Robin Williams, 63, was born in Chicago and studied acting at Juilliard, where he roomed with actor Christopher Reeve. Williams also established an eponymous scholarship there that numbers among its beneficiaries the actress Jessica Chastain.
His first break came when he was cast as an alien on an episode of “Happy Days.” The role led to the creation of his own sitcom, “Mork and Mindy,” which ran from 1978 to 1982.
He made his major film debut in the 1980 Robert Altman film, “Popeye,” and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “Good Will Hunting.”
His inspired one-man 2002 show, “Robin Williams: Live on Broadway,” which played at The Broadway Theater, topped a sold-out tour of 26 shows and became a hugely popular HBO special and DVD.
Williams stuck to script when he played the tiger in Rajiv Joseph’s 2011 show at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Broadway, “The Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.”
His film and comedy career took him to NYC repeatedly. In 2012, he was snapped being helped out of the East River to the shores of DUMBO for a scene in “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn.”
New York fans remembered him in their own ways. Outside of Carolines on Broadway, the famous comedy club where he sometimes performed stand-up, fans placed flowers outside the photo memorial.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Good Morning Vietnam – 1987
Dead Poets Society – 1989
Mrs. Doutbfire – 1993
Aladdin – 1993
Jumanji – 1995
Good Will Hunting- 1996
Patch Adams – 1998
One Hour Photo – 2002
World’s Greatest Dad – 2009
