The American actor and comedianRobin Williams (1951–2014) starred in films, television and video games throughout a career that spanned nearly four decades. Known for his fast-paced, improvisational style and for playing a wide variety of characters,^[1][2] he was described byScreen Actors Guild presidentKen Howard as "a performer of limitless versatility, equally adept at comedy and drama, whether scripted or improv".^[3] He is often regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time.^[4][5]

Williams's career began in 1977 with minor roles in the filmCan I Do It... 'Til I Need Glasses? and the television showsThe Richard Pryor Show andLaugh-In.^[6] The guest role of an alien named Mork in a 1978 episode of the sitcomHappy Days earned him positive reviews, and led to the spin-offMork & Mindy, focusing on his character's experiences on Earth. Running for four seasons, the show was Williams's breakthrough and earned him his firstGolden Globe Award and a nomination for aPrimetime Emmy Award.^[7][8][9] By the early 1980s, Williams wanted to do mainstream acting, and made his film debut in a lead role in the musical comedyPopeye (1980), a critical failure that earned thrice its budget.^[10] Williams then took on more serious parts in the comedy-dramasThe World According to Garp (1982) andMoscow on the Hudson (1984).^[11][12] He won two consecutivePrimetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for the television specialsCarol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin (1987) andABC Presents A Royal Gala (1988).^[9] He received his first of threeAcademy Award for Best Actor nominations for playing disc jockeyAdrian Cronauer in the war comedyGood Morning, Vietnam (1987), in which he improvised some of his scenes.^[13][14]

Further critical acclaim followed with Williams's lead roles inDead Poets Society (1989),Awakenings (1990) andThe Fisher King (1991).^[15] He also found greater commercial success in the 1990s. Many of his films during this period grossed more than $100 million, including the fantasyHook (1991), the animated musicalAladdin (1992), the comedy-dramaMrs. Doubtfire (1993), the adventureJumanji (1995) and the comedyThe Birdcage (1996).^[16]Aladdin, in which he improvised 52 characters,^[17] was the highest-grossing film of the year.^[18]Mrs. Doubtfire, which he also produced, won him a thirdGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy; he had previously won forGood Morning, Vietnam andThe Fisher King.^[8] While hailed "the funniest person alive" byEntertainment Weekly in 1997,^[19] Williams wanted to do more serious work as an actor around this time.^[16] Such opportunities arose with the roles of a therapist in the psychological dramaGood Will Hunting (1997) and a man in heaven who attempts to save his wife from hell in the fantasy dramaWhat Dreams May Come (1998).^[16][20] The former won him theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[21]

In the 2000s, Williams continued to do voice roles, including inA.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001),Robots (2005) andHappy Feet (2006, and its2011 sequel). Pursuing more diverse parts, he took on the darker roles of an emotionally disturbed photo developer inOne Hour Photo (2002), a writer who is involved in the murder of a teenage girl inInsomnia (2002) and a radio host who is caught up with a troubled fan inThe Night Listener (2006).^[22][23] He returned to comedy in 2006 with the family adventureRV, the satireMan of the Year and the fantasyNight at the Museum. The latter was the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year and spawned two sequels in2009 and2014.^[24] He began touring for the one-man stand-up comedy showWeapons of Self Destruction (2008), focusing on "social and political absurdities",^[25] and starred in theDisney filmOld Dogs (2009). In the 2010s, he starred in the sitcomThe Crazy Ones (2013–2014), played supporting roles in the 2013 featuresThe Big Wedding andThe Butler, and had three films released posthumously, including the sequelNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.

• List of awards and nominations received by Robin Williams

• Robin Williams atIMDb

• Robin Williams
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