The late great comedian Robin Williams was born on July 21 in 1951. Sadly, the world lost this genius on August 11, 2014. His death was a profound loss for not only his family and friends but for everyone who loved him from all over the world, including his millions of fans. Williams was best known for his improvisation skills and he had a huge variety of memorable voices. Many experts and laypeople believe that he is one of the greatest comedians of all time. He began performing in Los Angeles and San Francisco doing stand-up comedy routines in the mid-1970s. His big break came in 1978.
That was the year he was cast as an alien named “Mork from Ork” on the hit TV show “Mork & Mindy.” The show ran from 1978 to 1982 and cemented Williams’ comedic genius. His big-screen break was “Popeye” in 1980 and he later went on to star in many critically and commercially successful films, including greats like “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Dead Poets Society, “Patch Adams,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Good Will Hunting,” and the “Night at the Museum Trilogy.” Also, Williams famously voiced the character of Aladdin from Disney’s animated film of the same name. In his career, Robin Williams won numerous awards.
He won two Primetime Emmy Awards, five Grammy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “Good Will Hunting.” When he described the life of a comedian once, he said that being a stand-up comedian is “brutal” and he cited the burnout and toll it takes on a person. They work long, late hours, and a part of the lifestyle in the venues they work often involves drinking, drugs, and partying. The worst part is how volatile the industry is. “Suddenly they’re hot, and then somebody else is hot,” Williams explained.
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Robin Williams never burned out and he never gave up. He died by suicide, but he was battling a debilitating disease that causes eventual dementia. In the video below, you’ll see Williams with Elmo from Sesame Street.
