Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created spontaneously and portrayed in drama and comedy films. Williams is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, five Grammy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Williams was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005.
Born Robin McLaurin Williams in Chicago, Illinois, he came from a wealthy family. His father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a senior executive at Ford Motor Company, and his mother, Laurie McLaurin, was a former model with a witty sense of humor. He also had two older half-brothers.
Despite his family’s wealth, Williams described himself as an introverted, shy, and often lonely child. His parents were frequently busy, and he often spent more time with the household staff, particularly the maid who became his primary companion. He would often play alone in his family’s large home, creating characters and conversations in his head.
Williams was bullied as a child, and he began to use comedy as a defense mechanism. He developed his sense of humor, partly inspired by his mother’s quick wit, as a way to cope and gain attention.
Due to his father’s work, the family moved several times. In late 1963, when he was 12, his father was transferred to Detroit, and the family lived in a large farmhouse. When he was 16, his father retired, and they moved to Tiburon, California.
Williams didn’t overcome his shyness until he became involved with his high school drama department at Redwood High School in California. It was there that his interest in the arts and entertainment was truly fostered. He was known for being very funny and excelled in improvisation, often leaving his classmates and teachers in hysterics.
He was a good student, class president, and participated in sports like wrestling. After high school, he initially enrolled at Claremont Men’s College to study political science. However, his passion for acting led him to drop out and pursue theater at the College of Marin, and later, on a full scholarship, at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, where he befriended Christopher Reeve.
Here’s a collection of 20 amazing photos of Robin Williams when he was a kid in the 1950s and 1960s:
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