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150 postsRobin Williams was an American actor and comedian born in 1951 in Chicago, Illinois. Williams originally became popular for his portrayal of the alien Mork in the TV comedy Mork & Mindy. He also became an established stand-up comedian an film actor as well. Some of his most highly acclaimed work came in movies such as Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Awakenings, The Birdcage, and Good Morning, Vietnam. Some of the accolades he earned throughout his career include an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guilds Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and five Grammy Awards. Williams was married to Valerie Velardi and had three children. In 2014, Williams died at the age of 63 after being found unconscious at his home in Tiburon, California.
Williams is a nominee for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—Drama for Dead Poet Society.
One of the greatest experiences. It was incredible. It was the true learning experience
Williams’s daughter Zelda Rae Williams is born in New York. She is William’s first daughter and first child with his second wife, Marsha Garces. She is named after the title character of the Nintendo game series Legend of Zelda. Her half-brother, Zachary Pym, is six years older than her. At a rented home in San Francisco, one of several residences where they live during her childhood, the family keeps rabbits and iguanas and Zelda has a personal miniature couch. On deciding to name his daughter Zelda:
It seemed only natural. When my wife was pregnant, my son Zachary mentioned that Zelda would be the perfect name for his new little sister … Zelda … What a great name … it’s magical, like she is!
Williams stars as english teacher John Keating at an all boys school in the film Dead Poets Society. Keating spends his time fostering a love for literature and poetry within his students as well as a “seize the day” outlook on life. The film was directed by Peter Weir.
Oh my God! One of the greatest experiences. It was incredible. It was the true learning experience, because Peter’s more than a director, he’s a teacher. I don’t know anybody who’s worked with him that comes away going, “Well, that was nice.” You come away a different person. He infuses you. Like when we were doing that movie, he gave us poetry, he gave us music – he played music during takes. It would just get you into this incredible spirit and very inspiring. I remember when the boys stood on their desk, I was going, “This is very powerful.” And I looked over and I saw a Teamster crying and I went, “OK, this is really working.” (Adopting Teamster accent) “You kinda rattled us crazy. I don’t know why. The boys on the desk is gettin’ me crazy.”
In this fantasy based on the novel written by Rudolph Erich Raspe and directed by Terry Gilliam, Williams plays the The Man on the Moon. The film is about a Baron who needs to end a war he started himself by flying into outerspace on a cannonball, being swallowed by a whale, ballooning to the moon, and exploring a volcano. Costars John Neville, Uma Thurman, and Sarah Polley. Gilliam:
Williams helped save this film. Budgets were cut, actors pulled out and were sick from exhaustion, Williams kept spirits high and the film rolling.
Robin Williams wins a Grammy for Best Comedy Recording for Good Morning, Vietnam. The movie is based off Adrian Cronauer, who is a the Armed Forces Radio Service disc jockey. Cronauer:
Barry Levinson, the director, wouldn’t let me anywhere near (Williams) or even the set because he was worried if (Williams) and I met, he would start to do, subconsciously, an imitation of me, which, of course, would change the characterization.
Williams wins a Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for ABC Presents: A Royal Gala.
Williams discusses his drug use with People magazine, including his decision to quit cocaine and alcohol six months before the birth of his first son, Zachary. The decision is also prompted by John Belushi’s death from an overdose a few hours after Williams snorted cocaine with him at the Chateau Marmont:
The Belushi tragedy was frightening. He was the strongest. A bull with incredible energy. His death scared a whole group of show business people. It caused a big exodus from drugs. And for me there was the baby coming. I knew I couldn’t be a father and live that sort of life.
He says he realizes he doesn’t have to be ‘on’ all the time:
I take more down time. Catatonic time when I’m absorbing information. People say I’m absorbent—makes me think I’m a giant Tampax
A friend:
No visit to the Betty Ford Center, no therapeutic support. He just quit, and he hasn’t touched drugs or drink since.
Williams wins a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—Comedy Or Musical for Good Morning, Vietnam.
In this drama based on a true story, directed by Barry Levinson and co-starring Forest Whitaker, Williams plays US Army DJ Adrian Cronauer. Cronauer is deployed to serve as a morning radio show host, and gains fame with the comic relief his monologues offer to the American troops. Producer Mark Johnson:
Robin would get up in the morning and say, “We have to do yesterday’s work all over again. I’ll pay for it.” I’d say, “What are you talking about! It worked great.”
Williams wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for Carol, Carl, Whoopi, and Robin.
In this comedy directed by Peter Ferrera, Williams costars as himself in a movie that is completely improvised with no written scripts that allowed the actors to make up the skits as they went along. Co-starring Jonathan Winters, Susan Anton, Milton Berle, and Phyllis Diller.
It was fun to work on. We would drive out, use all the film and keep on going.
In this drama directed by Fielder Cook, Williams plays a salesman who lost his girlfriend, his job, and some of his sanity, who moves to New York to start his life over again. Co-starring Richard B. Shull and David Bickford. On working on the film during hurricane Gloria:
All of the city has shut down with the hurricane. Us? We work for Wing and a Prayer Productions.
http://youtu.be/pCjF9jnu9LI
Directed by Harold Ramis, in this comedy Williams plays Jack Moniker who retires and moves to a Caribbean island named St. Nicholas and makes friends with an owner of a run down resort. To avoid the resort being taken due to non-payment of taxes, the two of them renovate and reopen the resort to entice people to stay. Costars Peter O’Toole, Rick Moranis, and Twiggy. Referring to the scenes in the movie with Twiggy, he states:
There was no real sexual implication that much in this movie.
http://youtu.be/w9Ud2UJCv4s
In this comedy directed by Roger Spottiswoode, Williams plays Jack Dundee, a bank vice-president who dropped an important football pass 13 years prior. He has never gotten over this and decides to have a rematch with the rival team only to find out that his father-in-law is rooting for the rivals. Co-starring Kurt Russell, Pamela Reed, and Holly Pallance.
It was glimpse of living life over again, fix mistakes, and make it better.
Williams is a nominee for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical for Moscow on the Hudson. Williams plays a Russian musician who is trying to adjust to American life.
The hardest was playing the saxophone, because I had never played an instrument before.
Williams stars in this comedy-drama directed byPaul Mazursky as Russian saxophone player Vladimir Ivanoff. Vladimir defects to the United States in Blomingdale’s when his circus is on tour in New York City. Maria Conchita Alonso plays Vladimir’s Italian-born girlfriend in New York.
I think it’s my best all around film so far. I worked harder on it than I ever worked on a film. I would prepare for every scene the night before, so that when I came in to do it, I came in ready. I kept very careful track of the whole line of the story, because it was very important to show the daily changes that come over Vladimir when he comes from Russia to America.
Williams portrays Donald Quinelle, an executive who is fired from his job in Michael Ritchie’s comedy. He goes to a diner and meets Sonny Paluso (Walter Matthau) who owns a gas station that was blown up. The two of them witness a robbery and the hit man threatens to kill them. Quinelle becomes obsessed with guns as a way to protect himself from the mob and enrolls in a survivalist training school in the mountains of Vermont. Co-starring Jerry Reed, James Wainwright, and Annie McEnroe. Ritchie:
Walter [Matthau] becomes straight man to Robin, and then Robin is straight man to him. That doesn’t happen in great comedy teams, where they form a pattern; Dean Martin is always in a certain relationship with Jerry Lewis, or Abbott is with Costello. Instead, with Walter and Danny or Walter and Robin, you have this balance constantly shifting.
