Robin Williams Biography

(1951–)

Share

Video & Images

Watch Video

Related Works

  • Films
  • 1980 Popeye
  • 1982 The World According to Garp
  • 1984 Moscow On The Hudson
  • 1986 Club Paradise
  • 1987 Good Morning Vietnam
  • 1989 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
  • 1989 Dead Poets Society
  • 1990 Awakenings
  • 1991 The Fisher King
  • 1991 Hook
  • 1991 Dead Again
  • 1991 Aladdin (voice only)
  • 1992 Toys
  • 1993 Mrs Doubtfire
  • 1993 Being Human
  • 1995 Nine Months
  • 1995 Jumanji
  • 1996 The Birdcage
  • 1996 Jack
  • 1996 The Secret Agent
  • 1996 Aladdin and the King of Thieves (voice only)
  • 1996 Hamlet
  • 1997 Father's Day
  • 1997 Flubber
  • 1997 Good Will Hunting (Best Supporting Actor Oscar)
  • 1998 What Dreams May Come
  • 1998 Patch Adams
  • 1999 Get Bruce
  • 1999 Bicentennial Man
  • 1999 Jakob the Liar
  • 2002 Insomnia
  • 2004 The Final Cut
  • 2005 House of D
  • 2005 Noel
  • 2005 Robots (voice)
  • 2005 The Big White
  • 2006 The Night Listener
  • 2006 R.V.
  • 2006 Happy Feet
  • 2006 Man of the Year
  • Television
  • 1974 Happy Days
  • 1978–82 Mork and Mindy
  • 1987 Seize The Day
  • 1996 In Search of Doctor Seuss
  • Theatre
  • 1988 Waiting For Godot
» More

Related People

Robin McLaurim Williams was born on July 21, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois. One of America's funniest performers, Williams attended one of the most prestigious drama schools in the country—the Juilliard School in New York City. While at Juilliard, he made friends with Christopher Reeve. He later experimented with comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles, developing a successful stand-up act.

Williams first became known to American audiences as the zany alien Mork in the television comedy series Mork and Mindy (1978–82). He made his big-screen debut playing the famous spinach-eating sailor, Popeye (1981). The movie led to a string of successful film roles for Williams, including Good Morning Vietnam (1987) and Dead Poets Society (1989), both of which earned the actor Oscar nods.

While his career was taking off, Williams faced many personal challenges. He developed a drug and alcohol problem while working on the sitcom Mork and Mindy, and would struggle with addiction for more than two decades. He also became involved in several tumultuous romantic relationships; while married to actress Valerie Velardi, he was briefly involved with another woman. Williams and Velardi divorced soon after, in 1988. The next year he married his son's nanny, Marsha Garces, who was pregnant with their first child together.

Despite personal setbacks, Williams continued acting. He provided the voice of the genie in Disney's animated film, Aladdin (1991), and appeared in the hit films Awakenings (1990), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), and The Birdcage (1996). In 1997, his performance as the psychiatrist in Good Will Hunting (1997) won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Then in 2001 he would return to voice acting as the voice of Dr. Know in Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001).

After a series of comedic roles, Williams took on some darker material. He played a creepy photo developer in One Hour Photo (2002); the murder suspect in Insomnia (2002); and a writer and radio host who gets caught up in the mystery surrounding a troubled fan in The Night Listener (2006). Williams returned to his comedic talents shortly after with Man of the Year (2006), a send-up of U.S. presidential politics.

In the summer of 2006, Williams suffered an drug relapse. He admitted himself to a rehabilitation facility for alcoholism treatment that August. The actor quickly rebounded and, in 2007, he starred in the zany comedy License to Wed with co-stars Mandy Moore and John Krasinski.

advertisement

Celebrity Calendar

On TV

I Survived...

Watch FULL Episodes and Previews now!

Shatner

Watch FULL Episodes and Guest Previews now!

Shop Biography

Legends of the Silver Screen DVD Set

Legends of the Silver Screen DVD Set

The brightest stars from the Hollywood universe shine brilliantly in this sweeping collection of profiles. Buy Now

Email Sign Up

Get email updates on your favorite BIO shows and what's new on bio.com!

– Bio.com news
– BIO shows
– Born On This Day

…and more! SIGN UP today!

Featured This Month

It Happened This Week Video

REMEMBER WHEN…

See who was born and what went down this week in Pop Culture history. Find out which celebrities share your birthday and much more in our NEW On This Day feature!

Michelle Obama

WOMEN'S HISTORY

March is Women's History Month. Explore our interactive women's history timeline, videos, meet hundreds of notable women and so much more.

Sandra Bullock

WATCH FULL EPISODES

Biography Show
I Survived...
Women's History
Actors, politicos and everyone in between - see all video!

Celebrity Bookings