Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williamswas an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, producer, writer, singer and voice artist. Starting as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, he is credited with leading San Francisco's comedy renaissance. After rising to fame as Mork in Mork & Mindy, Williams went on to establish a career in both stand-up comedy and feature film acting. He was known for his improvisational skills...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth21 July 1951
CityChicago, IL
CountryUnited States of America
My childhood was lonely. Both my parents were away a lot, working, and the maid basically raised me. And I think that's where a lot of my comedy comes from. Not only was the maid very funny and witty, but when my mother came home I'd use humour to try and get her attention. If I made mommy laugh, then maybe everything would be all right. I think that's where it [my comedy] all started.
Freud: If it's not one thing, it's your mother
My mother's idea of natural childbirth was giving birth without makeup. She was hyper-positive - the world is a wonderful place, rainbows and unicorns. If you said anything contrary to her, you were basically exiled.
They say our mothers really know how to push our buttons - because they installed them
My religious background is that my mother is a Christian Dior Scientist
I basically started performing for my mother, going, 'Love me!' What drives you to perform is the need for that primal connection. When I was little, my mother was funny with me, and I started to be charming and funny for her, and I learned that by being entertaining, you make a connection with another person.
We show-ed a lot of intensity on defense early. But we missed one of our point guards who is the spark for our defense.
Performing comedy in San Francisco to begin with is pretty wild. You've got to - you've got the human game preserve to play off of. And it's a lot of great characters everywhere. You work off that, and then you play the rooms, and eventually you get to a point where you're playing a club that is a comedy club, with other comics.
We wanted a name that was fun and different and something people would remember. Foundation board member Betty McCain suggested Winter Solstice, and we went with that.
I do believe in love; it's wonderful - especially love third time around, it's even more precious; it's kind of amazing.
But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
Marijuana enhances many things, colors, flavors, sensations, but you are certainly not f**king empowered. When you're stoned, you're lucky if you can find your own goddamn feet. The only way it's a performance-enhancing drug is if there's a big f**king Hershey bar at the end of the run. Then you'll be like a Swiss ski jumper going, "I'm there!
It felt wonderful doing it. But that's rather like urinating in brown velvet pants. It can feel wonderful, but no one will watch.
We're all worms, but I do believe I'm a glowworm.