Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1951-07-21
Day of Death
2014-08-11
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Robin Williams
Biography
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 greatest comedians of all time. He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards. Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and released several comedy albums including Reality ... What a Concept in 1980. He rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982). He received his first leading film role in Popeye (1980). Williams went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting (1997). His other Oscar-nominated roles were for Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), and The Fisher King (1991). Williams starred in the critically acclaimed dramas The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), Patch Adams (1998), Insomnia (2002), One Hour Photo (2002), and World's Greatest Dad (2009). He also starred in family films such as Hook (1991), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), Jack (1996), Flubber (1997), RV (2006), and the Night at the Museum trilogy (2006–2014). He lent his voice to the animated films Aladdin (1992), Robots (2005), Happy Feet (2006), and its 2011 sequel. Williams was found dead at his home in Paradise Cay, California, in August 2014, at the age of 63. At the time of his suicide, he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. According to his widow, Williams had experienced depression, anxiety, and increasing paranoia. His autopsy found "diffuse Lewy body disease" and Lewy body dementia professionals said his symptoms were consistent with dementia with Lewy bodies.
Filmography (197)
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
2024
Once Upon a Studio
2023
A Life in Ten Pictures: Robin Williams
2023
Commitment to Life
2023
The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up
2022
The Animograph, or I Was Born in a Shoebox
2022
Superstar: Robin Williams
2021
Robin's Wish
2021Return to Sweethaven: A Look Back With Robin And The Altmans
2020
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
2020
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
2018Robin Williams: Behind Closed Doors
2016
Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People
2016
Another Take on… Mrs. Doubtfire
2015
