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Ode To Robin Williams- How I Miss Him So

Updated on May 13, 2015

Thank You, Robin

Who was Robin Williams?

Robin McLaurin Williams was born on July 21, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois. His mother was a model, and her great grandfather was the governor of Mississippi. His father was an Executive with Ford. Robin lived a comfortable middle class lifestyle as a kid and often spent time with his family's maid as they traveled often. He was shy in grade school until he started becoming active in the drama department. His family moved to Detroit to a suburb called Bloomfield Hills where Robin attended a private high school and excelled. He was the class President and he was an extremely gifted student. He finished high school in California when his father was transferred again. He was voted 'funniest' by his classmates.

Robin first pursued a college degree in political science but dropped out to study acting. After attending community college for a few years, Williams was awarded a full scholarship to Julliard. There were only 20 people to received scholarships, and he was joined by actors Christopher Reeve and William Hurt. Julliard actually deemed Williams a 'genius' and suggested he leave the school his Junior year because there was literally nothing more the school could teach him.

Stand Up Years 'The Comedy Store'

Making His Way With Stand Up Comedy

Williams started his career, like so many comedians, doing stand up. He worked the San Francisco area and made a name for himself, and along with other comedians they sort of revised/created a new kind of stand up comedy. Williams moved to Los Angeles and started doing his routine at various places. He was asked to be a guest on the show 'Laugh In,' and later had a gig at The Improv. After his experiences on television, he kept his stand up routines going, although sometimes he found them draining. He continued to do specials for HBO despite his enormous success as an actor.

Television Career

A Star is Born

Williams appeared as 'weirdo' Mork from Ork on Happy Days. He was a unique character who did weird things, including sitting on his head. The show spun off into 'Mork and Mindy' (it's kind of weird because Happy Days was set in the 50s, and Mork and Mindy was set in the present day at the time in Colorado). Williams continued to develop the Mork character and eventually was graced with the presence of his mentor and hero, Jonathan Winters as a cast member. Mork and Mindy ran it's course from 1978-1982 garnering sixty million viewers per week at it's prime. 'Na-noo-Na-noo' became a well known sign and 'Mork-ism' as did his famous talks to his 'leader' at the end of each episode. 'Mork calling Orson, come in Orson' was an intricate part and showed that Williams was not just a brilliant comedian, but that he had a soft side as well. North America fell in love with Williams and never looked back.

So Many Wonderful Memories

Flimography

I have the fondest memories in the world of Robin Williams' movies. If you'd ask me, I'd have to say that by and far, I loved 'Good Will Hunting' the most. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor by believing in a phenomenal screenplay written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Next I would probably say that I adored Williams in 'Dead Poet's Society' where he portrayed a teacher at a private school who had unorthodox means of teaching the subject of poetry. That movie inspires me to this day. I would have to say another favourite would be 'The Bird Cage' where Robins portrayed a gay man trying to be straight while meeting his son's fiance's parents. Her father was a State Senator played by Gene Hackman. I still laugh until I cry when watching that film. I also loved Mrs. Doubtfire (who doesn't??), and so many more.

Here is a list of films Robin Williams acted in, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Films

1977 Can I Do It 'Till I Need Glasses? Lawyer Man with Tooth Ache

1980 Popeye Popeye 1982 The World According to Garp T.S. Garp

1983 The Survivors Donald Quinelle

1984 Moscow on the Hudson Vladimir Ivanov

1986 Club Paradise Jack Moniker

1986 Seize the Day Tommy Wilhelm

1986 The Best of Times Jack Dundee

1987 Good Morning, Vietnam Adrian Cronauer

1988 Portrait of a White Marriage Air Conditioning SalesmanUncredited

1988 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen King of the MoonCredited as Ray D. Tutto

1989 Dead Poets Society John Keating

1990 Awakenings Dr. Malcolm Sayer

1990 Cadillac Man Joey O'Brien

1991 Dead Again Doctor Cozy Carlisle

1991 Hook Peter Banning / Peter Pan

1991 Shakes the Clown Mime Class Instructor

1991 The Fisher King Henry "Parry" Sagan

1992 Aladdin Genie PeddlerVoice

1992 FernGully: The Last Rainforest Batty Koda Voice

1992 The Timekeeper The Timekeeper Voice Circle-Vision 360° film

1992 Toys Leslie Zevo

1993 Mrs. Doubtfire Daniel Hillard / Euphegenia Doubtfire Also producer

1994 Being Human Hector

1995 Jumanji Alan Parrish

1995 Nine Months Dr. Kosevich

1995 To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

John Jacob Jingleheimer SchmidtUncredited

1996 Aladdin and the King of Thieves Genie Voice Direct-to-video

1996 Hamlet Osric

1996 Jack Jack Powell

1996 The Birdcage Armand Goldman

1996 The Secret Agent AssassinUncredited

1997 Deconstructing Harry Mel

1997 Fathers' Day Dale Putley

1997 Flubber Professor Philip Brainard

1997 Good Will Hunting Sean Maguire

1998 Patch Adams Hunter "Patch" Adams

1998 What Dreams May Come Chris Nielsen

1999 Bicentennial Man Andrew Martin

1999 Jakob the Liar Jakob Heym / NarratorAlso executive producer

2001 A.I. Artificial Intelligence Dr. Know Voice

2002 Death to Smoochy "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley

2002 Insomnia Walter Finch

2002 One Hour Photo Seymour "Sy" Parrish

2002 The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch Hans Hänkie

2004 House of D Pappass

2004 Noel Charlie Boyd / The PriestUncredited

2004 The Final Cut Alan W. Hakman

2005 Robots FenderVoice

2005 The Big White Paul Barnell

2006 Everyone's Hero Napoleon Cross Voice Uncredited

2006 Happy Feet Ramon / LovelaceVoice

2006 Man of the Year Tom Dobbs

2006 Night at the Museum Theodore Roosevelt

2006 RV Bob Munro

2006 The Night Listener Gabriel Noone

2007 August Rush Maxwell "Wizard" Wallace

2007 License to Wed Reverend Frank

2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Theodore Roosevelt

2009 Old Dogs Dan Rayburn

2009 Shrink Jack Holden

2009 World's Greatest Dad Lance Clayton

2011 Happy Feet Two Ramon / Lovelace Voice

2013 The Big Wedding Father Monighan

2013 The Butler Dwight D. Eisenhower

2013 The Face of Love Roger

2014 A Merry Friggin' Christmas Mitch Released posthumously; dedicated in memory

2014 Boulevard Nolan Mack

2014 Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Theodore Roosevelt Released posthumously; dedicated in memory

2014 The Angriest Man in Brooklyn Henry Altmann

2015 Absolutely Anything Dennis the DogVoice; to be released posthumously

Which ones are your favourite? I also LOVED 'hook' and 'Awakenings' and Nine Months- he cracked me up so much in that movie!


Oh Captain, My Captain!

Good Will Hunting, Best Williams' Scene of All Time

Robin Williams, The Philanthropist

You may remember the HBO comedy show starring Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. It also featured other comedians and sometimes even politicians. Through their efforts, the 'Comic Relief' campaign to this day raised over 80 million dollars for charities, mostly the homeless. I love it when celebrities use their influence to raise money for awareness and humanitarian causes. Just another reason to love and miss Robin Williams and all he did.

HBO's Comic Relief

The Tragic Death of Robin Williams

Robin Williams had his share of medical issues through the years, including drug addiction and severe depression. Tragically, he ended his life by hanging (a more accurate word is asphyxiating) himself on August 11, 2014. He was 63 years old. He was suffering from depression and Parkinson's at the time, and I read somewhere (I can't cite it but I remember reading it), that Parkinson's had affected Williams' brain and doctors don't think he would have committed suicide if it weren't for the disease. It should be noted that he did not overdose, but he had anxiety issues and was having a hard time sleeping.

As a person who struggles with severe anxiety and depression, I understand the severity of what can happen if things spiral out of control. As I said before, the disease may have got the worst of him, but I truly believe that so many millions got the best of him for years, and I will forever be grateful for his endless hours of entertainment and his loving, touching, humanistic side as much as his hysterical, genius works. I am better for having known him in my life.

Goodbye, Farewell, Rest In Peace and Thanks for the Memories

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