This month, we mark the tenth anniversary of the passing of the great Robin Williams, one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the latter part of the 20th century.
Williams was a gifted actor and a successful stuntman. His acting career began in television in the comedy series "Mork and Mindy," where he played an alien acclimatizing on Earth. Williams' first film role was in Robert Altman's flop, Popeye (1980). The failure did not stick to Williams, who, following the film, had a series of breakout roles and hits.
Williams was known, early on in his career, for his improvisational abilities, which were expressed in his quickness of speech, physical humor, and sense of timing - brilliant qualities that spewed from his experience on the stand-up stage to his performances on the screen. The combination of his pleasant expression, positive characters, and the possessed restlessness - created intense and singular performances, which gave a dramatic and human anchor to his films and made them hits. Thus, Williams was the star of the most successful and memorable films of the 1980s and 1990s: The World According to Garp (1982), Good Morning Vietnam (1987), Stand By Me (1989), Awakenings (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Bird Cage (1996), Good Will Hunting" (1998), to name a few.
Williams was a unique star, brilliant, witty, and compassionate - who successfully realized his talents and, in his last years, even tried to challenge the image created for him in films such as Insomnia and One Hour Photo. Unfortunately, his career ended too soon, and the lack of a dramatic comedy star like him is well-felt. This month's program is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy this great talent and his excellent films.
