Robin Williams

Background

Robin McLaurin Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. to Robert Fitzgerald Williams and Laurie McLaurin. His father was an executive for the Ford Motor Company, while his mom was a former model. Williams had French, German, Scottish, English, and Irish ancestry.

For a brief period in his life, Williams was a student of political science at Claremont Men’s College. He also pursued theater at the College of Marin. Thereafter, he joined the Juilliard School in order to focus solely on theater. After he left the school, Williams began performing in nightclubs, whereafter he was cast in the role of Mork, from Ork, in the 1974 T.V. series “Happy Days.” Then, he was featured in the popular spin-off weekly series “Mork & Mindy” in 1978. In 1980, Williams made a feature starring debut in “Popeye.”

Over the years, Williams proved his mettle as a dramatic actor as well, receiving Academy Award nominations for his leading roles in several movies during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1997, he won the Academy Award for ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ for the film “Good Will Hunting.” Moreover, during and after the 1990s, he transformed into a cherished hero for kids across the globe due to his appearance in a string of family-oriented movies, such as “Hook,” “Jumanji,” “Bicentennial Man,” “Happy Feet,” and the “Night at the Museum” franchise. The actor also received acclaim for his performance in “The World According to Garp,” “Awakenings,” “Insomnia,” and “Boulevard,” among numerous other films. Williams was found dead at his Tiburon home on August 11, 2014.