performing on stage.[40]
Williams once described the life of stand-up comedians:
It's a brutal field, man. They burn out. It takes its toll. Plus, the lifestyle—partying, drinking, drugs. If you're on the road, it's even more brutal. You gotta come back down to mellow your ass out, and then performing takes you back up. They flame out because it comes and goes. Suddenly they're hot, and then somebody else is hot. Sometimes they get very bitter. Sometimes they just give up. Sometimes they have a revival thing and they come back again. Sometimes they snap. The pressure kicks in. You become obsessed and then you lose that focus that you need.[70]
Some, such as the critic Vincent Canby, were concerned that his monologues were so intense it seemed as though at any minute his "creative process could reverse into a complete meltdown".[76] His biographer, Emily Herbert, described his "intense, utterly manic style of stand-up [which sometimes] defies analysis ... [going] beyond energetic, beyond frenetic ... [and sometimes] dangerous ... because of what it said about the creator's own mental state".[76]
Williams felt secure that he would not run out of ideas, as the constant change in world events would keep him supplied.[40] He also explained that he often used free association of ideas while improvising in order to keep the audience interested.[77] The competitive atmosphere caused problems; for example, some comedians accused him of stealing their jokes, which Williams strongly denied.[40][78][79] David Brenner claims that he confronted Williams's agent and threatened bodily harm if he heard Williams utter another one of his jokes.[80][81] Whoopi Goldberg defended him, asserting that it is difficult for comedians not to reuse another comedian's material, and that it is done "all the time".[82] He later avoided going to performances of other comedians to deter similar accusations.[82]
During a Playboy interview in 1992, Williams was asked whether he ever feared losing his balance between his work and his life. He replied, "There's that fear—if I felt like I was becoming not just dull but a rock, that I still couldn't speak, fire off or talk about things, if I'd start to worry or got too afraid to say something. ... If I stop trying, I get afraid." While he attributed the recent suicide of novelist Jerzy Kosiński to his fear of losing his creativity and sharpness, Williams felt he could overcome those risks. For that, he credited his father for strengthening his self-confidence, telling him to never be afraid of talking about subjects which were important to him.[40]
Williams's stand-up work was a consistent thread through his career, as seen by the success of his one-man show (and subsequent DVD) Robin Williams: Live on Broadway (2002). In 2004, he was voted 13th on Comedy Central's list "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time".[83] After a six-year hiatus, in August 2008, Williams announced a new 26-city tour, Weapons of Self-Destruction. The tour began at the end of September 2009 and concluded in New York on December 3, and was the subject of an HBO special on December 8, 2009.[84]
Television
Mork & Mindy
After the Laugh-In revival and appearing in the cast of The Richard Pryor Show on NBC, Williams was cast by Garry Marshall as the alien Mork in a 1978 episode of the TV series Happy Days, "My Favorite Orkan".[19][38] Sought after as a last-minute cast replacement for a departing actor, Williams impressed the producer with his quirky sense of humor when he sat on his head when asked to take a seat for the audition.[85] As Mork, Williams improvised much of his dialogue and physical comedy, speaking in a high, nasal voice, and he made the most of the script. The cast and crew, as well as TV network executives were deeply impressed with his performance. As such, the executives moved quickly to get the performer on contract just four days later before competitors could make their own offers.[86]
Mork's appearance proved so popular with viewers that it led to the spin-off television sitcom Mork & Mindy, which co-starred Pam Dawber, and ran from 1978 to 1982; the show was written to accommodate his extreme improvisations in dialogue and behavior. Although he portrayed the same character as in Happy Days, the series was set in the present in Boulder, Colorado, instead of the late 1950s in Milwaukee. Mork & Mindy at its peak had a weekly audience of sixty million and was credited with turning Williams into a "superstar".[19] According to critic James Poniewozik, the series was especially popular among young people as Williams became a "man and a child, buoyant, rubber-faced, an endless gusher of invention".[87]
Mork became popular, featured on posters, coloring books, lunch-boxes, and other merchandise.[88] Mork & Mindy was such a success in its first season that Williams appeared on the March 12, 1979, cover of Time magazine.[89][90] The cover photo, taken by Michael Dressler in 1979, is said to have "[captured] his different sides: the funnyman mugging for the camera, and a sweet, more thoughtful pose that appears on a small TV he holds in his hands" according to Mary Forgione of the Los Angeles Times.[91] This photo was installed in the National Portrait Gallery in the Smithsonian Institution shortly after his death to allow visitors to pay their respects.[91] Williams also appeared on the cover of the August 23, 1979, issue of Rolling Stone, photographed by Richard Avedon.[92][93]
Later appearances
Starting in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Williams began to reach a wider audience with his stand-up comedy, including three HBO comedy specials, Off the Wall (1978), An Evening with Robin Williams (1983), and A Night at the Met (1986). In 1986, Williams co-hosted the 58th Academy Awards.[94] Williams was also a regular guest on various talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson[95] and Late Night with David Letterman, on which he appeared 50 times.[75]
Williams and Billy Crystal were in an unscripted cameo at the beginning of an episode of the third season of Friends.[96] His many television appearances included an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?,[97] and he starred in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2006, Williams was the Surprise Guest at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards,[98] and appeared on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired on January 30.[99]
In 2010, he appeared in a sketch with Robert De Niro on Saturday Night Live, and in 2012, guest-starred as himself in two FX series, Louie and Wilfred.[100] In May 2013, CBS started a new series, The Crazy Ones, starring Williams,[101] but the show was canceled after one season.[102]
Film
The first film role credited to Robin Williams is a small part in the 1977 low-budget comedy Can I Do It... 'Til I Need Glasses?. His first starring performance, however, is as the title character in Popeye (1980), in which Williams showcased the acting skills previously demonstrated in his television work; accordingly, the film's commercial disappointment was not blamed on his performance.[103][104] He went on to star as the leading character in The World According to Garp (1982), which Williams considered "may have lacked a certain madness onscreen, but it had a great core".[69] He continued with other smaller roles in less successful films, such as The Survivors (1983) and Club Paradise (1986), though he said these roles did not help advance his film career.[69]
His first major break came from his starring role in director Barry Levinson's Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), which earned Williams a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.[38] The film is set in 1965 during the Vietnam War, with Williams playing the role of Adrian Cronauer, a radio shock jock who keeps the troops entertained with comedy and sarcasm. Williams was allowed to play the role without a script, improvising most of his lines. Over the microphone, he created voice impressions of people, including Walter Cronkite, Gomer Pyle, Elvis Presley, Mr. Ed, and Richard Nixon.[69] "We just let the cameras roll", said producer Mark Johnson, and Williams "managed to create something new for every single take".[105]
Dramatic roles
Many of his subsequent roles were in comedies tinged with pathos.[106] Looking over most of his filmography, one writer was "struck by the breadth" and radical diversity of most roles Williams portrayed.[107] In 1989, Williams played a private-school English teacher in Dead Poets Society, which included a final, emotional scene that some critics said "inspired a generation" and became a part of pop culture.[108] Similarly, his performance as a therapist in Good Will Hunting (1997) deeply affected even some real therapists.[109] In Awakenings (1990), Williams plays a doctor modeled after Oliver Sacks, who wrote the book on which the film is based. Sacks later said the way the actor's mind worked was a "form of genius". In 1991, he played an adult Peter Pan in the film Hook, although he had said he would have to lose 25 pounds for the role.[110] Terry Gilliam, who directed Williams in two of his films, The Fisher King (1991) and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), said in 1992 that Williams had the ability to "go from manic to mad to tender and vulnerable ... [Williams had] the most unique mind on the planet. There's nobody like him out there."[40]
Other performances Williams had in dramatic films include Moscow on the Hudson (1984), What Dreams May Come (1998), and Bicentennial Man (1999).[111] In Insomnia (2002), Williams portrayed a murderer on the run from a sleep-deprived Los Angeles police detective (played by Al Pacino) in rural Alaska.[112] Also in 2002, in the psychological thriller One Hour Photo, Williams portrayed an emotionally disturbed photo development technician who becomes obsessed with a family for whom he has developed pictures for a long time.[113] The last film of Williams's released during his lifetime was The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, in which Williams played Henry Altmann, an angry, bitter man who reassesses his life and works to redeem himself after being told he has a terminal illness.[114]
His roles in comedy and dramatic films garnered Williams several accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Good Will Hunting;[38] as well as two previous Academy Award nominations, for Dead Poets Society, and as a troubled homeless man in The Fisher King, respectively.[38]
Among the actors who helped him during his acting career, he credited Robert De Niro, from whom he learned the power of silence and economy of dialogue when acting. From Dustin Hoffman, with whom he co-starred in Hook, he learned to take on totally different character types, and to transform his characters by extreme preparation. Mike Medavoy, producer of Hook, told its director, Steven Spielberg, that he intentionally teamed up Hoffman and Williams for the film because he knew they wanted to work together, and that Williams welcomed the opportunity of working with Spielberg.[115] Williams benefited from working with Woody Allen, who directed him and Billy Crystal in Deconstructing Harry (1997), as Allen had knowledge of the fact that Crystal and Williams had often performed together on stage.[116]
Voice roles
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Williams voiced characters in several animated films. His voice role as the Genie in the animated musical Aladdin (1992) was written for him. The film's directors said they had taken a risk by writing the role.[117] At first, Williams refused the role since it was a Disney movie, and he did not want the studio profiting by selling merchandise based on the movie. He accepted the role with certain conditions: "I'm doing it basically because I want to be part of this animation tradition. I want something for my children. One deal is, I just don't want to sell anything—as in Burger King, as in toys, as in stuff."[118] Williams improvised much of his dialogue, recording approximately 30 hours of tape,[2] and impersonated dozens of celebrities, including Ed Sullivan, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Groucho Marx, Rodney Dangerfield, William F. Buckley Jr., Peter Lorre, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Arsenio Hall.[119] His role in Aladdin became one of his most recognized and best-loved, and the film was the highest-grossing of 1992; it won numerous awards, including a Special Golden Globe Award for Vocal Work in a Motion Picture for Williams.[120] His performance led the way for other animated films to incorporate actors with more star power.[121] He was named a Disney Legend in 2009.[122]
Due to Disney breaking an agreement with Williams regarding the use of the Genie in the advertising for Aladdin, Williams refused to sign on for the direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar (1994), where the Genie was instead voiced by Dan Castellaneta. When Jeffrey Katzenberg was replaced by Joe Roth as Walt Disney Studios chairman, Roth organized a public apology to Williams.[123] Williams would, in turn, reprise the role in the second sequel Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996).[124]
Williams continued to provide voices in other animated films, including FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Robots (2005), the Happy Feet film series (2006-2011), and an uncredited vocal performance in Everyone's Hero (2006). He also voiced the holographic character Dr. Know in the live-action film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). He was the voice of The Timekeeper, a former attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort about a time-traveling robot who encounters Jules Verne and brings him to the future.[125]
Later films
Years after the films, Janet Hirshenson revealed in an interview that Williams had expressed interest in portraying Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series, but was rejected by director Chris Columbus due to the "British-only edict".[126] In 2006, he starred in five movies, including Man of the Year and The Night Listener, the latter being a thriller about a radio show host who realizes that a child with whom he has developed a friendship may or may not exist.[111] After his death in 2014, four films starring Williams were released: Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, A Merry Friggin' Christmas, Boulevard, and Absolutely Anything.[127]
Stage work
Williams appeared opposite Steve Martin at Lincoln Center in an off-Broadway production of Waiting for Godot in 1988.[128][129] He headlined his own one-man show, Robin Williams: Live on Broadway, which played at the Broadway theatre in July 2002.[130] He made his Broadway acting debut in Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, which opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 31, 2011.[131]
Internet
Williams hosted a talk show for Audible, which premiered in April 2000 and was available exclusively from Audible's website.[132][133]
Other interests
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In New York City, Williams was part of the West Side YMCA runners running team and showed promising results with 34:21 minutes at a 10K run in Central Park in 1975.[134]
His favorite books were the Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov,[135] with his favorite book as a child being The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which he later shared with his children.[136]
Williams was an enthusiast of both pen-and-paper role-playing games and video games.[137][138][139] His daughter Zelda was named after the title character from The Legend of Zelda, a family favorite video game series, and he sometimes performed at consumer entertainment trade shows.[140][141][142]
Williams was a big fan of anime and collecting figures. His daughter described him as a "figurine hoarder", one of his figures being the fictional character Deunan Knute from the anime film Appleseed which he was a fan of. He also liked the film Innocence Ghost in the Shell, and received a DVD copy of Paranoia Agent with a signature from its director, Satoshi Kon.[143][144][145]
He also became a devoted cycling enthusiast, having taken up the sport partly as a substitute for drugs. Eventually, he accumulated a large bicycle collection and became a fan of professional road cycling, often traveling to racing events, such as the Tour de France.[146][147] In 2016, his children donated 87 of his bicycles in support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.[148]
Religion
Williams was raised and sometimes identified himself as an Episcopalian. He described his denomination in a comedy routine as "I have that idea of Chicago protestant, Episcopal—Catholic light: half the religion, half the guilt."[149] He also described himself as an "honorary Jew",[150] and on Israel's 60th Independence Day in 2008, he appeared in Times Square, along with several other celebrities to wish Israel a happy birthday.[151]
Philanthropy
In 1986, Williams teamed up with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal to found Comic Relief USA. This annual HBO television benefit devoted to the homeless raised $80 million as of 2014.[152] Bob Zmuda, creator of Comic Relief, explains that Williams felt blessed because he came from a wealthy home, but wanted to do something to help those less fortunate.[153] Williams made benefit appearances to support literacy and women's rights, along with appearing at benefits for veterans. He was a regular on the USO circuit, where he traveled to 13 countries and performed to approximately 90,000 troops.[154] After his death, the USO thanked him "for all he did for the men and women of our armed forces".[155]
Williams and his second wife, Marsha, founded a philanthropic organization called the Windfall Foundation to raise money for many charities. In December 1999, he sang in French on the BBC-inspired music video of international celebrities doing a cover of The Rolling Stones single "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" for the charity Children's Promise.[156]
In response to the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, he donated all proceeds of his Weapons of Self Destruction Christchurch performance to help rebuild the New Zealand city. Half the proceeds were donated to the Red Cross and half to the mayoral building fund.[157] Williams performed with the USO for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.[158]
For several years, Williams supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[159]
Influences
Williams credited comedians including Jonathan Winters, Peter Sellers, Nichols and May, and Lenny Bruce as influences, admiring their ability to attract a more intellectual audience with a higher level of wit.[70] He also liked Jay Leno for his quickness in ad-libbing comedy routines, and Sid Caesar, whose acts he felt were "precious".[40]
Jonathan Winters was his "idol" early in life; Williams, aged eight, first saw him on television and paid him homage in interviews throughout his career.[70][160] Williams was inspired by Winters' ingenuity, realizing, he said, "that anything is possible, that anything is funny ... He gave me the idea that it can be free-form, that you can go in and out of things pretty easily."[70]
During an interview in London in 2002, Williams told Michael Parkinson that Peter Sellers was an important influence, especially his multi-character roles in Dr. Strangelove, stating, "It doesn't get better than that." British comedy actors Dudley Moore and Peter Cook were also among his influences, he told Parkinson.[161]
Williams was also influenced by Richard Pryor's fearless ability to talk about his personal life on stage, with subjects including his use of drugs and alcohol, and Williams added those kinds of topics during his own performances. By bringing up such personal matters as a form of comedy, he told Parkinson, it was "cheaper than therapy" and gave him a way to release his pent-up energy and emotions.[70]
Legacy
Robin Williams was known for his improvisational skills[162][163] and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike,[164][165] he is regarded as one of the best comedians of all time.[166][167][168]
Although Williams was first recognized as a stand-up comedian and television star, he later became known for acting in film roles of substance and serious drama. He was considered a "national treasure" by many in the entertainment industry and by the public.[40][169]
![](/d/images/thumb/3/39/Robin_Williams_Walk_of_Fame.jpg/400px-Robin_Williams_Walk_of_Fame.jpg)
His on-stage energy and improvisational skill became a model for a new generation of stand-up comedians. Many comedians valued the way he worked highly personal issues into his comedy routines, especially his honesty about drug and alcohol addiction, along with depression.[170] According to media scholar Derek A. Burrill, because of the openness with which Williams spoke about his own life, "probably the most important contribution he made to pop culture, across so many different media, was as Robin Williams the person."[170]
Williams created a signature free-form comedy persona so widely and uniquely identified that new comedians like Jim Carrey impersonated him,[171] paving the way for the growing comedy scene which developed in San Francisco. Young comedians felt more liberated on stage by seeing his spontaneously diverse range: "one moment acting as a bright, mischievous child, then as a wise philosopher or alien from outer space".[172] According to Judd Apatow, the eclectic performer's rapid-fire improvisational style was an inspiration as well as an influence for other comedians, but his talent was so extremely unusual no one else could possibly attempt to copy it.[173]
His film performances often influenced other actors, both in and out of the film industry. Director Chris Columbus, who directed Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, says watching him work "was a magical and special privilege. His performances were unlike anything any of us had ever seen, they came from some spiritual and otherworldly place."[174] Looking over most of his filmography, Alyssa Rosenberg at The Washington Post was "struck by the breadth" and radical diversity of most of his roles, writing that "Williams helped us grow up."[107]
Williams' death instantly became global news. The entertainment world, friends, and fans responded to his death through social and other media outlets.[175] Schneider said: "I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken."[176] His daughter Zelda Williams responded to his death by saying the "world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence".[177]
President Barack Obama released a statement upon Williams's death:
Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between ... He arrived in our lives as an alien—but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most—from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.[178]
Williams was scheduled to be the "Blackmail" special guest for the final night of Monty Python's ten-date stage shows in London one month before his death—with one of his friends, Monty Python's Eric Idle—but cancelled, stating he was "suffering from severe depression" at the time.[179] When the show was released on video, it was dedicated to Williams.[179]
At the United Nations Headquarters on August 12, 2014, Robin Williams was celebrated during the opening of the International Youth Day. In the presence of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Assistant Secretary General Thomas Gass paid tribute to Williams by standing on the pulpit of the ECOSOC Chamber and quoting Keating's lines from the 1989 film Dead Poets Society: "Dare to look at things in a different way!"[180] Several fans similarly paid tribute to Williams on social media with photo and video reenactments of Dead Poets Society's "O Captain! My Captain!" scene.[181]
Shortly after his death, Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior all aired the original Aladdin commercial-free over the course of a week, with a dedicated drawing of the genie at the end of each airing before the credits.[182] In honor of his theater work, the lights of Broadway were darkened for the evening of August 14, 2014.[183] That night, the cast of the Aladdin musical honored Williams by having the audience join them in a sing-along of "Friend Like Me", an Oscar-nominated song originally sung by Williams in the 1992 film Aladdin.[184]
Fans of Williams created makeshift memorials at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[185] and at locations from his television and film career, such as the bench in Boston's Public Garden featured in Good Will Hunting;[186] the Pacific Heights, San Francisco, home used in Mrs. Doubtfire;[187] the sign for Parrish Shoes in Keene, New Hampshire, where parts of Jumanji were filmed;[188] and the Boulder, Colorado, home used for Mork & Mindy.[189]
During the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards on August 25, 2014, close friend and fellow comedian Billy Crystal presented a tribute to Williams, referring to him as "the brightest star in our comedy galaxy". Afterwards, some of Williams's best comedy moments were shown, including his first ever The Tonight Show appearance, indicating his great life in making people laugh.[190][191] Talk show hosts including David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to Williams on their respective shows.[192]
On September 9, 2014, PBS aired a one-hour special devoted to his career,[193] and on September 27, 2014, dozens of leading stars and celebrities held a tribute in San Francisco to celebrate his life and career.[194]
British heavy metal band Iron Maiden dedicated a song to Williams, titled "Tears of a Clown", on their 2015 album The Book of Souls. The song looks into his depression and suicide, as well as how he attempted to hide his condition from the public.[195]
A tunnel, painted with a rainbow, on Highway 101 north of the Golden Gate Bridge was officially named the "Robin Williams Tunnel" on February 29, 2016.[196]
In 2017, Sharon Meadow in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the home of the annual Comedy Day, was renamed Robin Williams Meadow.[197]
In 2018, HBO produced a documentary about his life and career. Directed by Marina Zenovich, the film, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, was also screened at the Sundance Film Festival.[198] That same year, a mural of Robin Williams was created on Market Street, in San Francisco.[199] Work on a book biography was begun by New York Times writer David Itzkoff in 2014,[200] and was published in 2018, entitled simply Robin.[201]
In August 2020, Vertical Entertainment released a trailer for a new documentary, Robin's Wish, exploring Williams's battle with Lewy body dementia. The film, directed by Tylor Norwood, was digitally released on September 1, 2020.[202]
Awards and nominations
Throughout the course of his career Williams won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Good Will Hunting (1997).[203] He also won six Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actor—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his roles in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), The Fisher King (1991) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), along with the Special Golden Globe Award for Vocal Work in a Motion Picture[120] for his role Genie in Aladdin (1992), and the Cecil B. DeMille award in 2005.[204] He also received two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards.[205][206]
Notes
- ↑ Chicago Native Robin Williams Recalled ‘Good Times’ Growing Up Here CBS Chicago, August 11, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Robin Williams' Change Of Life: Fighting For His Family In His New Film, 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' And In Real Life", New York Magazine, K-III Magazine Corporation, November 22, 1993, pp. 34–41.
- ↑ Shipman, Robert, "Genealogy buffs find Williams' roots in Evansville", August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Rubenstein, Steve, "Laurie Williams – comedian's mother", San Francisco Chronicle, September 8, 2001.
- ↑ McLellan, Dennis (August 18, 2007). R. Todd Williams, 69; winery founder, comic's brother. Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Robin Williams' Half-brother Is An All-out Fan", Chicago Tribune, December 25, 1991.
- ↑ Gristwood, Sarah, "Bobbin' Robin", Mail & Guardian Online, June 18, 1998.
- ↑ Topel, Fred (July 3, 2007). Robin Williams on License to Wed. CanMag.
- ↑ video: "Robin Williams – Inside The Actors Studio" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}, June 10, 2001
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Cullotta, Karen Ann, "Robin Williams' childhood in Lake Forest remembered", August 13, 2014, p. 7.
- ↑ "Robin Williams: 'The Night Listener'". Terry Gross (host). Fresh Air from WHYY. National Public Radio. August 3, 2006.
- ↑ Moore, Mary Ellen (1979). Robin Williams. Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0448171289.
- ↑ Strauss, Valerie, "How high school changed Robin Williams' life", August 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Robin Williams, the Comic, Confronts Robin Williams, the Actor", The New York Times, May 28, 1989, p. A1.
- ↑ "Robin Williams Dons an Emigre's Guise", The New York Times, April 15, 1984, p. A21.
- ↑ Landrum, Gene N. (2007). Paranoia & Power: Fear & Fame of Entertainment Icons. Morgan James Publishing, 30–31. ISBN 978-1600372742.
- ↑ Golum, Rob (August 12, 2014). Robin Williams, Oscar Winner, Dies After Hanging Himself. Bloomberg News.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Hansen, Megan, "'We knew him as a neighbor': Marin remembers Robin Williams", August 11, 2014.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 (2008) Make 'em Laugh: The Funny Business of America. New York City: Twelve, 241–244. ISBN 978-0823047864.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Reeve, Christopher (1998). Still Me. New York City: Random House, 167–172. ISBN 978-0-679-45235-5.
- ↑ Dorsinville, Jean M. (2011). Franklyn V.E. Seales: Life of an Artist. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1462033324.
- ↑ Robin Williams' son remembers his dad and Christopher Reeve's friendship (November 23, 2014).
- ↑ We'll Always Love You Robin! (August 13, 2015).
- ↑ Feeney, Nolan, "Listen to Robin Williams Talk About His Struggles on an April 26, 2010 Podcast", Time, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ "WTF with Marc Maron – Remembering Robin Williams", WTF with Marc Maron, August 11, 2014.
- ↑ "For Juilliard, Ex-Student Hams It Up", The New York Times, May 18, 1991.
- ↑ Blair, Caroline, "NC Comedian: Robin Williams Was My Hero, My Influence", Time Warner Cable News, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ Darrach, Brad (February 22, 1988). A Comic's Crisis of the Heart. People.
- ↑ Robin Williams bio revelations: Infidelity, substance abuse, insecurity over Jim Carrey. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
- ↑ [5] Clehane, Diane; Dagostino, Mark; Mikelbank, Peter; Orr, Andrea (April 14, 2008). "Robin Williams Surprise Split". People. 69 (14). Retrieved August 13, 2014
- ↑ "Robin Williams gets his just due in documentary 'Come Inside My Mind'", July 11, 2018.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Hochman, David (September 9, 2013). Still Crazy: Years after Mork and Buffy, Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar hope to rope us in with a new sitcom. TV Guide: 16–19.
- ↑ Garchik, Leah, "Robin Williams' wife files for divorce after nearly 19 years", March 27, 2008.
- ↑ "Robin Williams and Susan Schneider reportedly wed", The Washington Post, October 24, 2011.
- ↑ Ravitz, Justin (October 24, 2011). Robin Williams Weds!. Us Weekly.
- ↑ Robin Williams. It's time for a convoluted stream of consciousness. Ask Me Anything! (September 25, 2013).
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 "Robin Williams". James Lipton (host). Inside the Actors Studio. Bravo. June 10, 2001. No. 710, season 7.
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Aitkenhead, Decca, "Robin Williams: 'I was shameful, did stuff that caused disgust—that's hard to recover from'", September 20, 2010.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4 40.5 40.6 40.7 {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ "(video) Robin Williams Told Friend 'Cycling Saved My Life' Post-Cocaine Days", ABC, August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Duke, Alan, "Robin Williams was in early stages of Parkinson's disease, wife reveals", Turner Broadcasting Systems, August 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Robin Williams and Dario Pegoretti: The Comedian and the Bike Builder", Dow Jones & Company, August 14, 2014.Template:Subscription required
- ↑ "Robin Williams Comes Clean on 'GMA'", ABC, October 2, 2006.
- ↑ Duke, Alan, "Robin Williams, short of breath, takes a break", Turner Broadcasting Systems, March 4, 2009.
- ↑ Errico, Marcus (August 11, 2014). Robin Williams Dead of Apparent Suicide at 63. Yahoo!.
- ↑ "Robin Williams to undergo heart surgery", Today, March 5, 2009.
- ↑ Doheny, Kathleen. Robin Williams' Heart Surgery: Road to Recovery (in en).
- ↑ "Robin Williams' heart surgery goes 'extremely well'", Turner Broadcasting Systems, March 23, 2009.
- ↑ Duke, Alan, "Robin Williams dead; family, friends and fans are 'totally devastated'", CNN, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Robin Williams 'had Parkinson's'", BBC News, August 14, 2014.
- ↑ Ryder, Taryn (August 15, 2014). Wife: Robin Williams Had Parkinson's Disease, His Sobriety Intact Before Death. Yahoo!.
- ↑ (1 September 2019) Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Application. International Journal of Gerontology 13 (3).
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 "Robin Williams coroner's report finds no illegal drugs or alcohol in system".
- ↑ Robin Williams suffered from a common form of dementia that many people don't know about (October 2, 2016).
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 (September 27, 2016)The terrorist inside my husband's brain. Neurology 87 (13): 1308–1311.
- ↑ "Robin Williams, Oscar-Winning Comedian, Dies at 63", August 11, 2014.
- ↑ "California: Robin Williams's Autopsy Shows No Illicit Drugs", The New York Times, November 7, 2014.
- ↑ No Alcohol Or Drugs Involved in Death of Robin Williams. NBC News (November 7, 2014).
- ↑ Stucker, Matthew, "Robin Williams' death ruled suicide", CNN, November 7, 2014.
- ↑ Martin, Nick, "San Francisco Neighbours Mourn Robin Williams", Sky News, August 13, 2014.
- ↑ (September 26, 2016)The terrorist inside my husband's brain. Neurology 87 (September 27, 2016; 87 (13)): 1308–1311.
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 LBDA Clarifies Autopsy Report on Comedian, Robin Williams. Lewy Body Dementia Association (November 10, 2014).
- ↑ McKeith, IG, "Robin Williams had dementia with Lewy bodies—so, what is it and why has it been eclipsed by Alzheimer's?".
- ↑ Ford, Dana, "Robin Williams' ashes scattered in San Francisco Bay", CNN, August 21, 2014.
- ↑ Death Certificate Indicates Robin Williams Cremated, Ashes Scattered In San Francisco Bay. CBS Local (August 21, 2014).
- ↑ Robin Williams' heart never strayed far from San Francisco (in en) (August 12, 2014).
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 Zehme, Bill, "Robin Williams: The Rolling Stone Interview", Rolling Stone, February 25, 1988, pp. 29–32.
- ↑ 70.0 70.1 70.2 70.3 70.4 70.5 Nachman, Gerald (2004). Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s. Brno, Czech Republic: Back Stage Books. ISBN 978-0823047864.
- ↑ video: "Young Robin Williams at the Los Angeles Improv, 1977 {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}
- ↑ Robin Williams at the Roxy, 1978 at YouTube
- ↑ "Comedy gold: Robin Williams' A Night at the Met", December 6, 2012.
- ↑ Grammy Award Nominees 1980 – Grammy Award Winners 1980.
- ↑ 75.0 75.1 Lockett, Dee (August 19, 2014). Letterman Remembers the First Time He Met Robin Williams.
- ↑ 76.0 76.1 Herbert, Emily (November 15, 2014). Robin Williams: When the Laughter Stops 1951–2014. London, England: John Blake Publishing Ltd.. ISBN 9781784183004. OCLC 889523094.
- ↑ Robin Williams – Parkinson interview [2002] at YouTube. Accessed July 22, 2020.
- ↑ Gardner, Chris, "Robin Williams Accused of Stealing Jokes in Comedy Tell-All Book", The Hollywood Reporter, October 4, 2017. (written in en)
- ↑ Robin Williams: Prince of Thieves (in en-US).
- ↑ Zoglin, Richard (2008). Comedy at the Edge. Bloomsbury USA. ISBN 978-1582346243.
- ↑ Sims, David, "In Conan O'Brien Versus Twitter Comedians, Whose Joke Is It Anyway?", The Atlantic, July 28, 2015. (written in en-US)
- ↑ 82.0 82.1 {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time. Internet Movie Database.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (July 8, 2009). HBO to Air Robin Williams' Weapons of Self-Destruction (in en).
- ↑ Robin Williams Biography. Biography Channel.
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- ↑ Mork & Mindy.
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- ↑ 91.0 91.1 Forgione, Mary, "The lighter side of Robin Williams, now at National Portrait Gallery", Los Angeles Times, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ Williams, Robin. Rolling Stone, May 18, 2006
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- ↑ "The Academy Awards Ceremony", March 26, 1986.
- ↑ "Robin Williams on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show – 1991" at YouTube
- ↑ Cook, Jon (April 4, 1997). Comedians Crystal and Williams in "Friends" episode.
- ↑ "{{{title}}}". Whose Line Is It Anyway?. November 16, 2000. No. 9, season 3.
- ↑ "Kids' Choice Awards", CBS News, April 1, 2006.
- ↑ "Quick Takes: An 'Extreme Makeover' salute to military families", November 3, 2011.
- ↑ Stanhope, Kate (August 11, 2014). Robin Williams Dies of Suspected Suicide at 63.
- ↑ CBS Orders Chuck Lorre's 'Mom,' Robin Williams' 'Crazy Ones,' Will Arnett Comedy, More. The Hollywood Reporter (May 10, 2013).
- ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (May 10, 2014). CBS Renews 'Mentalist', Cancels 'Crazy Ones', 'Hostages', 'Intelligence' & 2 More.
- ↑ Rea, Steven (August 13, 2014). Robin Williams, 63, comic genius. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ↑ Spitznagel, Eric (August 12, 2014). Popeye Is the Best Movie Robin Williams Ever Made. Vanity Fair.
- ↑ (1991) Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television, Culture And The Moving Image: Vol 6. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 9780877228622.
- ↑ "A clown and his demons: Robin Williams mixed zany comedy, sharp satire and pathos (with video)", Vancouver Sun, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ 107.0 107.1 Rosenberg, Alyssa, "How Robin Williams helped us grow up", August 11, 2014.
- ↑ Goodman, Jessica, "Robin Williams and the 'O Captain' Scene That Inspired a Generation", HuffPost, August 11, 2014.
- ↑ Neale, Ryan Thomas (August 12, 2014). Requiem for a Therapist: A Tribute to Robin Williams. HuffPost.
- ↑ Rolling Stone, February 21, 1991 p. 26.
- ↑ 111.0 111.1 Robin Williams.
- ↑ Insomnia (2002).
- ↑ One Hour Photo (2002).
- ↑ Hachard, Tomas, "The 'Angriest' Robin Williams Sadly Becomes The Inspirational One", NPR, May 22, 2014. (written in en)
- ↑ Medavoy, Mike (2002). You're Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot, Young, Josh (contributor), New York: Simon & Schuster (Altria). ISBN 9780743400541.
- ↑ Lax, Eric (2007). Conversations with Woody Allen: His Films, the Movies, and Moviemaking. New York City: Knopf Doubleday. ISBN 978-0375415333.
- ↑ Turning Robin Williams into 'Aladdin's' Genie. ABC News.
- ↑ McDonald, Soraya Nadia, "Robin Williams almost didn't make 'Aladdin,' and a generation of children is grateful that he did", August 15, 2014.
- ↑ Labrecque, Jeff (August 12, 2014). Robin Williams in 'Aladdin': Animator Eric Goldberg remembers drawing Genie. Entertainment Weekly.
- ↑ 120.0 120.1 Golden Globes, USA (1993).
- ↑ Meslow, Scott (October 28, 2011). How Celebrities Took Over Cartoon Voice Acting. The Atlantic.
- ↑ "2009 Disney Legends Award Recipients to Be Honored During D23 Expo in Anaheim", Reuters, September 1, 2009.
- ↑ Welkos, Robert, "Abracadabra: Disney, Robin Williams Quit Feud", October 24, 1994.
- ↑ Cerone, Daniel Howard, "Genie Grants Disney's Video Wish : Marketing: Robin Williams will reprise his 'Aladdin' role in 'King of Thieves,' continuing the emergence of direct-to-video projects as an industry gold mine.", September 27, 1995.
- ↑ Veness, Susan (2009). The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Vero Beach, Florida: Adams Media. ISBN 9781440504327.
- ↑ He really wanted to be in the movie.
- ↑ Elavsky, Cindy, "Celebrity Extra", Downriver Sunday Times, King Features, August 24, 2014.
- ↑ Kuchwara, Michael, "Still 'Waiting for Godot': Robin Williams, Steve Martin play it for laughs", The Free Lance-Star, November 26, 1988.
- ↑ Rich, Frank, "Review/Theatre; 'Godot': The Timeless Relationship of 2 Interdependent Souls", November 7, 1988.Template:Subscription required
- ↑ The Broadway League. "Robin Williams: Live on Broadway" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}, IBDB.com; accessed January 19, 2019.
- ↑ Isherwood, Charles, "Ghostly Beast Burning Bright in Iraq", March 31, 2011.
- ↑ "Robin Williams and Audible Announce New Weekly Internet Program.", Business Wire, The Free Library, January 6, 2000.
- ↑ (December 1, 2002) Living online. Playboy 49 (12).
- ↑ (2014). Robin Williams, My Teammate. Runner's World.
- ↑ Williams, Robin. Interview with The Reddit Community. Robin Williams. It's time for a convoluted stream of consciousness. Ask Me Anything!. September 25, 2013.
- ↑ Robin Williams. It's time for a convoluted stream of consciousness. Ask Me Anything! (September 25, 2013).
- ↑ Szymanski, Mike, "Robin Williams Confesses to Another Addiction ... the Internet", Tribune Media Services, August 21, 2002.
- ↑ (2003) High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, 2nd, New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-223172-4.
- ↑ {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ Boutin, Paul (January 6, 2006). Live coverage of Google Keynote with Robin Williams.
- ↑ Terdiman, Daniel (May 11, 2006). Robin Williams yucks it up for 'Spore'. CNet.
- ↑ Dungeons and Dragons Game Day at London Dungeon.
- ↑ Peters, Megan, "Robin Williams' Daughter Asks Fans To Help Identify His Massive Anime Collection", Comic Book, May 17, 2018.
- ↑ Robin Williams loved Anime, I did not know that ... (from user babysaidmaybe) (March 5, 2017).
- ↑ Macdonald, Christopher, "More Robin Williams on Anime", Anime News Network, May 5, 2005.
- ↑ Murphy, Brian, "Tour de Lance: 100 percent pure", ESPN.
- ↑ (2003). Robin Williams Profile – Robin Williams: "I'm Lucky to Have Bikes in My Life". Bicycling Magazine.
- ↑ Cycle of Life | Paddle8.
- ↑ Johnson, Caitlin A., "A "License" to Laugh", CBS News, July 3, 2007.
- ↑ Borschel, Amanda, "'Honorary Jew' Robin Williams, 63, found dead", August 12, 2014.
- ↑ Celebrity Salute to Israel @ Times Square (May 13, 2008).
- ↑ Brown, Carolyn M. (August 12, 2014). Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal Raised $80 Million For Homeless.
- ↑ Finn, Natalie (August 12, 2014). Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg React in Kind to Robin Williams' Death: "No Words". E!.
- ↑ {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ On Patrol, USO, Fall 2014, p. 8
- ↑ "Stones cover enters festive race", BBC News, December 10, 1999.
- ↑ Greenhill, Marc, "Robin Williams' quake donation", November 16, 2010.
- ↑ Bronstein, Phil, "Good Morning, Iraq", February 9, 2005.
- ↑ Celebrity Involvement at St. Jude. St. Jude.
- ↑ "Jonathan Winters Dead: 'Mork and Mindy' Star Dies At Age 87", Huffington Post, April 12, 2013.
- ↑ video: Williams, Robin. Interview with Michael Parkinson. Robin Williams, Parkinson interview 2002.
- ↑ Kahn, Mattie, "When Norm Macdonald Met Robin Williams – 'The Funniest Man in The World'", ABC News, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Robin Williams, 'funniest man alive,' dead at 63", The Bradenton Herald, August 11, 2014.
- ↑ Say What? Robin Williams' Most Iconic Character Voices. VH1 News (August 12, 2014).
- ↑ Remembering Robin Williams – the man with 1000 voices (August 10, 2017).
- ↑ The 25 Funniest People Of All Time.
- ↑ {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ The 50 Best Stand-up Comics of All Time.
- ↑ "Glenn Close on Friend and Colleague: 'Robin Williams Was a World Treasure'" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}, Showbiz411, August 13, 2014
- ↑ 170.0 170.1 "Robin Williams: His unscripted riffs were not merely funny, but observant" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}},(+video), Christian Science Monitor, August 12, 2014
- ↑ "Jim Carrey Impersonates Robin Williams" at YouTube
- ↑ Rappoport, Leon. Punchlines: The Case for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Humor, Greenwood Publishing (2005) p. 136
- ↑ {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ Valley native Chris Columbus speaks about life with Robin Williams (August 13, 2014).
- ↑ Derschowitz, Jessica, "Robin Williams tributes pour in from Hollywood", August 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Beloved Comic, Actor Robin Williams Dead at 63", NBC, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ (August 12, 2014)Robin Williams' Family: 'The World is Forever a Little Darker'. Variety.
- ↑ President Obama on the Passing of Robin Williams: "He Was One of a Kind" (August 11, 2014).
- ↑ 179.0 179.1 {{#invoke:Citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=magazine }}
- ↑ International Youth Day Event: Mental Health Matters (in en).
- ↑ Idato, Michael, "Robin Williams death: Jimmy Fallon fights tears, pays tribute with 'Oh Captain, My Captain'", August 14, 2014.
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- ↑ Robin Williams honored on Broadway with dimmed lights, 'Aladdin' tribute. NBC News.
- ↑ Simakis, Andrea (August 14, 2014). Broadway's 'Aladdin' cast honors Robin Williams with song. The Plain Dealer.
- ↑ "Fans mourn Robin Williams at Hollywood Walk of Fame star, autopsy pending", August 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Boston fans remember Robin Williams", August 12, 2014.
- ↑ Rocha, Veronica, "Robin Williams memorial grows outside 'Mrs. Doubtfire' house", August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Keene theater to host free 'Jumanji' screening after star's death (August 15, 2014).
- ↑ Bacle, Ariana, "Fans remember Robin Williams at 'Mork and Mindy' house", Entertainment Weekly, August 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Billy Crystal Emmys Tribute to Robin Williams Expected to Honor Humor" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}, Guardianlv, August 22, 2014
- ↑ Sacks, Ethan, "Emmys 2014: Robin Williams given emotional tribute by good friend Billy Crystal", August 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Robin Williams late-night tributes: Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Conan O'Brien share memories", The Washington Post, August 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Robin Williams Tribute Special to Air on PBS" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}, Variety, September 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Robin Williams' Life Celebrated at San Francisco Tribute Attended by Family, Industry Friends" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}, The Hollywood Reporter, September 27, 2014
- ↑ Iron Maiden dedicate new song 'Tears Of A Clown' to Robin Williams (August 24, 2015).
- ↑ Robin Williams tunnel officially gets new signs. sfgate.com (March 2016).
- ↑ Golden Gate Park meadow renamed for Robin Williams (December 22, 2017).
- ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (January 20, 2018). Sundance Film Review: 'Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind'.
- ↑ "San Francisco mural honors Robin Williams", Los Angeles Times, August 30, 2018.
Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald, "Artist paints Robin Williams mural for free on SF's Market Street", San Francisco Examiner, August 29, 2018. - ↑ "Robin Williams Bio in the Works" {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}}, The Hollywood Reporter, August 27, 2014
- ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (May 15, 2018). Robin. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781627794244. OCLC 1035944986. Preview {{#invoke:webarchive|webarchive}} at Google Books.
- ↑ "Robin Williams' final days detailed in touching trailer for new documentary Robin's Wish", Entertainment Weekly, August 6, 2020.
- ↑ Robin Williams.
- ↑ Robin Williams.
- ↑ Robin Williams – Artist – www.grammy.com. Recording Academy.
- ↑ Robin Williams | Biography, Movies, Awards, Death, & Facts.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- David, Jay (1999). The Life and Humor of Robin Williams: A Biography. New York: Quill. ISBN 978-0-688-15245-1.
- Dougan, Andy (1999). Robin Williams: A Biography. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 978-1-56025-213-9.
- Spignesi, Stephen J. (1997). The Robin Williams Scrapbook. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Pub.. ISBN 978-0-8065-1891-6.
External links
- Travers, Peter. "Peter Travers on 9 of His Favorite Robin Williams Performances – Rolling Stone's film critic weighs in on the late actor and comedian's best work", Rolling Stone.
- Weisman, Aly. "Robin Williams set up a 3-part trust fund for his kids amid money troubles before death", Business Insider, August 13, 2014.
- Robin Williams Fansite
- [1] at Find a Grave{{#invoke:EditAtWikidata |showMessage |qid= |pid=P535 |nbsp= | 134211597 }}local p = {}
function p.wikidatacheck(frame) local pframe = frame:getParent() local config = frame.args — the arguments passed BY the template, in the wikitext of the template itself local args = pframe.args — the arguments passed TO the template, in the wikitext that transcludes the template
local property = config.property local value = config.value or "" local catbase = config.category local namespaces = config.namespaces local nocatsame = config.nocatsame or "" local qid = config.qid or "" local ok = false — one-way flag to check if we're in a good namespace local ns = mw.title.getCurrentTitle().namespace
for v in mw.text.gsplit( namespaces, ",", true) do
if tonumber(v) == ns then
ok = true
end
end
if not ok then — not in one of the approved namespaces
return ""
end
local entity
if qid == "" then
entity = mw.wikibase.getEntityObject()
else
entity = mw.wikibase.getEntityObject(qid)
end
if not entity then — no Wikidata item
return ""
end
if value == "" then
return nil — Using Wikidata
end
local claims = entity.claims or {}
local hasProp = claims[property]
if not hasProp then — no claim of that property
return "" — bad. Bot needs to add the property
end
for i, v in ipairs(hasProp) do — Now we try to iterate over all possible values?
propValue = (v.mainsnak.datavalue or {}).value
if propValue == value then
if nocatsame == "" then
return "" — yay!
else
return nil — if nocatsame, the "same as" category is not added
end
end
end
return "" — needs human review :(
end
return p
- Robin Williams at the Internet Broadway Database
- Robin Williams at the Internet Movie Database
- Robin Williams at the TCM Movie Database
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