Robin Williams: Improvisation Running Amuck

by Marjorie Dorfman | More from this Blogger

Robin McLaurin Williams burst upon the world scene on July 21, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois. The only child of parents of Welsh and Scottish ancestry, as a boy he was fat and no one would play with him. This caused him to turn inward, talking in different voices to entertain himself. Rather than becoming schizophrenic, this formed the framework for the many stream-of-consciousness routines that hallmark his unique form of standup comedy. He moved to San Francisco when he was sixteen years of age and later attended Claremont Men's College where he played soccer. He briefly studied political science before going to New York and studying at Julliard under John Houseman, who advised him to branch out on his own and perform stand-up comedy.

At Juilliard he also made the acquaintance of actor, Christopher Reeve, and the two became lifelong friends. One week after Reeve's tragic accident, disguised as a doctor, Williams sneaked into Reeve's hospital room and gave his pal a one-man show, making Reeve remark afterwards that "it was the first laugh I have had since my accident." A generous and loyal friend, Williams also helped pay Reeve's medical bills.

Early in his career he told a reporter that he was born in Scotland but it was an embarrassing moment that came back to bite him years later. He did admit that he said it "under the influence," and that he was really from Southern Scotland better known as Chicago.

He got his break in television back in 1978 when he was chosen to play an alien in the sit-com, "Mork and Mindy," which co-starred Pam Dawbar. He ad-libbed so frequently that the writers left gaps in later scripts marking them "Mork can go off here" in those places where Robin could improvise. He reached a unique milestone in 1996, when two of his films "Jumanji" (1995) and "Birdcage" (1996) reached the $100 million dollar mark in the USA exactly the same week.

Robin Williams has been married twice and has three children, two boys and a girl. He has made many films and is as good in straight drama as he is in comedy.

What are some of YOUR favorite Robin Williams films? Please share.

Learn more about Marjorie Dorfman

Marjorie Dorfman is a freelance writer and former teacher originally from Brooklyn, New York.

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