10 Reasons Why We Still Love and Miss Robin Williams

In the movies, Robin Williams was an extremely talented actor who impressed audiences with his extraordinary performances. Off-screen, he was a pure soul who made sure that no one around him was helpless, sad, or lonely. He made an impact on us all with his unconditional love, which made him an icon to look up to. Today, we’re highlighting some of the actor’s underrated qualities that make us love and miss him even more.

1. He was never afraid to take risks.

Ages ago, when creating remakes wasn’t a trend, Robin Williams dared to star as Popeye and delivered one of the most exceptionally odd performances of all time. Although the movie wasn’t a hit, Williams bravely chose to be unusual, silly, and weirdly appealing on-screen.

2. He never refused to look ridiculous on-screen.

Since the day he won our hearts by starring as a cute alien named Mork in an episode of Happy Days, Williams never said no to looking silly. And when Mork got his own TV show, Mork & Mindy, Williams would always be found trying on lots of wild crimson jumpsuits and rainbow-striped dungarees. He also spoke in very weird language and delivered crazy bits as well.

3. He influenced a generation of teachers in a good way.

In the movie, Dead Poets Society, he said famous lines like, “Carpe diem,” and “O Captain, my Captain,” inspiring prospective educators to change the world. Mr. Keating, played by Williams, had his unique ways of teaching that stirred many in the audience.

When he passed away, many of his fans online proclaimed how inspirational he had been, with one of them saying, “Dead Poets Society made me want to be a teacher.”

4. He was always willing to surprise people in his movies.

Apart from being a heartwarming comedian, Williams was also never afraid to embrace the darker side. As a result, he delivered movies like Insomnia, where he acted as a villain. Similarly, in Good Will Hunting, Williams made us deeply empathize with his loss as he helped Matt Damon’s character find his way through rage.

Here’s some fun trivia about Good Will Hunting: There’s a scene where Sean (played by Williams) was sharing tidbits about his late wife’s farting antics. This was actually ad-libbed by Williams himself. Damon was laughing really hard, and you may also have noticed the camera shaking. This is because the cameraman was likely laughing at that joke too.

5. He leveled up the animation industry.

When Disney gave Williams the offer to voice Genie in their animated film, Aladdin, they expected him to go by the script in a wacky voice. Instead, Williams reinvented his part that left the animators stunned. Eventually, this revolutionized screen animations, where celebrity voiceovers became a must, and this was all because of Williams.

Here’s some trivia: Williams almost didn’t make it to Aladdin because he didn’t want his character to be sold as merchandise to the kids. He said, “The one thing I said was I will do the voice. I’m doing it basically because I want to be part of this animation tradition. I want something for my children. One deal is, I just don’t want to sell anything — as in toys, as in stuff.”

6. He always left an impact on people.

“I met Robin in 1992 when I was 11 years old. The pool scene in Mrs. Doubtfire was filmed at the pool where I used to swim as a kid.

One night I was with a friend at the pool and we thought we saw Robin swimming. We kept a close eye on him from 100 feet away, trying to figure out if it was actually him. The man stood up at the edge of the pool and looked over at us. It was him! We waved. He was wearing swimming paddles on his hands, so he immediately went into character, clapped the paddles together, barked at us like a seal, and waved back.

He got out of the pool and walked over to us, where we gushed to him about our favorite films of his. Then he signed a couple of autographs, we thanked him for his time, and he went off to the locker room. I’ll never forget that moment. What a cool and hilarious dude.” — © bonyponyride / Reddit

7. He was a warm and compassionate human.

“My Dad is a pilot and told me a story a few years back about meeting Robin Williams on one of his flights. He was actually commuting on a connecting flight to Minneapolis from where he would be starting his trip and happened to be sitting next to none other than Robin Williams’ wife (Robin was sitting a few seats ahead of him).

My dad got up a short while into the flight and asked him if he wanted to switch seats with him so that he could be with his wife. According to my dad, Robin Williams responded with a friendly smile and said, ’No it’s okay I feel a bit like wandering around right now anyway.’ He got up, shook my dad’s hand, and then proceeded to go say hey to other passengers for a bit.

My dad said he was one of the friendliest guys he had ever met.” — © flying_d / Reddit

8. He supported many causes and charities.

Robin Williams was a supporter of many causes. In 1986, he, Whoopi Goldberg, and Billy Crystal teamed up to form Comic Relief USA. The annual event was dedicated to helping the homeless. He also supported causes like literacy, women’s rights, and more. Then, with his second wife, Marsha, he founded an organization called Windfall Foundation that supported many charities. He also aided St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for many years.

9. He had one generous requirement when it came to his work.

Robin Williams had a demand that every event or film he took part in must hire homeless people. Brian Lord, the president of Premier Speakers Bureau, approached Williams to book him for an event and he had the same request.

Upon noticing this, Lord said, “I never watched a Robin Williams movie the same way after that. I’m sure that on his own time and with his own money, he was working with these people in need, but he’d also decided to use his clout as an entertainer to make sure that production companies and event planners also learned the value of giving people a chance to work their way back.”

10. He always uplifted his fans.

“A few weeks ago, I was walking in New York at night and I see Robin Williams and a whole bunch of people getting his autograph. Then, after walking up and trying to find something to get his autograph on (which I didn’t), I just stood there watching. He signed gracefully, then took some photos with people.

A guy takes a photo with Robin. A kid takes a photo with Robin. A lady takes a photo with Robin.

Then a guy in his thirties, a little overweight, comes and asks if Robin could please sign memorabilia he bought and saved over 20 years because Robin was his hero. Then he asks if he can take a picture, Robin says, ’Sure, boss,’ and the guy takes a photo of just Robin, and then Robin asks, ’Do you want to be in the photo?’ Then the guy looking down goes, ’Oh no, that’s fine...I...hehe. I’m ugly, I don’t want to ruin the picture’ and then Robin said, ’Don’t be like that, come here!’ and takes a picture with the guy.” — © F***AW***A / Reddit

Has a famous person impacted your life in a good way? Also, which Robin Williams movie is your favorite? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.