Robin Williams died 10 years ago.
Ten years ago, on August 11, 2014, Oscar-winning American actor and comedian Robin Williams died.
Robin McLaurin Williams was born on July 21, 1951 in Chicago. As a child, he was overweight and withdrawn, and his peers regularly ostracized him and bullied him physically and mentally. To compensate for this, he began to produce jokes, comedies and imitate different tones, in which he proved to be very talented.
In high school, he joined the school's drama club after realizing that he could use his exceptional sense of humor there.
In 1973, he won a full scholarship to one of the world's leading art schools, Juilliard in New York, and out of twenty admitted students, he and Christopher Reeve were the only ones to attend John Houseman's (founder of the school's drama department) advanced classes. However, the conservative, classical teaching style did not suit his personality, so he abandoned his studies in 1976.
He tried his luck as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco, then moved to Los Angeles. In 1977, he was noticed by TV producer George Schlatter, who asked him to appear on his show Laugh-In. This was the start of Williams' TV career, he received one after another invitations to various stand-up shows. Finally, he got his own series, which ran under the name Mr. From Outer Space between 1978 and 1982. The greeting of his alien character in the series, "Nanu, Nanu!" since then it has become a hostel word.
He first appeared on the big screen in the 1980 film Popeye in the role of the protagonist.
Two years later, he flashed his dramatic side in the world according to Garp alongside Glenn Close, then played a Soviet circus saxophonist who escaped from his troupe in the movie Moscow on the Hudson. The following year, she appeared alongside Carol Burnett, Carl Reiner and Whoopi Goldberg in a sketch comedy (1987). The first big breakthrough was the Barry Levinson-directed Good Morning, Vietnam! for which he received his first Oscar nomination.
In the 1990s, he appeared in many films that have now become cult, such as Dead Poets Society (also nominated for an Oscar), Awakenings - with Robert De Niro -, The Legend of the Fisher King (nominated for an Oscar for the third time) or Hook directed by Steven Spielberg , in which he played Peter Pan.
In the 1992 Aladdin, the lovable genie of the cartoon did not only speak with his voice, the creators specially adapted the character to him.
He went on to appear in memorable productions such as Game Organs, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, The Bird's Nest, the American version of the cult French gay farce Cage of Mad Women, and Flubber. The actor, who usually performs well in comedies, played a therapist in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting alongside Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, which deeply touched some real therapists. In 1998, he played a clown doctor in the film Patch Adams, and a year later, he played Andrew, the robot slowly becoming human, in the sci-fi film The Two Hundred-Year-Old Man, based on Isaac Asimov's novel. He was the main character in the 1999 film Jakab Hazudós, directed by Peter Kassovitz and set in a Polish ghetto, which was filmed in Hungary and directed by Elemér Ragályi.
Flowers and candlesticks at the star of American actor Robin Williams on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 12, 2014. The 63-year-old Oscar-winning Hollywood comedian, actor, director and producer committed suicide the previous day at his home in Tiburon, Northern California. (MTI/EPA/Tracey Nearmy)
He appeared in several productions in the 2000s as well, but he was no longer able to create anything truly lasting. He received critical acclaim for The Dark Chamber in 2002, then appeared in the series The Big Day, The Butler and Eszementek, as well as the Broadway play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (2011). He also dubbed in several animated films and played a role in all parts of the Night at the Museum film trilogy, the third episode of which was one of his last films.
Robin Williams is considered one of the greatest comedians of all time, he was famous for his improvisational skills, he was able to bring both comedic and dramatic characters to the screen, bringing laughter and tears to people's faces.
With his brilliant performances, he forever wrote himself into film history and into people's hearts. He was a true philanthropist, he supported, among others, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), the American Injured Veterans Foundation, and during the filming of many of his films, he set the special condition that homeless people be employed in the crew. He maintained an almost brotherly relationship, financially helping his old friend Christopher Reeve, who was permanently confined to a wheelchair after a horse riding accident.
The big laugher's personal life was not nearly so cloudless, he married three times and had three children. During his life, he repeatedly struggled with drug and alcohol problems, and suffered from severe depression in his last years.
During his career, he won many awards, in addition to his Oscar, he received six Golden Globe awards, including the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. In 1990, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has been recognized several times with a Grammy and Primetime Emmy Award, as well as an award from the Screen Actors Guild. In 2009, he was included among the Disney Legends.
On August 11, 2014, he was found dead in his home in California, having committed suicide. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few months earlier, and only after his death was it discovered that he suffered from advanced Lewy body dementia. His unexpected death shocked the film world and his huge fan base, and his ashes were scattered in San Francisco Bay. In 2016, the tunnel connecting the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County was named after him. In 2018, a portrait film about him titled Robin Williams: Portrait of a Comedian was released.
Featured Image: A photo of American actor Robin Williams taken in Sydney on December 5, 2011. The 63-year-old Oscar-winning Hollywood comedian, actor, director and producer died on August 11, 2014 at his home in Tiburon, Northern California. (Photo: MTI/EPA/Tracey Nearmy)
