Editing Robin Williams (section)

==Career==
===1976–1982: Stand-up comedy and ''Mork and Mindy'' ===
[[File:Robin Williams 1978.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Robin Williams stars as Mork on ABC Television's ''[[Mork & Mindy|Mork and Mindy]],'' 1978. ]]
Williams began performing stand-up comedy in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Hartlaub|first1=Peter|first2=Leah |last2=Garchik |date=August 12, 2014|title=Robin Williams' heart never strayed far from San Francisco|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Robin-Williams-heart-never-strayed-far-from-San-5682602.php|access-date=June 27, 2020|website=San Francisco Chronicle|language=en|archive-date=June 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628161700/https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Robin-Williams-heart-never-strayed-far-from-San-5682602.php|url-status=live}}</ref> His first performance took place at the [[Holy City Zoo]], a San Francisco comedy club where he worked his way up from tending bar.<ref name=Zehme/> During the 1960s, San Francisco had been a hub for rock music, the [[hippie]] movement, [[Recreational drug use|drugs]], and a [[sexual revolution]]. By the late 1970s, Williams played a leading role in what critic [[Gerald Nachman]] described as the city's "comedy renaissance".<ref name=Nachman>{{cite book|first=Gerald|last=Nachman|title=Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s|publisher=Pantheon Books|location=New York City|date=2003|isbn=978-0-375-41030-7}}</ref>{{rp|6}} Reflecting on that era, Williams said that he found out about "drugs and happiness" during that period, adding that he saw "the best brains of my time turned to mud".<ref name=Maslon/> Williams moved to Los Angeles and continued performing stand-up at clubs, including [[The Comedy Store]]. There, in 1977, he was seen by television producer [[George Schlatter]], who asked him to appear on a revival of his show [[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In|''Laugh-In'']]. The show aired later that year and marked Williams' television debut.<ref name=Maslon/> That same year, he performed a show at the [[The Improv|L.A. Improv]] for [[Home Box Office]].<ref>video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH7crqRvhhc "Young Robin Williams at the Los Angeles Improv, 1977] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201195819/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH7crqRvhhc |date=February 1, 2020 }}</ref> Although the ''Laugh-In'' revival failed, it opened doors for Williams' television career; he continued performing stand-up at comedy clubs such as the [[Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood)|Roxy]] to help keep his improvisational skills sharp.<ref name=Maslon/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIh5z7oYyY&t=2m25s |title=Robin Williams Live at the Roxy 1978 |date=December 27, 2012 |via=YouTube |access-date=August 31, 2023 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518175047/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIh5z7oYyY&t=2m25s |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> Williams also took his act overseas and performed at [[The Fighting Cocks]] in England.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharman |first=Jon |date=2014-08-12 |title=Comedy night organiser remembers Robin Williams surprise performance at Fighting Cocks |url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11404684.comedy-night-organiser-remembers-robin-williams-surprise-performance-at-fighting-cocks-kingston/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304163635/https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11404684.comedy-night-organiser-remembers-robin-williams-surprise-performance-at-fighting-cocks-kingston/ |archive-date=March 4, 2024 |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Your Local Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

[[David Letterman]], who knew Williams for nearly 40 years, recalled first seeing him perform as a newcomer at The Comedy Store in Hollywood. Letterman, already an established comedian at the time, described Williams' arrival as "like a hurricane", saying that he thought to himself, "Holy crap, there goes my chance in show business".<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Lockett|first=Dee|date=August 19, 2014|title=Letterman Remembers the First Time He Met Robin Williams|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/08/19/david_letterman_s_robin_williams_tribute_the_late_show_host_remembers_when.html|access-date=October 23, 2014|website=Slate|archive-date=October 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023180951/http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/08/19/david_letterman_s_robin_williams_tribute_the_late_show_host_remembers_when.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Williams' first credited film role was a minor part in the 1977 low-budget comedy ''[[Can I Do It... 'Til I Need Glasses?]]''. However, his first starring performance was as [[Popeye the Sailor|the title character]] in ''[[Popeye (film)|Popeye]]'' (1980), in which Williams showcased the acting skills previously demonstrated in his television work. Accordingly, the film's commercial disappointment was not blamed on his performance.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://articles.philly.com/2014-08-13/news/52732960_1_golden-globe-aladdin-role | title = Robin Williams, 63, comic genius | first = Steven | last = Rea | author-link = Steven Rea | date = August 13, 2014 | access-date = August 18, 2014 | work = The Philadelphia Inquirer | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043346/http://articles.philly.com/2014-08-13/news/52732960_1_golden-globe-aladdin-role | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="VF-20140812">{{cite web |last=Spitznagel |first=Eric |title=Popeye Is the Best Movie Robin Williams Ever Made |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2014/08/robin-williams-popeye |date=August 12, 2014 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=August 13, 2014 |archive-date=August 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813212404/http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2014/08/robin-williams-popeye |url-status=live }}</ref>

'''Mork and Mindy'''
{{Main|Mork & Mindy}}
[[File:Robin williams by michael dressler 1979.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|left|Photo by Michael Dressler, used as cover photo for [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine, March 12, 1979]]<!-- wp:caption "Not every image ..." -->

After the ''[[Laugh-In]]'' revival, and appearing in the cast of ''[[The Richard Pryor Show]]'' on [[NBC]], Williams was cast by [[Garry Marshall]] as the alien Mork in a 1978 episode of the television series ''[[Happy Days]]'' titled "[[My Favorite Orkan]]".<ref name=Maslon/><ref name="actors">{{cite episode | title = Robin Williams | series = Inside the Actors Studio | season = 7 | number = 710 | airdate = June 10, 2001 | network = Bravo | url = http://www.bravotv.com/Inside_the_Actors_Studio/guest/Robin_Williams | credits = [[James Lipton]] (host) | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070204093734/http://www.bravotv.com/Inside_the_Actors_Studio/guest/Robin_Williams | archive-date = February 4, 2007 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Sought after as a last-minute cast replacement for a departing actor, Williams impressed the producer with his quirky sense of humor when he sat on his head when asked to take a seat for the audition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Robin Williams Biography |url=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/robin-williams.html |publisher=Biography Channel |access-date=September 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716212135/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/robin-williams.html |archive-date=July 16, 2012 }}</ref> As Mork, Williams improvised much of his dialogue and physical comedy, speaking in a high, nasal voice, and he made the most of the script. The cast and crew, as well as television network executives, were deeply impressed with Williams's performance. As such, the executives moved quickly to get the performer on contract just four days later before competitors could make their own offers.<ref>{{cite magazine |title='Happy Days' Cast Reveals How Robin Williams Got Cast as a "Martian" in Show's "Worst Script" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/happy-days-cast-reveals-how-750779 |access-date=August 10, 2018 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=November 20, 2014 |archive-date=August 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810042224/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/happy-days-cast-reveals-how-750779 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Mork's appearance proved so popular with viewers that it led to the spin-off television sitcom ''Mork & Mindy'', which co-starred [[Pam Dawber]], and ran from 1978 to 1982; the show was written to accommodate his extreme improvisations in dialogue and behavior. Although he portrayed the same character as in ''Happy Days'', the series was set in the present in [[Boulder, Colorado]], instead of the late 1950s in [[Milwaukee]]. ''Mork & Mindy'' at its peak had a weekly audience of sixty million and was credited with turning Williams into a "superstar".<ref name="Maslon" /> Among young people, the show was very popular because Williams became "a man and a child, buoyant, rubber-faced, an endless gusher of ideas", according to critic [[James Poniewozik]].<ref name="Corliss">{{cite magazine |last=Corliss |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Corliss |url=https://time.com/3110842/robin-williams-the-heart-of-comedy/ |title=Robin Williams: The Heart of Comedy |magazine=Time |date=August 25, 2014 |access-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-date=August 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819223702/http://time.com/3110842/robin-williams-the-heart-of-comedy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Robin Williams and Pam Dawber 1978.jpg|thumb|251x251px|Williams with co-star [[Pam Dawber]] in a promotional photo for ''[[Mork & Mindy]]'', 1978]]
Mork became popular, featured on posters, coloring books, lunch-boxes, and other merchandise.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mork & Mindy |url=http://www.retrojunk.com/article/show/2981/mork-mindy|website=retrojunk.com |access-date=August 12, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141024040353/http://www.retrojunk.com/article/show/2981/mork-mindy|archive-date = October 24, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Mork & Mindy'' was such a success in its first season that Williams appeared on the March 12, 1979, cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19790312,00.html |title=Robin Williams – March 12, 1979 |year=2014 |access-date=August 12, 2014 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-date=August 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814190551/http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19790312,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/3102046/robin-williams-dead-hollywood-television-movies/ |title=How Robin Williams Went From Unknown To Star in 5 Months |magazine=Time |date=March 12, 1979 |access-date=August 13, 2014 |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812083546/http://time.com/3102046/robin-williams-dead-hollywood-television-movies/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The cover photo, taken by Michael Dressler in 1979, is said to have "[captured] his different sides: the funnyman mugging for the camera, and a sweet, more thoughtful pose that appears on a small TV he holds in his hands", according to Mary Forgione of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref name="latimes photo" /> This photo was installed in the [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]] in the [[Smithsonian Institution]] shortly after Williams died to allow visitors to pay their respects.<ref name="latimes photo">{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-robin-williams-national-portrait-gallery-20140812-story.html | title = The lighter side of Robin Williams, now at National Portrait Gallery | work = Los Angeles Times | date = August 12, 2014 | access-date = August 14, 2014 | first = Mary | last =Forgione |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140814213020/http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-robin-williams-national-portrait-gallery-20140812-story.html|archive-date=August 14, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> He also appeared on the cover of the August 23, 1979, issue of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', photographed by [[Richard Avedon]].<ref>Williams, Robin. ''Rolling Stone'', May 18, 2006</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/comedy-on-the-cover-20080903/comedy-covers-rs-298-robin-williams-97021537 |title=A History of Comedy Stars on the Cover of Rolling Stone |date=June 1, 2011 |access-date=August 19, 2014 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820101421/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/comedy-on-the-cover-20080903/comedy-covers-rs-298-robin-williams-97021537 |url-status=live }}</ref>

With his success on ''[[Mork & Mindy]]'', Williams began to reach a wider audience with his stand-up comedy, starting in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, including three [[HBO]] comedy specials: ''Off The Wall'' (1978), ''An Evening with Robin Williams'' (1983), and ''[[A Night at the Met]]'' (1986).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Benedictus|first1=Leo|date=December 6, 2012|title=Comedy gold: Robin Williams' A Night at the Met|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London, England|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/dec/06/robin-williams-night-met-comedy-gold|access-date=December 3, 2014|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626201217/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/dec/06/robin-williams-night-met-comedy-gold|url-status=live}}</ref> Williams won a [[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album]] for the recording of his 1979 live show at the [[Copacabana (nightclub)|Copacabana]] in New York City, ''Reality{{nbsp}}... What a Concept''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/grammy-awards-1980-228.html|title=Grammy Award Nominees 1980 – Grammy Award Winners 1980|website=Awardsandshows.com|access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613025031/http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/grammy-awards-1980-228.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1982–1999: Film stardom and acclaim ===
Williams starred as the lead character in ''[[The World According to Garp (film)|The World According to Garp]]'' (1982), which he noted "may have lacked a certain madness onscreen, but it had a great core".<ref name=Zehme/> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] wrote of his performance, "Although Robin Williams plays Garp as a relatively plausible, sometimes ordinary person, the movie never seems bothered by the jarring contrast between his cheerful pluckiness and the anarchy around him."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-world-according-to-garp-1982|title= The World According to Garp|website= Roger Ebert|accessdate= February 3, 2024|archive-date= March 2, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140302131647/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-world-according-to-garp-1982|url-status= live}}</ref> Williams continued with other smaller roles in less successful films, such as ''[[The Survivors (1983 film)|The Survivors]]'' (1983) and ''[[Club Paradise]]'' (1986), although he said these roles did not help advance his film career.<ref name=Zehme/>
[[File:Robin Williams and journalist fan (2105789673) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Williams and Yola Czaderska-Hayek at the [[62nd Academy Awards]] in 1990]]

In 1986, Williams co-hosted the [[58th Academy Awards]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Connor |first1=John J |author-link=John J. O'Connor (journalist) |title=The Academy Awards Ceremony |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/26/movies/the-academy-awards-ceremony.html |access-date=August 12, 2014 |newspaper=The New York Times|date = March 26, 1986|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140812213954/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/26/movies/the-academy-awards-ceremony.html|archive-date = August 12, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, he appeared in a sketch comedy special ''[[Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin]]'' (1987), acting alongside [[Carol Burnett]], [[Carl Reiner]], and [[Whoopi Goldberg]]. Williams was also a regular guest on various talk shows, including ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''<ref>{{YouTube|iqdSagycCWc|"Robin Williams on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show – 1991"}}</ref> and ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'', on which he appeared 50 times.<ref name=":0" /> Williams's first major break came from his starring role in director [[Barry Levinson]]'s ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]'' (1987), which earned Williams a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]].<ref name="actors"/> The film is set in 1965 during the [[Vietnam War]], with Williams playing the role of [[Adrian Cronauer]], a radio [[shock jock]] who keeps troops entertained with comedy and sarcasm. Williams was allowed to play the role without a script, improvising most of his lines. Over the microphone, Williams created voice impressions of various people, including [[Walter Cronkite]], [[Gomer Pyle]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Mr. Ed]], and [[Richard Nixon]].<ref name=Zehme>{{cite magazine | last = Zehme | first = Bill | author-link=Bill Zehme | magazine = [[Rolling Stone]] | pages = 29–32 | date = February 25, 1988 | access-date = August 18, 2014 | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/robin-williams-the-rolling-stone-interview-19880225 | title = Robin Williams: The Rolling Stone Interview | archive-date = March 3, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180303110700/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/robin-williams-the-rolling-stone-interview-19880225 | url-status = live }}</ref> "We just let the cameras roll," said producer Mark Johnson, and Williams "managed to create something new for every single take".<ref>{{Cite book|title = Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television|publisher = Temple University Press|year = 1991|isbn = 978-0-87722-862-2|page = [https://archive.org/details/inventingvietnam0000unse/page/238 238]|series = Culture And The Moving Image: Vol 6|editor-last = Anderegg|editor-first = Michael|editor-link = Michael Murphy Andregg|location = Philadelphia|url = https://archive.org/details/inventingvietnam0000unse/page/238}}</ref>

Williams appeared opposite [[Steve Martin]] at [[Lincoln Center]] in an [[off-Broadway]] production of ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'' in 1988.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19881126&id=t_pNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4225,5378106|title=Still 'Waiting for Godot': Robin Williams, Steve Martin play it for laughs|last=Kuchwara|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Kuchwara|date=November 26, 1988|work=[[The Free Lance–Star]]|access-date=October 23, 2014|agency=[[Associated Press]]|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112131226/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19881126&id=t_pNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4225%2C5378106|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Rich |title=Review/Theater: 'Godot': The Timeless Relationship of 2 Interdependent Souls |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/07/theater/review-theater-godot-the-timeless-relationship-of-2-interdependent-souls.html |access-date=January 22, 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 7, 1988 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525083332/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/07/theater/review-theater-godot-the-timeless-relationship-of-2-interdependent-souls.html |url-access=subscription |archive-date=May 25, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Many of his subsequent roles were in comedies tinged with [[pathos]], such as ''[[Mrs. Doubtfire]]'' (1993) and ''[[Patch Adams (film)|Patch Adams]]'' (1998).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Monk|first1=Katherine|title=A clown and his demons: Robin Williams mixed zany comedy, sharp satire and pathos (with video)|url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/clown+demons+Robin+Williams+mixed+zany+comedy+sharp+satire+pathos/10110121/story.html|access-date=August 12, 2014|newspaper=The Vancouver Sun|date=August 12, 2014|archive-date=August 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814165134/http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/clown+demons+Robin+Williams+mixed+zany+comedy+sharp+satire+pathos/10110121/story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Looking over most of Williams's filmography, one writer was "struck by the breadth" and radical diversity of most of the roles Williams portrayed.<ref name="WP">{{cite news|last=Rosenberg|first=Alyssa|date=August 11, 2014|title=How Robin Williams helped us grow up|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/08/11/how-robin-williams-helped-us-grow-up/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029230238/http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/08/11/how-robin-williams-helped-us-grow-up/|archive-date=October 29, 2014}}</ref> In 1989, he played a private-school English teacher in ''[[Dead Poets Society]]'', which included a final, emotional scene that some critics said "inspired a generation" and became a part of pop culture.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goodman|first=Jessica|date=August 11, 2014|title=Robin Williams and the 'O Captain' Scene That Inspired a Generation|work=[[HuffPost]]|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/11/robin-williams-o-captain_n_5670177.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013195853/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/11/robin-williams-o-captain_n_5670177.html|archive-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref> Similarly, Williams's performance as a [[Psychotherapy|therapist]] in ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'' (1997) deeply affected even some real therapists.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ryan Thomas|last=Neale|date=August 12, 2014|title=Requiem for a Therapist: A Tribute to Robin Williams|work=[[HuffPost]]|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ryan-thomas-neace-/requiem-for-a-therapist-a_b_5670467.html?page_version=legacy&view=print&comm_ref=false|url-status=live|access-date=October 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819102825/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ryan-thomas-neace-/requiem-for-a-therapist-a_b_5670467.html?page_version=legacy&view=print&comm_ref=false|archive-date=August 19, 2014}}</ref> In ''[[Awakenings]]'' (1990), he plays a doctor modeled after [[Oliver Sacks]], who wrote the book on which the film is based. Sacks later said the way the actor's mind worked was a "form of genius". In 1991, Williams played an adult [[Peter Pan]] in the film ''[[Hook (film)|Hook]]'', although he had said that he would have to lose 25 pounds for the role.<ref>''Rolling Stone'', February 21, 1991, p. 26.</ref> [[Terry Gilliam]], who directed Williams in two of his films, ''[[The Fisher King]]'' (1991) and ''[[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'' (1988), said in 1992 that Williams had the ability to "go from manic to mad to tender and vulnerable{{nbsp}}... [Williams had] the most unique mind on the planet. There's nobody like him out there."<ref name="Grobel" />

[[File:Robin Williams 1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|170px|Williams in Washington, D.C., in 1998]]
While Williams voiced characters in several animated films, his voice role as the [[Genie (Disney)|Genie]] in the animated musical ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' (1992) was written for Williams. The film's directors said that they had taken a risk by writing the role.<ref>{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOo9XqAyxE&t=2m24s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/akOo9XqAyxE| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|via=YouTube|title=Turning Robin Williams into 'Aladdin's' Genie|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=August 15, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> At first, Williams refused the role because it was a [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] movie and he did not want the studio profiting by selling merchandise based on the movie. Williams accepted the role with certain conditions: "I'm doing it basically because I want to be part of this animation tradition. I want something for my children. One deal is, I just don't want to sell anything—as in Burger King, as in toys, as in stuff."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/15/robin-williams-almost-didnt-make-aladdin-and-a-generation-of-children-are-grateful-that-he-did/|title=Robin Williams almost didn't make 'Aladdin,' and a generation of children is grateful that he did|last=McDonald|first=Soraya Nadia|author-link=Soraya Nadia McDonald|date=August 15, 2014|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=September 10, 2017|archive-date=December 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216091427/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/15/robin-williams-almost-didnt-make-aladdin-and-a-generation-of-children-are-grateful-that-he-did/|url-status=live}}</ref> Williams improvised much of his dialogue, recording approximately 30 hours of tape,<ref name="Kornbluth" /> and impersonated dozens of celebrities, including [[Ed Sullivan]], [[Jack Nicholson]], [[Robert De Niro]], [[Groucho Marx]], [[Rodney Dangerfield]], [[William F. Buckley Jr.]], [[Peter Lorre]], [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], and [[Arsenio Hall]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/12/robin-williams-aladdin-eric-goldberg/ |title=Robin Williams in 'Aladdin': Animator Eric Goldberg remembers drawing Genie |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Jeff |last=Labrecque |date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=August 18, 2014 |archive-date=August 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818091407/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/12/robin-williams-aladdin-eric-goldberg/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Williams's role in ''Aladdin'' became one of his most recognized and best-loved, and the film was the highest-grossing of 1992; it won numerous awards, including a [[50th Golden Globe Awards|Special Golden Globe Award for Vocal Work in a Motion Picture]] for Williams. His performance paved the way for other animated films to incorporate actors with more star power.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/10/how-celebrities-took-over-cartoon-voice-acting/247481/ |title=How Celebrities Took Over Cartoon Voice Acting |first=Scott |last=Meslow |date=October 28, 2011 |access-date=August 17, 2014 |magazine=[[The Atlantic]] |archive-date=July 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731120907/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/10/how-celebrities-took-over-cartoon-voice-acting/247481/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Williams was named a [[Disney Legends|Disney Legend]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=2009 Disney Legends Award Recipients to Be Honored During D23 Expo in Anaheim|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/01/idUS158754+01-Sep-2009+PRN20090901|date=September 1, 2009|access-date=January 26, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214011248/https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/01/idUS158754+01-Sep-2009+PRN20090901|archive-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref>

Due to Disney breaking an agreement with Williams regarding the use of the Genie in the advertising for ''Aladdin'', he refused to sign for the direct-to-video sequel, ''[[The Return of Jafar]]'' (1994); the Genie was instead voiced by [[Dan Castellaneta]]. When [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] was replaced by [[Joe Roth]] as Walt Disney Studios chairman, Roth organized a public apology to Williams.<ref>{{cite news|last=Welkos|first=Robert|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-24-ca-54095-story.html|title=Abracadabra: Disney, Robin Williams Quit Feud|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 24, 1994|access-date=July 12, 2017|archive-date=June 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614154408/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-10-24/entertainment/ca-54095_1_robin-williams|url-status=live}}</ref> He would, in turn, reprise the role in the second sequel, ''[[Aladdin and the King of Thieves]]'' (1996).<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-27-ca-50412-story.html | title=Genie Grants Disney's Video Wish : Marketing: Robin Williams will reprise his 'Aladdin' role in 'King of Thieves,' continuing the emergence of direct-to-video projects as an industry gold mine. | last=Cerone | first=Daniel Howard | author-link=Daniel Cerone | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=September 27, 1995 | access-date=August 15, 2014 | archive-date=May 12, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512082228/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-27-ca-50412-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> During this time, Williams lent his voice to ''[[FernGully: The Last Rainforest]]'' (1992). Other dramatic performances by Williams include ''[[Moscow on the Hudson]]'' (1984), ''[[What Dreams May Come (film)|What Dreams May Come]]'' (1998), and ''[[Bicentennial Man (film)|Bicentennial Man]]'' (1999).<ref name="allmovie_bio">{{cite web|last1=Brennan|first1=Sandra|title=Robin Williams|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/robin-williams-p116900|access-date=August 12, 2014|publisher=[[AllMovie]]|archive-date=February 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220052914/http://www.allmovie.com/artist/robin-williams-p116900|url-status=live}}</ref> During the early 2000s, Williams demonstrated a new rank of his versatility by playing darker roles than he had in the previous decades. Williams appeared with fellow comedian, [[Billy Crystal]], in an unscripted cameo at the beginning of a 1997 episode of the third season of ''[[Friends]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cook |first=Jon |title=Comedians Crystal and Williams in "Friends" episode |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/W/Williams_Robin/1997/04/04/762654.html |website=canoe.ca |access-date=August 12, 2014 |date=April 4, 1997 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140812202812/http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/W/Williams_Robin/1997/04/04/762654.html |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Williams's performances garnered various accolades, including an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance in ''Good Will Hunting'';<ref name="actors" /> as well as two previous Academy Award nominations, for ''Dead Poets Society'', and as a troubled homeless man in ''The Fisher King'', respectively.<ref name="actors" /> Among the actors who helped Williams during his acting career, he credited Robert De Niro, from whom Williams learned the power of silence and economy of dialogue when acting. From [[Dustin Hoffman]], with whom Williams co-starred in ''Hook'', he learned to take on totally different character types, and to transform his characters by extreme preparation. [[Mike Medavoy]], producer of ''Hook'', told its director, [[Steven Spielberg]], that he intentionally teamed up Hoffman and Williams for the film because he knew they wanted to work together, and that Williams welcomed the opportunity of working with Spielberg.<ref>{{cite book|title = You're Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot|last = Medavoy|first = Mike|author-link = Mike Medavoy|publisher = Simon & Schuster (Altria)|year = 2002|isbn = 978-0-7434-0054-1|location = New York|page = [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780743400541/page/n281 228]|others = Young, Josh (contributor)|url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780743400541|url-access = registration}}</ref> Having [[Woody Allen]], who directed him and Billy Crystal in ''[[Deconstructing Harry]]'' (1997), helped Williams. Allen knew that Crystal and Williams had often worked together on stage.<ref>{{cite book|title = Conversations with Woody Allen: His Films, the Movies, and Moviemaking|last = Lax|first = Eric|author-link = Eric Lax|publisher = [[Knopf Doubleday]]|location=New York City|year = 2007|isbn = 978-0375415333|page = [https://archive.org/details/conversationswit00laxe/page/52 52]|url = https://archive.org/details/conversationswit00laxe/page/52}}</ref>

=== 2000–2014: Children's films and return to television ===
[[File:Robin Williams in Camp Phoenix.jpg|thumb|left|Williams at a [[United Service Organization]] (USO) show on December 20, 2007]]
[[File:Robin Williams in 2008.jpg|thumb|right|Williams at the USO World Gala in Washington, D.C., on October{{nbsp}}1, 2008]]
Williams was the host of a talk show for [[Audible (service)|Audible]] that aired in April 2000 and was only available on Audible's website.<ref>{{cite news|title=Robin Williams and Audible Announce New Weekly Internet Program.|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Robin+Williams+and+Audible+Announce+New+Weekly+Internet+Program.-a058460845|work=[[Business Wire]]|publisher=[[The Free Library]]|date=January 6, 2000|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121120441/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Robin+Williams+and+Audible+Announce+New+Weekly+Internet+Program.-a058460845|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Frauenfelder|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Frauenfelder|title=Living online|magazine=[[Playboy]]|date=December 1, 2002|volume=49|issue=12|page=41}}</ref> In ''[[Insomnia (2002 film)|Insomnia]]'' (2002), Williams portrayed a murderer on the run from a sleep-deprived Los Angeles police detective (played by [[Al Pacino]]) in rural Alaska.<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Karl|title=Insomnia (2002)|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/insomnia-v260290|access-date=August 12, 2014|publisher=AllMovie|archive-date=February 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214052837/http://www.allmovie.com/movie/insomnia-v260290|url-status=live}}</ref> That same year, in the psychological thriller ''[[One Hour Photo]]'', Williams portrayed an emotionally disturbed photo development technician who becomes obsessed with a family for whom he has developed pictures for a long time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deming|first=Mark|title=One Hour Photo (2002)|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/one-hour-photo-v260306|access-date=August 12, 2014|publisher=AllMovie|archive-date=March 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314090333/http://www.allmovie.com/movie/one-hour-photo-v260306|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2004 science fiction psychological thriller ''[[The Final Cut (2004 film)|The Final Cut]]'', Williams played a professional who specializes in editing the memories of unsavory people into uncritical memorials that are played at funerals. His many television appearances included an episode of ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'',<ref>{{cite episode |series=Whose Line Is It Anyway? |series-link = Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series) |airdate=November 16, 2000 |season=3 |number=9}}</ref> and Williams starred in an episode of ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]''. He headlined his own [[one-man show]], ''Robin Williams: Live on Broadway'', which played at the [[Broadway Theatre (53rd Street)|Broadway Theatre]] in July 2002.<ref>The Broadway League. [http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=13427 "Robin Williams: Live on Broadway"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212025727/http://ibdb.com/production.php?ID=13427 |date=February 12, 2010 }}, Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved January 19, 2019.</ref>

Williams's stand-up work was a consistent thread throughout his career, as seen by the success of his one-man show (and subsequent DVD), ''Robin Williams: Live on Broadway'' (2002). In 2004, Williams was voted 13th on [[Comedy Central]]'s list of "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time." Two years later, he was the Surprise Guest at the [[Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards]],<ref>{{cite news|date=April 1, 2006|title=Kids' Choice Awards|publisher=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/kids-choice-awards/11/|access-date=August 12, 2014|archive-date=August 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205222/http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/kids-choice-awards/11/|url-status=live}}</ref> and appeared on an episode of ''[[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]]'' that aired January 30.<ref>{{cite news|date=November 3, 2011|title=Quick Takes: An 'Extreme Makeover' salute to military families|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-nov-03-la-et-quick-20111103-story.html|access-date=August 12, 2014|archive-date=December 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207061809/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/03/entertainment/la-et-quick-20111103|url-status=live}}</ref> After a six-year hiatus, in August 2008, Williams announced a new 26-city tour, ''Weapons of Self-Destruction''. The tour began at the end of September 2009, and concluded in New York on December 3, and was the subject of an [[HBO Special]] on December 8, 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gans|first=Andrew|date=July 8, 2009|title=HBO to Air Robin Williams' Weapons of Self-Destruction|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/hbo-to-air-robin-williams-weapons-of-self-destruction-com-162549|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306101936/https://www.playbill.com/article/hbo-to-air-robin-williams-weapons-of-self-destruction-com-162549|archive-date=March 6, 2016|access-date=June 27, 2020|magazine=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Robin Williams Aviano.jpg|thumb|upright|Williams at [[Aviano Air Base]] (Italy) on December 22, 2007]]

Years after the films, Janet Hirshenson revealed in an interview that Williams had expressed interest in portraying [[Rubeus Hagrid]] in the ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'' film series, but was rejected by director Chris Columbus due to the "British-only edict".<ref>{{cite news|title=He really wanted to be in the movie|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/robin-williams-was-turned-down-for-a-key-harry-potter-role/news-story/1590a9c7c2dd974a1fa9758053acc97f|website=[[News.com.au]]|date=January 2, 2017|access-date=January 15, 2017|archive-date=January 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116173727/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/robin-williams-was-turned-down-for-a-key-harry-potter-role/news-story/1590a9c7c2dd974a1fa9758053acc97f|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006, Williams starred in five movies, including ''[[Man of the Year (2006 film)|Man of the Year]]'', a political satire, and ''[[The Night Listener (film)|The Night Listener]]'', a thriller about a radio show host who realizes that a child with whom he has developed a friendship may not exist.<ref name="allmovie_bio" /> Williams continued to provide voices in other animated films, including ''[[Robots (2005 film)|Robots]]'' (2005), the ''[[Happy Feet]]'' [[Happy Feet Two|film franchise]] (2006–2011), and an uncredited vocal performance in ''[[Everyone's Hero]]'' (2006). He also voiced the holographic character Dr. Know in the live-action film ''[[A.I. Artificial Intelligence]]'' (2001). Williams was the voice of [[The Timekeeper]], a former attraction at the [[Walt Disney World]] Resort about a time-traveling robot who encounters [[Jules Verne]] and brings him to the future.<ref name="Veness2009">{{cite book |last=Veness |first=Susan |title=The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u0j1qhFi2fMC&pg=PT74 |year=2009 |publisher=[[Adams Media]] |location=Vero Beach, Florida|isbn=978-1-4405-0432-7 |page=74 |access-date=July 17, 2015 |archive-date=September 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930204859/https://books.google.com/books?id=u0j1qhFi2fMC&pg=PT74 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2010, Williams appeared in a sketch with [[Robert De Niro]] on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', and in 2012, he guest-starred as himself in two [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] series, ''[[Louie (American TV series)|Louie]]'' and ''[[Wilfred (U.S. TV series)|Wilfred]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.tvguide.com/News/Robin-Williams-Dies-1085425.aspx|title = Robin Williams Dies of Suspected Suicide at 63|date = August 11, 2014|access-date = October 23, 2014|website = [[TV Guide]]|last = Stanhope|first = Kate|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140812203820/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Robin-Williams-Dies-1085425.aspx|archive-date = August 12, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Williams made his Broadway acting debut in [[Rajiv Joseph]]'s ''[[Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo]]'', which opened at the [[Richard Rodgers Theatre]] March 31, 2011. For his performance, Williams was nominated for the [[Drama League Award]] for Outstanding Distinguished Performer.<ref>{{cite news|last=Isherwood|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Isherwood|title=Ghostly Beast Burning Bright in Iraq|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/theater/reviews/bengal-tiger-with-robin-williams-review.html|access-date=August 12, 2014|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 31, 2011|archive-date=August 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812214145/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/theater/reviews/bengal-tiger-with-robin-williams-review.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2013, [[CBS]] started a new series, ''[[The Crazy Ones]]'', starring Williams,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Rose |first1=Lacey |last2=Goldberg |first2=Lesley |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-series-orders-mom-intelligence-crazy-ones-will-arnett-519502 |title=CBS Orders Chuck Lorre's 'Mom,' Robin Williams' 'Crazy Ones,' Will Arnett Comedy, More |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 10, 2013 |access-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-date=October 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031131755/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-series-orders-mom-intelligence-crazy-ones-will-arnett-519502 |url-status=live }}</ref> which was canceled after one season.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Littleton |first=Cynthia |title=CBS Renews 'Mentalist', Cancels 'Crazy Ones', 'Hostages', 'Intelligence' & 2 More |url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/cbs-renews-mentalist-cancels-crazy-ones-1201177236/ |magazine=Variety |date=May 10, 2014 |access-date=August 12, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140511011859/https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/cbs-renews-mentalist-cancels-crazy-ones-1201177236/|archive-date = May 11, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Angriest Man in Brooklyn]]'' was his last movie to be released during his lifetime. In the movie, Williams played Henry Altmann, an angry, bitter man who tries to change his life after being told he has a [[terminal illness]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=Tomas|last=Hachard|title=The 'Angriest' Robin Williams Sadly Becomes The Inspirational One|publisher=[[NPR]]|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/05/22/313116016/the-angriest-robin-williams-sadly-becomes-the-inspirational-one|date=May 22, 2014|access-date=September 13, 2018|archive-date=September 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913223530/https://www.npr.org/2014/05/22/313116016/the-angriest-robin-williams-sadly-becomes-the-inspirational-one|url-status=live}}</ref> Four films starring Williams were released after his death in 2014: ''[[Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb]]'', ''[[A Merry Friggin' Christmas]]'', ''[[Boulevard (2014 film)|Boulevard]]'', and ''[[Absolutely Anything]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://downriversundaytimes.com/2014/08/24/celebrity-extra-265|title=Celebrity Extra|last=Elavsky|first=Cindy|author-link=Cindy Elavsky|work=Downriver Sunday Times|publisher=[[King Features]]|date=August 24, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2014|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403231333/http://downriversundaytimes.com/2014/08/24/celebrity-extra-265/|url-status=live}}</ref>