Robin Williams was the jack of all trades. While he was very well known for his hilarious and heartfelt roles in popular movies, such as Dead Poet’s Society, Good Morning Vietnam, and Mrs. Doubtfire, many have forgotten his comedy improvisation work, stand up comedy, and even sitcom work. Since the unfortunate passing of this well-loved comedy genius, videos starring him have started circulating once again with everyone marveling at his talent, and reliving the amazing legacy he has left behind.
As a tribute to Robin Williams, I’ve compiled a list of videos that reminds us that he wasn’t just a movie star, he was also:
1. An Alien/Sitcom Star
Mork and Mindy was an american sitcom, and as you can tell by the hairstyles, aired from 1978 until 1982. Back then Williams was still pretty unknown, but the producers were so wowed by his unique brand of comedy that he was casted on the spot. It was about an alien (Williams) who was sent to earth to observe human behavior, and encountered a human Mindy (Pam Dawber). Unfortunately, Mork and Mindy was cancelled after only four seasons, but kickstarted Williams’ career by getting him two Primetime Emmy nominations.
Even in Mork and Mindy, you can already recognize the trademark Robin Williams humor that we all grew to know and love.
2. A Singer
Like many comedians, Williams also dabbled in some singing, and boy was he good at it! This song was part of George Michael’s tribute to the Beatles, and this song paired with his own wacky personality really made it his own.
3. An Improv Genius
Once again, Williams is showing off his awesome pipes, but this time on popular american improvisation comedy programme, ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?enablejsapi=1&html5=1&’, hosted by Drew Carey. Though he was just a guest on the show, his improvised duet with Wayne Brady about an air-traffic controller was pure genius. And the amount of audience participation is unparalleled on the show. Just watch them dance and sing along!
4. A Child
Robin Williams did encompass a child-like humor that resonated with all of us, but not as much as when he improvised this impersonation of a kid from silicon valley on Inside The Actor’s Studio. This also reminds us of his amazing knack at voices – you could close your eyes and never realize it was him!
5. A Gamer and A Father
Did you know that Robin WIlliams named his daughter Zelda after a video game character?enablejsapi=1&html5=1& Obviously an avid video game fan, the name originated from the popular game The Legend of Zelda, which Williams and his wife played often when she was pregnant.
The father-daughter chemistry in this video is also amazing, and leaves us wondering what it’s like to have Robin Williams as a father and wanting to show our fathers some love when we get home tonight. Zelda also left this on her twitter account, breaking all our hearts.