Robin Williams Biography
Robin Williams Overview:
Born: July 21, 1951
Died: August 11, 2014
Arguably one of the most famous and successful comedians of all time, Robin Williams became and remained famous for his high-energy, improvisational style. Though he eventually became best known for his TV and film work (starring on Mork & Mindy before transitioning into many successful movies), Williams' never abandoned his manic, stream-of-consciousness style, often incorporating it into his onscreen work.
Williams is a guy to whom any contemporary high energy, riff-heavy comedian is compared.
Quick Robin Williams Facts:
- Robin Williams was born in Chicago, but raised in Michigan and California.
- He attended Juilliard performing arts school in the early 1970s.
- After a guest appearance on the hit sitcom Happy Days as the alien Mork from Ork, Williams got his own spinoff series, Mork & Mindy, which ran from 1978-1982.
- Williams began performing stand-up in the late 1970s and released his first comedy album, Off the Wall, in 1978.
- He landed his first feature film role (in Robert Altman's expensive flop Popeye) in 1980 and has continued to act in movies ever since, become one of the most successful comedians turned actors and even winning an Academy Award in 1998.
- Though he took a break from stand-up comedy during the 1990s, Williams continued to perform in the 2000s, releasing two albums and embarking on a live stand-up tour.
- Williams has won two Emmy Awards, one Oscar, four Golden Globes and five Grammys.
- He was discovered dead in his home in August of 2014. He was 63 years old.
Robin Williams Discography:
- Reality...What a Concept (1979)
- Throbbing Python of Love (1983)
- A Night at the Met (1986)
- Pecos Bil (1988)
- Live 2002 (2002)
- Weapons of Self Destruction (2010)
Select Robin Williams Filmography:
- Popeye (1980)
- 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)
- Hook (1991)
- Aladdin (voice) (1992)
- Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- The Birdcage (1996)
- Good Will Hunting (1997)
- Patch Adams (1998)
- Insomnia (2002)
- One Hour Photo (2002)
- World's Greatest Dad (2009)
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
Robin Williams and Disney Dispute:
After having success (and an Oscar nomination) with the Disney-produced Good Morning Vietnam, Williams agreed to voice the character of the Genie in their 1992 animated film Aladdin for scale, provided his name not be used too prominently in the movie's marketing. Disney executives basically ignored the deal, angering Williams and severing his relationship with the studio (his voice was performed by another actor for the direct-to-video Aladdin sequels). Eventually, Williams and Disney made amends and he worked for the studio again, though the financial failure of Bicentennial Man in 1999 once again put a strain on things.
Robin Williams Death:
On August 11, 2014, Robin Williams' body was found at his California home, having committed suicide by asphyxiation. His wife later revealed he was battling depression (something he had spent a lifetime trying to overcome) and had been diagnosed in the early stages of Parkinson's disease.
Additional Robin Williams Facts:
- Robin Williams was an avid cyclist and owned over 50 bicycles.
- Williams was heavily involved with the Comic Relief charity, and co-hosted the annual telethons for many years alongside Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg.
- Though he developed a cocaine problem in the 1970s, Williams remained sober for two decades before relapsing in the 2000s. He checked himself into rehab in 2006 for alcohol abuse and was in rehab again shortly before his death.
- In 2009, Williams had to postpone his stand-up tour so that he could undergo heart surgery. After he recovered successfully, he resumed the tour.
- Like Carlos Mencia in the 2000s, Williams developed a reputation for copying/plagiarizing other comedians' material during the '70s and '80s.
- He was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Good Morning Vietnam, but lost to Michael Douglas for Wall Street. Williams won an Oscar in 1998 for his supporting role in Good Will Hunting.
- In 2004, Williams landed at number 13 on Comedy Central's list of the Greatest Stand-up Comedians of All Time.
- His Live on Broadway tour broke records for being the fastest comedy show to sell out of all time.
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