We first met Robin Williams as the gleeful alien at the center of the hit sitcomMork & Mindy. The 1978-82 series provided an ideal showcase for the comedian, whose improvisations and bursts of wit left audiences doubled over in laughter.
Williams soon became a movie star, appearing in memorable films likeGood Morning, Vietnam,Dead Poets SocietyandMrs. Doubtfireand picked up four Oscar nominations during his career, taking home the trophy for 1997’sGood Will Hunting. His death on Aug. 11, 2014, came as a shock and exposed the personal agony 63-year-old Williams had suffered secretly with an brain disorder. On the fifth anniversary of his death, PEOPLE revisits the life and legacy of the wildly popular actor and comedian in a new commemorative issue,Robin Williams: Celebrating the Life & Career of a Comedy Icon.
The special edition looks at the late actor’s early years—from his childhood to an adolescence, where Williams began setting a course for stardom. Hunkered down in his family’s basement, Williams created an alternative reality, spending hours on end commanding his collection of several thousand toy soldiers. “I had to use all these voices and sound effects with my standing army,” he said to PEOPLE in 1978.
His mother, Laurie Williams, once said her son ‘was put on Earth to make us laugh.’ And in a separate interview withNewsweek, Laurie remembered Robin as an obedient boy with “beautiful manners,” certainly nothing like the madcap who would turn American humor on its head. He was, said storied comedy writer Larry Gelbart, “Like Groucho on speed. A giant.”
Courtesy Susan Williams
When Williams left us in 2014, there was an outpouring from famous fans and friends. “He could not help but be funny all the time,” recalled Ben Stiller, who starred with Williams in theNight at the Museumfilms. “He would do something as long as it would keep you laughing. It is that infectious joy that we celebrate in this photo-filled special edition, celebrating the genius of Robin Williams and the joy he brought the world through his work.
E. Charbonneau/WireImage for Sony Pictures-Los Angeles
“He was the brightest star in a comedy galaxy,” actor Billy Crystal once said of his beloved friend Williams. “But while some of the brightest of our celestial bodies are actually extinct now. Their energy long since cooled, miraculously their beautiful light will continue to shine on us forever, and the glow will be so bright it’ll warm your heart.”
PEOPLE’s special issueRobin Williams: Celebrating the Life & Career of a Comedy Iconis available nowon Amazonand wherever magazines are sold
source: people.com
