Understandable that it isn't a renown role of his, but I'd have to choose other here for the movie Bicentennial Man. Perhaps it is my addiction to Science fiction or even my enjoyment of reading Isaac Asimov that leads me to find such appreciation in this film. The idea behind a robot desiring to have a soul and to love is an enjoyable concept when done correctly. I think this movie did it well and Robin Williams played the part better than I could have ever expected from him, a man of doubtfire capabilities. That's my opinion anyway.
P.S. No offense to Mrs. Doubtfire fans. That movie, like most movies except for Sucker Punch (worst movie I've ever seen), have redeeming qualities. Shame Robin Williams didn't make more serious roles though overall.
Chris Bowen - 10 years ago
I know I'm very much in a minority, but I have very little appreciation for William's comedic performances. They are good performances, but just not my cup of tea as films.
That said, I'm giving huge shout-outs to two great films and two great performances. First up is One Hour Photo, I have a lot of love for that film. The second is a film that 90% of the population have likely not seen, let alone as a William's vehicle, being The Night Listener. It's a wonderful story about a radio-host, Williams, who gets emotionally invested with a young boy who was abused and battling aids as a result. His performance as a broken soul in The Night Listener is so good that at any given moment it looks like his smile might shatter his entire face into pieces.. wonderful performance and a great film to boot.
Chris
Zachary Cook - 10 years ago
I want to give a shout-out to an against-type performance in an underrated movie, William's turn as the murderous Walter Finch in Christopher Nolan's remake of Insomnia (2002). Williams had an incredible life force but let's not forget, that unpredictable energy also made him dangerous, even in his most lovable roles. Pride and the suffused resentment that can accompany it were also part of his screen aura. He never got a better chance to coil them all back into a toxic spring than with Walter Finch, with the possible exception of One Hour Photo. For anyone who has not yet seen Insomnia, it's a great reminder of Williams's dramatic range and how potent he could be playing villains.
Amanda from Vancouver - 10 years ago
What made Robin Williams such a wonderful actor, was that he could convey a warmth on screen that you could really feel - and he did it better than so many other actors. While this is a good selection of his work, and I easily could have picked Good Will Hunting or Dead Poets Society, I had to go with 'other', and that would be The World According to Garp. While it's not the best film ever made, much like Adam, I have a real fondness for this film and his performance in it. Garp is one of my favourite books, and it is precisely this reason that it's a surprising choice. I'm rarely satisfied with book to film adaptations, and especially the casting choices. This is one instance in which they nailed the casting. Every time I re-read this book, it is Robin Williams that I see, and I'm so happy to have him be my forever Garp.
Chris from Indianapolis - 10 years ago
Robin Williams was a great actor. For me, I preferred the roles in which his usual manic energy was nowhere to be seen. For this poll, Good Will Hunting gets my vote. Robin's portrayal of Sean Maguire deservingly won the Oscar.
In the Other category, a close second for me is Awakenings. His portrayal of Dr. Malcolm Sayer (a proxy for Dr. Oliver Sacks) was also remarkable for its understatement and humanity. For all the films listed in this poll, and for many others, thank you Robin Williams for the incredible gifts you gave us.
While it's incredibly difficult to choose between these choices, especially considering my first memory of a Robin Williams performance is of The Genie in Aladdin, the performance which has forever cemented him in my memory is that of Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. This role so perfectly mixed his penchant for moving swiftly between comedy and drama, and the final scene between him and Matt Damn (It's not your fault) is one of the most memorable and heartwrenching scenes in recent cinematic history (and one that never fails to bring me to tears).
My favorite of the listed films has to be Dead Poets Society. Saw this film as a teenager and was so inspired by it. Its one of the first films that practically brought me to tears which was very disconcerting that a film could do that to me. (also note the the to the film Boyhood, starring a young Ethan Hawke.
I also have a special place for World According to Garp. I saw that film when I was even younger and the mix a perversity and sensitivity struck me and stuck with me even years later. Might be my favorite.
Michael Painter - 10 years ago
I know many people on this poll will immediately look at Dead Poet's Society, Aladdin, and Good Will Hunting as the roles that they identify as their favorite Robin Williams performance. For me though, as much as I love those roles, and grew up watching the Genie in Aladdin, his role in The Birdcage really resonates with me.
Armand Goldman really could've been many things when people first announced Robin Williams was playing the lead. Instead of being a caricature, Williams brought character and strength to a person who was finally comfortable being a gay man. He was theatrical and flamboyant at times, but he wasn't a stereotype. Robin Williams exuberance and quietness in this role show the many things he was capable of.
I feel that Robin Williams chose movies that are important to me and the public perhaps because many of them are inspiring. I may not have known the man, but he was strongly relatable to me seeing him in film.
Chris Massa - 10 years ago
This is a tough one, but I'm going with the genie in Aladdin. Robin Williams' manic talent was a perfect fit for voice acting, and in the shape-shifting genie, he finally had a character whose physicality could keep up with his vocal gymnastics. And, even though his performance is turned up to "11" throughout, he still manages some moments of genuine poignancy. That said, even though I do think this is brilliant work on his part, I have to admit that this is a really nostalgic pick for me. Aladdin was my first exposure to Robin Williams, the only work of his I was allowed to see as a young kid. It's not the performance I turn to the most now that I'm an adult (that's probably "Good Will Hunting" or "Dead Poets Society"), but it's still the one that fills me with the most joy.
Erin Teachman (Washington, DC) - 10 years ago
The grown up in me really truly loves The Fisher King. Robin Williams captured that heart of that character so well, every part of Parry: the aching broken hole at the core of his being, the commitment to the idea burning his psyche, and the faint hope that his behavior might get him rescued. Williams was affecting, charming, insane, hilarious, frightened, and intense.
But, there is a little kid inside of me who can recite Aladdin from memory and I would not have that film so deeply etched into me, were it not for the sheer manic brilliance of Williams.
Eva, Salzburg, Austria - 10 years ago
It's a tough choice, especially when I look at Robin Williams' dramatic roles but I have to go with Dead Poets Society.
Williams performance as John Keating resonated on so many levels with me. I was in a Catholic private school back when I first saw it and what would I have given to have a teacher like him! That one character perfectly combined his wit, charm and his funniness with a certain sadness that is kind of the foundation of all funny people. Plus, it made me want to be a teacher (which I am now. Not as great as Keating but still a good one, I hope).
You know, when considering Williams' greatest performance, I was compelled to choose something that both captured his manic comedic timing and his talent for poignancy. This leaned me toward Good Morning, Vietnam. However, if I were to be honest with myself, I've only seen that film a couple times. My favorite performance that accomplishes the comedic and the dramatic perfectly is Mrs. Doubtfire. His hilarious antics in drag are probably what the film is best remembered for. However, I'm always touched, almost always moved to tears, by his scenes that focus on how much this father is torn apart by his divorce and inability to be with his kids. The final monologue of Doubtfire reading a letter from a child stricken by divorce almost always adds dust to the room for me. So, I vote 'Other' for this omission on the list.
It's a close call between "The Fisher King," which is the best use of his inherent desperation for love as an actor, and "Popeye," a performance that brings me no end of joy. Both show him at his most boisterous and his sweetest. I think I might lean towards "Popeye," though, because I can't think of another person who could capture everything about a cartoon character without disappearing themselves, nor could I think of many other actors who could make a live-action cartoon seem vulnerable and human.
Brian Finch - 10 years ago
I know you typically only focus on film, but for this particular poll, you should have at least considered Williams' TV roles. I am not sure that Mork is his best role, but it deserves to be in the conversation. This role made Williams a household name and is many people's first introduction to his work. In some ways, this role along with his stand-up work defined him as an entertainer. The character of Mork was such a defining character, that any time Williams played a serious role it is described as a "departure." America fell in love with Mork from Ork and it paved the way for a wonderful body of work. Nanu-Nanu...
Jason from Dallas - 10 years ago
The two real standouts for me are Dead Poet's Society and Good Will Hunting. Had to go with Dead Poet's here as it was the first time I had seen him as something other than the wacky guy from Mork & Mindy. Maybe it's because I'm the product of an all-boys college prep school, but when Williams was in front of his students telling them to rip the first pages of their textbooks on understanding literature, I couldn't help but be pulled in. He was a great comedian but I'll remember him best for his dramatic roles.
Danah - 10 years ago
I committed to Fisher King but was torn with "Other".
-Mrs Doubtfire: Not only very comedic really showed the trials of divorce, family and dedication even if in the real world that behaviour might get you jail time
-Happy Feet: see animation below
-What Dreams may come: I was really young when i saw this so i can't define it but i was moved
-The Birdcage
-All is animated voices. He brought so much life to animation
So hard to pick one.
Grace - 10 years ago
Death to Smoochy was my favorite Robin w. role. It was tailor made for his brand of manic, dark comedy. He was perfect as a kids tv show host that hits rock bottom. No one else could have brought the hilarious edgie desperation that he did. Aw man. Sad day.
Andreas from Sweden - 10 years ago
If I go with the movie I've seen most times, for me it has to be 'The Birdcage'. Williams plays against type but does it beautifully: His impeccable timing really shows here and he is just so lovable! It seems he just disappears into the role and quite easily becomes the very sweet, goodhearted Armand Goldman; a man whose singular goal in life besides running the best club in Miami Beach is to make his son happy. And with that script you can't fail: The panic in Wiliams eyes as he during a disastrous dinner party mumbles "It's like riding a psychotic horse toward a burning stable" cracks me up every time.
So long Armand Goldman. Or was it Coldeman?
Jon from Bloomington - 10 years ago
Had to go with Other and World's Greatest Dad. The pitch-black but profound premise wouldn't have worked without Williams's sweaty, hangdog charm, something he always had in his back pocket. A great performance in a very underrated movie.
Understandable that it isn't a renown role of his, but I'd have to choose other here for the movie Bicentennial Man. Perhaps it is my addiction to Science fiction or even my enjoyment of reading Isaac Asimov that leads me to find such appreciation in this film. The idea behind a robot desiring to have a soul and to love is an enjoyable concept when done correctly. I think this movie did it well and Robin Williams played the part better than I could have ever expected from him, a man of doubtfire capabilities. That's my opinion anyway.
P.S. No offense to Mrs. Doubtfire fans. That movie, like most movies except for Sucker Punch (worst movie I've ever seen), have redeeming qualities. Shame Robin Williams didn't make more serious roles though overall.
I know I'm very much in a minority, but I have very little appreciation for William's comedic performances. They are good performances, but just not my cup of tea as films.
That said, I'm giving huge shout-outs to two great films and two great performances. First up is One Hour Photo, I have a lot of love for that film. The second is a film that 90% of the population have likely not seen, let alone as a William's vehicle, being The Night Listener. It's a wonderful story about a radio-host, Williams, who gets emotionally invested with a young boy who was abused and battling aids as a result. His performance as a broken soul in The Night Listener is so good that at any given moment it looks like his smile might shatter his entire face into pieces.. wonderful performance and a great film to boot.
Chris
I want to give a shout-out to an against-type performance in an underrated movie, William's turn as the murderous Walter Finch in Christopher Nolan's remake of Insomnia (2002). Williams had an incredible life force but let's not forget, that unpredictable energy also made him dangerous, even in his most lovable roles. Pride and the suffused resentment that can accompany it were also part of his screen aura. He never got a better chance to coil them all back into a toxic spring than with Walter Finch, with the possible exception of One Hour Photo. For anyone who has not yet seen Insomnia, it's a great reminder of Williams's dramatic range and how potent he could be playing villains.
What made Robin Williams such a wonderful actor, was that he could convey a warmth on screen that you could really feel - and he did it better than so many other actors. While this is a good selection of his work, and I easily could have picked Good Will Hunting or Dead Poets Society, I had to go with 'other', and that would be The World According to Garp. While it's not the best film ever made, much like Adam, I have a real fondness for this film and his performance in it. Garp is one of my favourite books, and it is precisely this reason that it's a surprising choice. I'm rarely satisfied with book to film adaptations, and especially the casting choices. This is one instance in which they nailed the casting. Every time I re-read this book, it is Robin Williams that I see, and I'm so happy to have him be my forever Garp.
Robin Williams was a great actor. For me, I preferred the roles in which his usual manic energy was nowhere to be seen. For this poll, Good Will Hunting gets my vote. Robin's portrayal of Sean Maguire deservingly won the Oscar.
In the Other category, a close second for me is Awakenings. His portrayal of Dr. Malcolm Sayer (a proxy for Dr. Oliver Sacks) was also remarkable for its understatement and humanity. For all the films listed in this poll, and for many others, thank you Robin Williams for the incredible gifts you gave us.
While it's incredibly difficult to choose between these choices, especially considering my first memory of a Robin Williams performance is of The Genie in Aladdin, the performance which has forever cemented him in my memory is that of Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. This role so perfectly mixed his penchant for moving swiftly between comedy and drama, and the final scene between him and Matt Damn (It's not your fault) is one of the most memorable and heartwrenching scenes in recent cinematic history (and one that never fails to bring me to tears).
My favorite of the listed films has to be Dead Poets Society. Saw this film as a teenager and was so inspired by it. Its one of the first films that practically brought me to tears which was very disconcerting that a film could do that to me. (also note the the to the film Boyhood, starring a young Ethan Hawke.
I also have a special place for World According to Garp. I saw that film when I was even younger and the mix a perversity and sensitivity struck me and stuck with me even years later. Might be my favorite.
I know many people on this poll will immediately look at Dead Poet's Society, Aladdin, and Good Will Hunting as the roles that they identify as their favorite Robin Williams performance. For me though, as much as I love those roles, and grew up watching the Genie in Aladdin, his role in The Birdcage really resonates with me.
Armand Goldman really could've been many things when people first announced Robin Williams was playing the lead. Instead of being a caricature, Williams brought character and strength to a person who was finally comfortable being a gay man. He was theatrical and flamboyant at times, but he wasn't a stereotype. Robin Williams exuberance and quietness in this role show the many things he was capable of.
I feel that Robin Williams chose movies that are important to me and the public perhaps because many of them are inspiring. I may not have known the man, but he was strongly relatable to me seeing him in film.
This is a tough one, but I'm going with the genie in Aladdin. Robin Williams' manic talent was a perfect fit for voice acting, and in the shape-shifting genie, he finally had a character whose physicality could keep up with his vocal gymnastics. And, even though his performance is turned up to "11" throughout, he still manages some moments of genuine poignancy. That said, even though I do think this is brilliant work on his part, I have to admit that this is a really nostalgic pick for me. Aladdin was my first exposure to Robin Williams, the only work of his I was allowed to see as a young kid. It's not the performance I turn to the most now that I'm an adult (that's probably "Good Will Hunting" or "Dead Poets Society"), but it's still the one that fills me with the most joy.
The grown up in me really truly loves The Fisher King. Robin Williams captured that heart of that character so well, every part of Parry: the aching broken hole at the core of his being, the commitment to the idea burning his psyche, and the faint hope that his behavior might get him rescued. Williams was affecting, charming, insane, hilarious, frightened, and intense.
But, there is a little kid inside of me who can recite Aladdin from memory and I would not have that film so deeply etched into me, were it not for the sheer manic brilliance of Williams.
It's a tough choice, especially when I look at Robin Williams' dramatic roles but I have to go with Dead Poets Society.
Williams performance as John Keating resonated on so many levels with me. I was in a Catholic private school back when I first saw it and what would I have given to have a teacher like him! That one character perfectly combined his wit, charm and his funniness with a certain sadness that is kind of the foundation of all funny people. Plus, it made me want to be a teacher (which I am now. Not as great as Keating but still a good one, I hope).
You know, when considering Williams' greatest performance, I was compelled to choose something that both captured his manic comedic timing and his talent for poignancy. This leaned me toward Good Morning, Vietnam. However, if I were to be honest with myself, I've only seen that film a couple times. My favorite performance that accomplishes the comedic and the dramatic perfectly is Mrs. Doubtfire. His hilarious antics in drag are probably what the film is best remembered for. However, I'm always touched, almost always moved to tears, by his scenes that focus on how much this father is torn apart by his divorce and inability to be with his kids. The final monologue of Doubtfire reading a letter from a child stricken by divorce almost always adds dust to the room for me. So, I vote 'Other' for this omission on the list.
It's a close call between "The Fisher King," which is the best use of his inherent desperation for love as an actor, and "Popeye," a performance that brings me no end of joy. Both show him at his most boisterous and his sweetest. I think I might lean towards "Popeye," though, because I can't think of another person who could capture everything about a cartoon character without disappearing themselves, nor could I think of many other actors who could make a live-action cartoon seem vulnerable and human.
I know you typically only focus on film, but for this particular poll, you should have at least considered Williams' TV roles. I am not sure that Mork is his best role, but it deserves to be in the conversation. This role made Williams a household name and is many people's first introduction to his work. In some ways, this role along with his stand-up work defined him as an entertainer. The character of Mork was such a defining character, that any time Williams played a serious role it is described as a "departure." America fell in love with Mork from Ork and it paved the way for a wonderful body of work. Nanu-Nanu...
The two real standouts for me are Dead Poet's Society and Good Will Hunting. Had to go with Dead Poet's here as it was the first time I had seen him as something other than the wacky guy from Mork & Mindy. Maybe it's because I'm the product of an all-boys college prep school, but when Williams was in front of his students telling them to rip the first pages of their textbooks on understanding literature, I couldn't help but be pulled in. He was a great comedian but I'll remember him best for his dramatic roles.
I committed to Fisher King but was torn with "Other".
-Mrs Doubtfire: Not only very comedic really showed the trials of divorce, family and dedication even if in the real world that behaviour might get you jail time
-Happy Feet: see animation below
-What Dreams may come: I was really young when i saw this so i can't define it but i was moved
-The Birdcage
-All is animated voices. He brought so much life to animation
So hard to pick one.
Death to Smoochy was my favorite Robin w. role. It was tailor made for his brand of manic, dark comedy. He was perfect as a kids tv show host that hits rock bottom. No one else could have brought the hilarious edgie desperation that he did. Aw man. Sad day.
If I go with the movie I've seen most times, for me it has to be 'The Birdcage'. Williams plays against type but does it beautifully: His impeccable timing really shows here and he is just so lovable! It seems he just disappears into the role and quite easily becomes the very sweet, goodhearted Armand Goldman; a man whose singular goal in life besides running the best club in Miami Beach is to make his son happy. And with that script you can't fail: The panic in Wiliams eyes as he during a disastrous dinner party mumbles "It's like riding a psychotic horse toward a burning stable" cracks me up every time.
So long Armand Goldman. Or was it Coldeman?
Had to go with Other and World's Greatest Dad. The pitch-black but profound premise wouldn't have worked without Williams's sweaty, hangdog charm, something he always had in his back pocket. A great performance in a very underrated movie.