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IMDbPro

Robin Williams(1951-2014)

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,00050
Robin Williams at an event for Happy Feet Two (2011)
We miss Robin Williams. Take a closer look at the various roles he played throughout his acting career.
Play clip1:26
Robin Williams: Movie and TV Memories
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Robin McLaurin Williams was born on Saturday, July 21st, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, a great-great-grandson of Mississippi Governor and Senator, Anselm J. McLaurin. His mother, Laurie McLaurin (née Janin), was a former model from Mississippi, and his father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a Ford Motor Company executive from Indiana. Williams had English, German, French, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.

Robin briefly studied political science at Claremont Men's College and theater at College of Marin before enrolling at The Juilliard School to focus on theater. After leaving Juilliard, he performed in nightclubs where he was discovered for the role of "Mork, from Ork", in an episode of Happy Days (1974). The episode, My Favorite Orkan (1978), led to his famous spin-off weekly TV series, Mork & Mindy (1978). He made his feature starring debut playing the title role in Popeye (1980), directed by Robert Altman.

Williams' continuous comedies and wild comic talents involved a great deal of improvisation, following in the footsteps of his idol Jonathan Winters. Williams also proved to be an effective dramatic actor, receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), and The Fisher King (1991), before winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Good Will Hunting (1997).

During the 1990s, Williams became a beloved hero to children the world over for his roles in a string of hit family-oriented films, including Hook (1991), FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), Flubber (1997), and Bicentennial Man (1999). He continued entertaining children and families into the 21st century with his work in Robots (2005), Happy Feet (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Happy Feet Two (2011), and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014). Other more adult-oriented films for which Williams received acclaim include The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Awakenings (1990), The Birdcage (1996), Insomnia (2002), One Hour Photo (2002), World's Greatest Dad (2009), and Boulevard (2014).

On Monday, August 11th, 2014, Robin Williams was found dead at his home in Tiburon, California USA, the victim of an apparent suicide, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office. A 911 call was received at 11:55 a.m. PDT, firefighters and paramedics arrived at his home at 12:00 p.m. PDT, and he was pronounced dead at 12:02 p.m. PDT.
BornJuly 21, 1951
DiedAugust 11, 2014(63)
BornJuly 21, 1951
DiedAugust 11, 2014(63)
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,00050
  • Won 1 Oscar

Robin Williams: Classic Movie and TV Moments

Robin Williams: Classic Movie and TV Moments

We miss Robin Williams. Let's take a closer look at the various roles he played throughout his acting career.
Watch now
Image caption not available
1:26

Photos1079

Robin Williams, Larry Anderson, and Maggie Roswell in Mork & Mindy (1978)
Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy (1978)
Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting (1997)
Al Pacino and Robin Williams in Insomnia (2002)
Al Pacino and Robin Williams in Insomnia (2002)
Julianne Moore, Robin Williams, and Mahershala Ali in What to Watch (2020)
Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King (1991)
Robin Williams and Richard Pryor in Pryor's Place (1984)
Robin Williams in What Dreams May Come (1998)
Robin Williams in Laugh-In (1977)
Robin Williams and Goldie Hawn in Laugh-In (1977)
Robin Williams in Laugh-In (1977)

Known for

Robin Williams, Sally Field, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, and Mara Wilson in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Mrs. Doubtfire
7.1
  • Daniel Hillard
  • Mrs. Doubtfire
  • 1993
Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Good Morning, Vietnam
7.3
  • Adrian Cronauer
  • 1987
Robin Williams and Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting
8.3
  • Sean
  • 1997
Robin Williams in One Hour Photo (2002)
One Hour Photo
6.8
  • Seymour Parrish
  • 2002

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Robin Williams, Kate Beckinsale, Simon Pegg, and Mojo in Absolutely Anything (2015)
    Absolutely Anything
    • (voice)
  • Robin Williams, Ben Kingsley, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Patrick Gallagher, Ricky Gervais, Mizuo Peck, Dan Stevens, Skyler Gisondo, Rami Malek, Rebel Wilson, and Crystal the Monkey in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
    Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
  • A Merry Friggin' Christmas (2014)
    A Merry Friggin' Christmas
  • Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Peter Dinklage, and Melissa Leo in The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)
    The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
  • Robin Williams in Boulevard (2014)
    Boulevard
  • The Crazy Ones (2013)
    The Crazy Ones
  • The Face of Love (2013)
    The Face of Love
  • Forest Whitaker in The Butler (2013)
    The Butler
  • Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl, Christine Ebersole, Topher Grace, Amanda Seyfried, and Ben Barnes in The Big Wedding (2013)
    The Big Wedding
  • Louis C.K. in Louie (2010)
    Louie
    • (as Robin Willaims)
  • Elijah Wood in Wilfred (2011)
    Wilfred
  • Happy Feet Two (2011)
    Happy Feet Two
    • (voice)
  • Saturday Night Live (1975)
    Saturday Night Live
    • (uncredited)
  • John Travolta and Robin Williams in Old Dogs (2009)
    Old Dogs
  • Clancy Brown, Mary Jo Catlett, Bill Fagerbakke, Tom Kenny, Mr. Lawrence, and Jill Talley in SpongeBob SquarePants (1999)
    SpongeBob SquarePants

Writer

  • Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction (2009)
    Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction
  • Robin Williams Live on Broadway (2002)
    Robin Williams Live on Broadway
  • Saturday Night Live: The Best of Robin Williams (1991)
    Saturday Night Live: The Best of Robin Williams
  • Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams in The Earth Day Special (1990)
    The Earth Day Special
    • (segment Dustin Hoffman - Robin Williams)
  • An All-Star Toast to the Improv (1988)
    An All-Star Toast to the Improv
  • The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion (1986)
    The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion
    • (uncredited)
  • Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met (1986)
    Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met
  • Comic Relief (1986)
    Comic Relief
  • On Location: The Comedy Store's 11th Anniversary Show
  • An Evening with Robin Williams (1983)
    An Evening with Robin Williams
  • An Evening at the Improv (1981)
    An Evening at the Improv

Producer

  • Robin Williams in Jakob the Liar (1999)
    Jakob the Liar
  • Robin Williams, Sally Field, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, and Mara Wilson in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
    Mrs. Doubtfire
  • Comic Relief (1986)
    Comic Relief
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos121

IMDb's Most Anticipated Movies of 2019
Clip 3:44
IMDb's Most Anticipated Movies of 2019
Robin Williams: Movie and TV Memories
Clip 1:26
Robin Williams: Movie and TV Memories
"Penguins Attack" from Old Dogs
Clip 0:38
"Penguins Attack" from Old Dogs
"Stink Eye" Clip from Old Dogs
Clip 0:34
"Stink Eye" Clip from Old Dogs
"Baby Proofers" Scene from Old Dogs
Clip 1:02
"Baby Proofers" Scene from Old Dogs
"Pill Spill" from Old Dogs
Clip 1:59
"Pill Spill" from Old Dogs
Flubber: 15th Anniversary Edition
Clip 0:57
Flubber: 15th Anniversary Edition
Flubber: 15th Anniversary Edition
Clip 0:58
Flubber: 15th Anniversary Edition
Aladdin: Diamond Edition
Clip 1:38
Aladdin: Diamond Edition
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Clip 0:59
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Clip 0:41
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
A Merry Friggin' Christmas
Clip 0:32
A Merry Friggin' Christmas

Personal details

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    • Instagram
    • July 21, 1951
    • Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • August 11, 2014
    • Tiburon, California, USA(suicide by hanging)
    • Susan SchneiderOctober 22, 2011 - August 11, 2014 (his death)
    • Zak Williams
    • (Grandchild)
  • Other works
    Featured in the pictorial essay book "Mothers and Sons: In Their Own Words" by Mariana Cook.
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Biographical Movies
    • 6 Print Biographies
    • 4 Portrayals
    • 24 Interviews
    • 51 Articles
    • 6 Pictorials
    • 84 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    One week after Christopher Reeve's tragic horse-riding accident, Williams visited him in the hospital. However, he was dressed from head to toe in scrubs, spoke with a Russian accent, and had a surgical mask on. He was acting as if he was a real doctor and did a bunch of wacky antics. After he took off his mask, Reeve stated, "That was the first time I'd laughed since the accident!".
  • Quotes
    Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money.
    • Wild improvised stream-of-consciousness comedy dialogue where he would do cultural references, impersonations and one-liners with rapid switching.
    • The Crazy Ones
      (2013)
      $165,000 per episode (2013-2014)

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