by Scarlett Pinder
Robin McLaurin Williams was an academy award winning American actor and comedian who is best known for his improvisation skills and humour. His most memorable roles include the comedic brilliance of: Mrs Doubtfire, Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting, John Keating from Dead Poets Society, Peter Pan in Hook and the voice over as the Genie in Aladdin. Campbell, S. (2025). accurately described Williams as “A force of nature” This statement exaggerates the essence of Robins energy on stage and highlights his powerful, dynamic and unpredictable style and how he grabs the audiences attention with his charisma. He attended The Julliard School and left after three years after realising he had had enough of the traditional style of the school. He needed freedom and admitted that staying would have killed his spirit.
Williams’ first performances were performing stand up comedy during the mid 1970s in a comedy club in San Francisco called Holy City Zoo Historydraft.com. (2025). “They didn’t come to be nice; they would laugh if you earned it” Robin Williams: The Untold Legacy (2025). the demanding nature of the audience and the high standards Williams had to meet suggests how difficult it was to please the audience and illustrates how truly brave and confident he was. A veteran training in comedy for over fifteen years quit after watching Robin Williams perform quit and vow to never do comedy again after claiming that he will never be as brilliant in fifteen more years than a recently graduated Julliard kid. This really illustrates the cleverness and genius of his work and how even in a harsh environment, Robin is easily able to impress an audience of any age.
rinaldi, eva (2025). After performing in Holy City Zoo, he moved to Los Angeles where he performed at clubs like The Comedy Store and was seen by TV producer George Schlatter. Schlatter helped Robin Williams get his first TV appearance in 1977 in a tv show called “Laugh-in” a tv hit classic that features one liners, comedy sketches and musical numbers. Webmaster (2014). A year later, Williams released his first stand-up special Off the Wall. This was a genius stage stand up act showcasing impressions, sound effects and his genius humour. Official Robin Williams (2025).
Williams then proceeded to act in the sitcom Mork and Mindy where he starred as the character Mork – an alien who comes to earth from the planet Ork, the film producers felt very unwilling to add an alien into this sitcom after feeling very sure that it will ruin it. Robin was the only alien to audition, within the audition he started by sitting on a chair the wrong way round, he was granted the role and Mork and Mindy became a worldwide obsession, becoming the third most watched show in America. After this success, he released two more stand-up specials; An Evening with Robin Williams in 1983, and A Night at the Met in 1986. after these specials were produced, Robin went on to play his memorable roles in films like Good will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam and more. “Robin Williams was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting, received two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards.” Webmaster (2014).
The impact this actor has on audiences extends beyond simple entertainment; he has the talent and skill to evoke laughter and tears from the same audience which illustrates and underscores his ability to connect with his audience on such a deeply personal level which is what really sets him apart as an important actor and why he remains to be such an inspiration on so many actors. This is seen through scenes such as Dead Poets Society.
Jacob Bentley (2013). In Dead Poets Society, the scene where the students stand on their desks declaring, “Oh captain! My captain” is particularly memorable and emotional. what makes robins performance so captivating in this moment is his restraint. he doesn’t dominate the scene or react in a way that distracts the audience from the students with big gestures or a huge display of emotion. instead he just stands there, absorbing the students rebellious and heartfelt tribute. the subtlety of his acting conveys so much depth and dynamics to his character. The slight upturn of his lips and glint in his eye really signifies how truly proud he is of his boys, and how he appreciates their courage. It can be challenging for actors to just sit there and listen, but his ability to react in such a subtle way that delivers so much about his inside thoughts is beautiful for an audience to observe.
Dead Poets Society (2020) There are so many comical moments within this film which are so cleverly done by Robin. This scene in particular is significantly memorable and funny. His delivery and over the top exaggerated physicality brings a sense of playfulness and joy making the audience and his students feel amused. Williams has a smart and intelligent mind and is fantastic with improvisation and stand up comedy, and it shines through this scene with his clever impressions of how actors commonly deliver Shakespeare speeches. He changes his pitch, pace and facial expression as he portrays each character.
Despite the joy and laughter he gave to others, Robin Williams had a difficult childhood. His father was always away working, and living with his mother felt tricky where he felt being loved by her must be earned and was never granted. He had a lonely childhood and spent his time inside performing for ghosts, illustrating how no one seemed to have time for him or gave up any of their time to watch him perform. At school, Robin was heavily bullied by his classmates for the way he looked, he would arrive home with ripped clothes. However, he soon realised making jokes and doing impressions for them, made them laugh and they would back off. Comedy not only protected him, but it gave him control. “The more he made people laugh, the safer he felt.” The Unseen (2025). Williams attended Redwood Highschool where he joined the drama society. This club gave him a sense of comfort with his characters as his classmates and teacher praised him for his genius characters.
During Mork and Mindy, a rumour spread that Williams made up his own lines on the spot which of course made the writers and producers very stressed and frustrated as they struggled trying to keep up with him writing his ad libs in the scripts. However Robin did not make up his own lines, he would learn his lines after one read through and would memorise them with perfection. The chaos delivery of his lines were perfection and led to his audience believing he was making it up.
in 1988, Robin starred as Adrien Cronauer, a military radio DJ in Good Morning Vietnam. “It wasn’t just jokes and noise. It made you laugh hard and then hit you with the pain of war.” The Unseen (2025) this statement exaggerates the extraordinary emotional range Robin has not only as a comedian but as an actor. He can make an audience laugh while at the same time expose them to the harsh realities of war, showcasing his abilities to blend comedy and humour with serious and emotional events.
In conclusion, Robin was able to fully let go and the director allowed him to go off the script and improvise, which granted him his first Oscar award. his ability and way of improvising is massively influential for training actors. To be able to improvise well, means to know your material and understand the importance of your character and their role within a film, play or musical. Within Dead Poets Society, Williams studied teachers and what it means to behave like a teacher, as well as this he learned and studied many poems and forms of poetry to be able to understand fully the importance of poetry. By taking the time to understand your character and studying allows you to be a great actor.
Bibliography
Campbell, S. (2025). The one actor Robin Williams said was better than the rest. [online] Far Out Magazine. Available at: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/actor-robin-williams-called-greatest-ever/ [Accessed 27 Dec. 2025].
Jacob Bentley (2013). Dead Poets Society – Standing on Desks. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmCXNMGkFho.
Dead Poets Society (2020). Robin Williams HILARIOUS – DEAD POETS SOCIETY. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c8FBngAVmk.
Historydraft.com. (2025). Welcome To Zscaler Directory Authentication. [online] Available at: https://historydraft.com/events/first-performances/10435 [Accessed 30 Dec. 2025].
Robin Williams: The Untold Legacy (2025). Robin Williams Walked Into Comedy Club – Veteran Comedians LAUGHED Until He Opened His Mouth. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbr9VeVnfl8 [Accessed 30 Dec. 2025].
Webmaster (2014). Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. [online] Nostalgiacentral.com. Available at: https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1960s/rowan-martins-laugh/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2025].
rinaldi, eva (2025). Robin Williams – Bio, Stand-up & Specials – Stand-up List. [online] Standuplist.com. Available at: https://standuplist.com/comic/robin-williams [Accessed 30 Dec. 2025].
Official Robin Williams (2025). Robin Williams: Spark of Madness | Off the Wall (1978). [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EJ54JAfWDI&list=PLJi5rBZhwwmqzt-Lc8R9wM9eANGluDgdW&index=1 [Accessed 30 Dec. 2025].
The Unseen (2025). Robin Williams Was Sad 24/7, But Nobody Knew Why… Until Now! [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDKKBwe6uoA [Accessed 30 Dec. 2025].
