Robin Williams was one of the most talented and memorable actors of his time. He may be gone, but one thing’s for sure – he’ll never be forgotten. However, despite the fact that Williams spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Robin Williams. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: His Role as the Genie Was Largely Improvised. It speaks to Williams’ true talent as both a comedian and an actor to learn that most of his role as the genie in Aladdin was improvised. In fact, so much of the role was improvised that the Academy reportedly rejected Aladdin‘s bid for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Number Fourteen: He Visited Christopher Reeve in the Hospital Dressed in Scrubs. After Reeves had an accident that ended up ending his career, Williams dressed up in scrubs to visit him in the hospital. Williams made him laugh for the very first time since his accident.
Number Thirteen: He Cheered up Steven Spielberg While He Was Making Schindler’s List. Williams knew that Spielberg wasn’t in the highest of spirits at the time, considering the nature of the film, so he called him to tell him jokes and cheer him up.
Number Twelve: He Was Least Likely to Succeed. According to his high school classmates, anyway. That’s not the only superlative he was given, though! His high school classmates got something right when they named him the funniest.
Number Eleven: He Loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In fact, it was his favorite book! Williams loved it so much that he even read it to his children while they were growing up.
Number Ten: He Was a Rugby Fan. Williams was good friends with former rugby player Jonah Lomu. When Williams passed away, Lomu wrote a tribute for Williams on Twitter.
Number Nine: He Sat on His Head at an Audition. When Williams auditioned for the role of Mork on Happy Days, he impressed the producers by sitting on his own head after they asked him to “sit down.” They hired him because he was “the only alien who auditioned.” Stay tuned for part two of our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Robin Williams, coming soon!