His Favorite Celebrity Impersonation
A Hollywood legend, and a man of many talents, Robin Williams also had an incredibly big heart. While he was certainly best known for his comedic genius, it was impressive how he could switch to such incredibly dramatic roles in some of his films. The man had an amazingly diverse range of gifts.
As sad as his passing was, Robin Williams’ legend will live on for years to come, both through his work, and in the memories of his millions of fans. Virtually everyone has a favorite recollection of the man – be it a performance, an interview, or something else. That being said, there are still some things you might not know about him. Here are some of the lesser-known facts about the legendary Robin Williams…
Early on in his career, Williams became a master of impersonations. He had the ability to not only mimic someone’s voice, but also their actions, and even their facial expressions. It seems there wasn’t a single person the actor couldn’t impersonate reasonable well.
But he did have a personal favorite – the famous actor Jack Nicholson. He did many impressions of the actor, and you can find dozens videos online of Williams mimicking every nuance, facial expression, and catchphrase that Nicholson is known for.
He Majored In Political Science
You probably wouldn’t expect such a talented actor to have majored in a subject so vastly different from the world of entertainment, but Williams actually attended Calermont Men’s College right out of high school to study political science. He even graduated with a full degree. Ultimately, he would drop out of school to pursue acting, which led to his talents being shared with a global audience.
Full Ride At Julliard
When he began to consider a career in acting, Williams needed to come up with a plan. That’s when he decided to study theatre at the College of Marin, in Marin County, California. During his time there, the teachers started to take notice of Williams’ gifts and talent; he often made all those around him laugh, and he managed to earn yet another opportunity.
That opportunity was a full scholarship to the Julliard School in New York City, after being chosen for one of only 20 spots available in the program. He attended classes with several other actors who would go on to great careers, but left during his junior year, at the suggestion of his professors. They realized the classic style they taught wouldn’t benefit such a unique comedic talent.
Take Me To Church
It’s interesting to learn that the actor began his lengthy comedy career by joining a church comedy workshop, especially considering some of his jokes were targeted towards a more mature, sophisticated audience. After leaving Julliard, Williams sought out another church that held comedy workshops, this time in San Francisco.
He claims that this workshop was essentially a boot camp for learning stand-up comedy, as it only allowed him to improvise solo, rather than with others. Those workshops provided a solid foundation on which to really build and hone his comedy chops.
He Was A Gamer
Something most people don’t realize is that the actor was a devoted fan of video games, sometimes even performing at video game events. There was even a rumor that his daughter, Zelda Rae, got her name from the popular video game, The Legend of Zelda.
He later confirmed that this was, in fact, partly true – but it was actually his son Zachary that came up with the name, and not him. Luckily, the rest of the family agreed with the name choice, and went along with it.
Final Revelations
Sadly, Robin Williams passed away in 2014, at the age of 63; his death sent shockwaves through America and the world. Though his death was initially ruled a suicide, his wife later revealed that he was in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.
Two years later, she also revealed that his autopsy showed he was suffering from Lewy body dementia (LBD), a condition in which an abnormal amount of protein develops in nerve cells, and ultimately impacts the brain. Whatever the reason for his death, there’s no question that the loss of Robin Williams can still be felt to this day.