Get ready for a laughter-filled journey through the genius of Robin Williams! We're counting down the most hilarious and spontaneous moments from this comedic legend. From talk show appearances to movie scenes, witness the unparalleled wit and improvisation that made Williams a true icon of comedy.
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00:00But never duplicated, duplicated, duplicated, duplicated!
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best improvised Robin Williams moments in movies, TV shows, award shows, and interviews.
00:15My wife used to fart when she was nervous. She had such a wonderful living sync with these.
00:20Number 30, Jay Leno appearance, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
00:24It's a very difficult name for a person to see this thing.
00:26It gets mispronounced as you go further south, as you get more, you know, in the Midwest.
00:29Are you in that movie, Jim Johnny?
00:32Ahead of the release of the 1995 film Jumanji, the late, great Robin Williams made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
00:39He wasted no time before entertaining the audience and made the comedy show host laugh on numerous occasions.
00:45Before discussing his new film that centers on a supernatural board game, Williams cracked several jokes about casino games and Vegas.
00:52It's like Rod Serling's walking around the lobby going, picture a place without sound, without light, where you can kiss your assets goodbye.
01:03Oh yeah, and he made it clear not to mess with him when he's playing Nintendo.
01:07During the talk show appearance, he also discussed the making of Jumanji in that inimitable Robin Williams fashion.
01:13I was wrestling this crocodile, I was like, oh yes, yes, and I pounded it on the head, and all of a sudden from inside I heard, Harry!
01:20There was this guy in there going, hey it's me man, it's Jim!
01:29You might be thinking, wait a sec, Robin Williams wasn't in Schindler's List.
01:34I didn't do enough.
01:36You did so much.
01:38You're right, however, he was involved during the making of the multi-Oscar winning epic historical drama.
01:43The production of the dark emotional holocaust film was taxing on director Steven Spielberg.
01:48Schindler's List, I was always a bit outside of the experience, and I think it's because it was horrendous, and troubling, and deeply saddening.
01:58But Williams, who had recently starred in Spielberg's Hook, helped him get through it by calling once a week to offer some comic relief.
02:05Spielberg explained this in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stating that his friend would only hang up after hearing a big laugh.
02:12What a great friend.
02:13This is the other problem with making the movie, talking about how hard it was, laughing.
02:16The laughing hurt, the laughing hurt, the laughing hurt in the sides, in the throat, and in the back of the mind.
02:35What couldn't Robin Williams do?
02:37During an interview on the set of the 2006 road comedy film RV, the multi-talented Williams showed off his linguistic versatility.
02:44And the interviewer could not stop laughing.
02:54It got to the point where one could question whether or not this could even be considered an interview.
02:58Williams rambled for several minutes with hilarious playful improvisation, and at one point, he made it seem as if he was the host of a talk show.
03:15That interviewer must have been thinking,
03:17Merci Robin Williams for making this interaction so much fun.
03:25An unusual program is what Dick Cavett told the audience they'd be in store for with Robin Williams making an appearance on the show.
03:32With the use of multiple accents, impersonations, and pure improvisation, the audience was in for a treat.
03:45Cameras, we better clean it up, I'm sorry.
03:47Williams let his character and unparalleled acting skills illuminate the rooms and viewers' TV screens.
03:53This included acting like he was on a film set and pretending that he was a little kid.
03:58Whoa!
03:59Mother gave this so I could write my new book.
04:03Dick Cavett even claimed that Williams was rubbing off on him.
04:06You know, whatever you have is catching, because I'm not usually this weird myself.
04:11You could try improvising with that man, but good luck keeping up with that level of brilliance.
04:22We are convinced that if you gave Robin Williams one word or one name,
04:27he could take it and make hours worth of improv out of it.
04:29During a 1978 comedy special, Williams took a suggestion from someone in the audience and turned it into gold.
04:42Wait, did you pick him off the plant?
04:47We're not so sure that's really how they prepare Escargot, but we're here for the sound effects.
04:51Also during the comedy special, Williams engaged with the audience by leaving the stage
04:55and providing fans a chance to see him perform extra up close and personal.
04:59No! Everyone I've ever known!
05:05There are people here I've slept with twice!
05:07This type of audience interaction isn't something you get at just any comedy event.
05:12Robin Williams was something else.
05:25Number 25, 1988 comedy special, an all-star toast to the improv.
05:37Williams went on one of his patented accent adventures during a 1988 comedy improv event.
05:43From Indian to Scottish to US Southern,
05:46he seized the room and captured laughs from all over the place no matter what accent he used.
05:51You know I told, I told you that I found these things on the freeway, I sold them together.
05:57You know, there are those little possums out there running around.
06:00Pepperidge Farm is putting them in a doughy crust.
06:02During this bit, Williams also demonstrated an impressive knack for being able to use
06:07whatever and whoever was in the room to shape his act.
06:10Eventually, they had to pull him off the stage because time was up.
06:13But within those mere nine or so comical minutes,
06:16Williams gave the audience a performance to remember.
06:18It's like Dorothy on acid, this is what it's about.
06:22And there's Bud like the Wizard of Oz going, don't look behind that curtain.
06:27Number 24, Conan appearance, late night with Conan O'Brien.
06:31Kid, have your kids seen your stand-up that you're doing right now?
06:34Yes, it's very interesting.
06:35My 10-year-old saw it and said, you have to set limits, which was good.
06:39When it was time to talk to Conan during a 2002 television appearance,
06:42Robin Williams figured, why not bring out the Irish accent?
06:45And the words he decided to utilize in the process were hilarious.
06:49But that was only the beginning.
06:51Oh, Lord, it's good to be here with you, Mr. O'Brien.
06:54On this fine New York spring day.
06:57How are you now, Robin?
06:58Oh, dear faith, it's a great day.
07:01Conan may have reminded Williams that there were kids watching,
07:03but there was no way he was going to keep it PG.
07:06Even when simply asked about bringing his comedy show to Broadway,
07:09Williams responded in his unique humorous fashion.
07:12Excited about Broadway?
07:13Big time excitement.
07:14Broadway, hello!
07:17Where you can sing loud for no reason.
07:20Not only did the audience get a kick out of it, but the host did as well.
07:28Dinner with the fam doesn't go as planned for Mrs. Doubtfire.
07:31One of multiple things that go wrong includes her dentures falling into the wine glass
07:35after taking a sip.
07:36What follows is an ingenious piece of improvisation from Robin Williams.
07:41Oh, my God, I'm so sorry about that.
07:45Carpe Diem is an overarching message in another Williams classic,
07:49the 1989 film, Dead Poets Society.
07:52Carpe Dentum, though?
07:53That's something else altogether.
07:55Carpe Dentum.
07:56Seize the teeth.
07:57Let me assist you.
07:58Oh, dear, a spoon.
08:00Oh, how clever.
08:01For Williams to have delivered this ad-lib while attempting to scoop the dentures out
08:05of the glass, all while not breaking character,
08:07is something to behold.
08:09Oh, just take them off like a dog.
08:12Sorry.
08:12Oh, forgive me.
08:14It's all right.
08:14Sorry about my spree.
08:17Number 22, Craig Ferguson appearance, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
08:22Robin Williams fittingly started off his interview with Craig Ferguson with a Scottish accent,
08:26which led to the two having some fun with British accents and high-pitched voices.
08:30What is this madness?
08:31You can't walk around like that.
08:33What if you have to do something quickly?
08:34You do it slowly.
08:36Huh?
08:37You slowly.
08:38Huh?
08:38You slide around in your little slippers.
08:41With Williams in typically unpredictable mode on numerous occasions throughout the episode,
08:46Ferguson looked to the camera to assure everybody that they were just joking.
08:49This included after Williams enacted Shakespeare with a speech impediment.
08:53Alas, poor young lass.
08:56I knew he would.
08:59I look forward to your angry speech impediment thing.
09:01It's just a joke.
09:02We're just messing around.
09:02We don't mean any harm by it.
09:04Another memorable moment was when Williams insinuated that he didn't know what day it was.
09:08A lack of protein will do that to you.
09:10Finally, he even helped Ferguson answer fan emails,
09:14including one asking for help naming a band.
09:16His response was, well, interesting.
09:19How about Chlamydia?
09:24That's good.
09:25Number 21, Letterman appearance, Late Show with David Letterman.
09:29No one could make an entrance quite like Robin Williams.
09:32In 1993, he arrived on the set of The Late Show with David Letterman in style,
09:37with facial expressions that really got us here.
09:49On this particular day, Williams seems to have been feeling extra musical.
09:53After showing off some vocals,
09:55he later pretended to be an Italian as he talked about David Letterman and life in Italy.
10:03He was talented enough that we know he would have nailed a movie role as a native of Italy.
10:08But then again, he could have nailed a role as just about anyone.
10:12Do radio ventriloquism.
10:13There's a great job.
10:14Hey, how are you, Charlie?
10:15Nice to have you on the show.
10:16Well, good to be on the show, Edgar.
10:18It's radio, they don't know!
10:20Number 20, Marlon Brando does Shakespeare, Dead Poets Society.
10:25One of Robin Williams' signature dramatic roles allowed for Letterman to play
10:29one of Robin Williams' signature dramatic roles allowed for levity
10:33and even a small amount of improvisation.
10:35In this particular scene, his character John gives a lesson on Shakespeare.
10:39We're going to talk about Shakespeare as someone who writes something very interesting.
10:43Now, many of you have seen Shakespeare done very much like this.
10:47Oh, Titus, bring your friend hither.
10:50The spiel diverts from the usual boring and monotonous lecture
10:53thanks to the actor's ability to think on his feet.
10:56He resorts to impersonating legends like Marlon Brando to get his point across,
11:00with no script prompting him to do so.
11:02But if any of you have seen Mr. Marlon Brando,
11:05know that Shakespeare can be different from France, Romans, countrymen.
11:11Blimey, your ass.
11:12Of course, the moment feels completely natural because of Williams' inherent comedic gifts.
11:17While most of the film is serious,
11:20the late genius managed to include this hilarious ad-lib
11:23without ever taking us out of the story.
11:30Director Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King defies description
11:34and contains an Oscar-nominated performance from Robin Williams.
11:38During a double date, the comedian and Jeff Bridges star opposite
11:41Mercedes Ruhl and Amanda Plummer in a hilariously disastrous scene.
11:46The four actors' characters are unable to keep a solid conversation
11:50and a variety of awkward moments ensue.
11:54Apparently, the iconic scene was born out of improvisation,
11:58making it all the more impressive,
12:00especially when you consider Williams' surprise singing performance.
12:24The eternally lovable actor approaches the scene
12:28with a quiet and mischievous nature that's completely captivating.
12:32His heartfelt and genuine character truly comes alive
12:36and it feels like he's delivering a masterclass in improv.
12:44When Robin Williams joined Ellen DeGeneres to play Heads Up,
12:48we got a glimpse into what he might have been like on game nights.
12:51His ability to chain together accents and impersonations at a moment's notice
12:55is nothing short of impressive.
12:57He even makes a Miley Cyrus impression work under the circumstances.
13:11The game becomes an afterthought at a certain point,
13:14as Williams takes over with a whirlwind of comedic intensity.
13:17With his hilarious attempts at mimicking everyone from Cher to David Beckham,
13:22the performer brings the house down.
13:33DeGeneres can't help but laugh at his continuously amusing
13:36and completely unscripted hijinks,
13:38and we are right there with her.
13:41It's only fitting that a master improviser like Robin Williams
13:49would end up on the unscripted show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
13:52The legend gets off to a raucous start,
13:55providing one of the most lovably hectic guest spots in the show's history.
13:59He plays well with his co-stars,
14:01particularly in a sketch about directors ordering around unruly actors.
14:10There's no doubt he always makes his fellow scene partners look good,
14:20with or without props.
14:22All the while, the entertainer seems to be in his happy place
14:25in a show full of improvisational games.
14:32Needless to say, he makes the most of a truly generous and funny appearance.
14:40Robin Williams took inspiration from a number of comic personalities,
14:47including the improvisational genius Jonathan Winters.
14:50During this 60 Minutes interview,
14:52Winters gets interrupted by his friend and fellow comedian.
14:55Williams instantly transforms into a director,
14:58ordering his counterpart to try out different personas.
15:11Once the action shifts outside, the two entertainers really get going,
15:16drifting in and out of bizarre characters
15:19in a haze of wonderfully zany unscripted bits.
15:22The fact that Winters was an incredibly important figure in Williams' life
15:26makes the segment especially thrilling to see.
15:28In one of his more underrated comedies,
15:52Williams plays Armand Goldman, the owner of a Miami drag club.
15:59He's forced to act straight with his partner, Nathan Lane,
16:10dressed as a middle-aged woman,
16:11while meeting his son's conservative in-laws-to-be.
16:14In the climactic dinner sequence,
16:27Armand slips and falls while carrying a pot of soup.
16:30According to Williams' co-star Hank Azaria,
16:32Williams actually slipped and fell while filming the sequence.
16:35Ever the pro, Williams simply got back up and carried on.
16:38Although, he nearly breaks while telling his son to go, go!
16:45During his stint on Inside the Actor's Studio,
17:05Williams hilariously went off the rails in seconds.
17:08He has everyone laughing their butts off
17:10before host James Lipton has asked a single question.
17:14A lot of times people know the reverend will do that.
17:18A lot of times you feel the need to do that.
17:25Okay, we're ready now.
17:26Things don't get less interesting once the interview gets going either.
17:29Between anecdotes and discussions about technique,
17:32the pair also deals with serious subjects in a playful way.
17:35And the comedian's interaction with the audience makes the episode extra memorable.
17:40Turning his appearance into a stand-up set,
17:42he repeatedly creates hysterical situations out of thin air.
17:56He subverts the traditional talk show format in the best way,
18:00giving Lipton and everyone watching a front row seat to his genius.
18:0513. The Prank Phone Calls – Mrs. Doubtfire
18:09Director Chris Columbus allowed Robin Williams to improvise
18:12throughout the making of Mrs. Doubtfire.
18:14In the scene where his character Daniel prank calls Sally Field's Miranda,
18:18Williams unleashes increasingly outrageous voices from his comedic mind.
18:22I was in a band. Severe tire damage.
18:25In a band?
18:26I just want to know one thing. Are your kids well behaved,
18:30or do they need like a few light slams every now and then?
18:33Outtakes from the production reveal the staggering number of takes he completed for the sequence.
18:38While the final product mostly follows the script with some improv thrown in,
18:42the behind-the-scenes clips present other variations of the moment.
18:46Each alternate shot gets more absurd,
18:48as Williams invents new personalities with wild backstories.
18:52You know, because if they need a few light slams, I'm the one for them.
18:55Don't make me, all right then. No! That's it. Next time it's on target.
19:02Even after filming dozens of takes,
19:05he manages to return with crazier ideas and a boundless energy.
19:09Of course, that's precisely what made him one in a million.
19:13Number 12. Robin and Billy Crystal at the Oscars.
19:16The 76th Academy Awards.
19:19Collaborators and friends,
19:21Billy Crystal and Robin Williams were no stranger to working together.
19:24During one of Crystal's hosting gigs at the Oscars,
19:27Williams joins him on stage for what winds up becoming a comedic break in the show.
19:32Standing behind the lead presenter, the comedian pretends to dub the host.
19:36The seemingly unscripted jokes keep coming,
19:38as the entertainer pokes fun at the ceremony itself and their attire.
19:42Robin stands next to me.
19:44And as the caucus is droning on, Robin says, no way this mother****er wins.
19:49Putting a new spin on standard award show banter,
19:52the duo throws the ceremony for a much needed loop.
19:55And Williams keeps this energy when introducing the next award category afterward.
20:00It's safe to say the actor really thrived during this broadcast in front of his peers.
20:04The moment they say your name when you win, English becomes a second language.
20:09And I forgot to thank my mother and she was in the audience.
20:13Even the therapist went, get out!
20:18One of Francis Ford Coppola's lesser efforts,
20:21Jack stars Williams as Jack Powell, a kid who ages four times faster than a typical child.
20:38When Jack is 10 years old and attending school,
20:41he has the body and appearance of a 45-year-old Robin Williams.
20:44According to Coppola, Williams improvised many of his lines at his insistence.
20:48He told the Christian Science Monitor,
20:50quote, the easiest thing about working with Robin was encouraging him to improvise,
20:54for he's brilliant.
20:56When he began to ad-lib, it was screamingly funny.
20:59While it's not known what specific lines were improvised,
21:02it's clear that Williams had to carry much of the film on his shoulders.
21:06Even if the results were mixed, Williams' dedication is undeniable.
21:13The two-year-old actor is also known to be a great dancer.
21:16He's been known to be a great dancer since he was a kid,
21:18and he's been known to be a great dancer since he was a kid.
21:21He's been known to be a great dancer since he was a kid.
21:26People sometimes forget that Robin Williams was a classically trained actor.
21:32He brought that knowledge to his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
21:36In talking about Shakespeare, the guest and host trade quips about the bard,
21:40with Williams expertly parodying his trademark dialogue.
21:55In a completely improvised Shakespearean interlude,
21:58the comedian breaks into various impressions of celebrities doing Hamlet.
22:02His Stallone and Schwarzenegger impressions are particularly impressive,
22:06capturing their voices and precise styles flawlessly.
22:21The entire moment plays out like an expertly written piece of comedy,
22:25with Carson as his support.
22:27Williams leaps from his chair into our hearts,
22:30delivering one funny line after the other.
22:42Despite some strong competition,
22:44Williams' performance as the Genie may be his best work.
22:48Not only is the voice acting terrific,
22:50but it encapsulates everything that made Williams such a fantastic entertainer.
22:54His manic energy, his uproarious comedy, and his unending creativity.
23:13Animation supervisor Eric Goldberg fondly recalls Williams' improvisations
23:17in the recording booth,
23:18which indicated making a boop sound to indicate Aladdin's lie.
23:22It was meant to represent the sound of Pinocchio's growing nose,
23:25so Goldberg and his team worked around Williams' improv
23:28and added Pinocchio's face into the movie.
23:47It's amazing to consider how much creative leverage Williams had
23:50on the creation of Aladdin.
23:53Thomas and Tim. Friends.
23:55In 1997, Williams and Billy Crystal co-starred in the Ivan Reitman comedy Father's Day.
24:00The day before it premiered,
24:02Williams and Crystal also appeared together in this Friends episode.
24:13Their presence was not planned,
24:15and their characters never appeared in the script.
24:17Rather, Williams and Crystal were both near the Friends set
24:20and were asked if they wanted to cameo.
24:22They obviously agreed and reportedly improvised the entire scene.
24:34At one point, Matt LeBlanc even got in on the action
24:36and improvised a rude interruption,
24:38resulting in an annoyed admonishment from Billy Crystal.
24:48It was probably the highlight of his career.
24:53Sean Maguire is one of Williams' more reserved and dramatic roles,
25:03and it was the one that earned him his only Academy Award.
25:16The ending of the movie sees Will going to California to reunite with Skyler
25:21and leaving Sean a note telling him he had to, quote,
25:23go see about a girl.
25:25This is a reference to a line Sean uttered earlier in the film.
25:40According to Matt Damon,
25:41Sean's reaction to the note was completely improvised by Williams.
25:44The script didn't have Sean saying anything,
25:46but Williams, ever the ad-libber,
25:49reportedly improvised a different line on each take.
25:52When he said the line that now appears in the movie,
25:54Damon grabbed the director in excitement,
25:56knowing that Williams had just uttered gold.
25:59If the professor calls about that job, just tell him I'm sorry.
26:03I had to go see about a girl.
26:16Mork and Mindy served as Williams' mainstream breakthrough hit.
26:29It all started when Williams was cast in the Happy Days episode
26:38My Favorite Orkin, and he reportedly impressed the network executives
26:42by improvising most of Mork's dialogue.
26:44His character proved so popular that he was given a spinoff,
26:48and Williams quickly became a household name.
26:51While stories of Williams' improv have been greatly exaggerated and mythologized,
26:55he still improvised to great success.
26:59One of the show's writers, David Misch, told Gizmodo,
27:18quote,
27:18He didn't do extended ad-libs,
27:20but what he did that would be so brilliant were these little things.
27:23A line here and there, a word here and there, a face, a voice.
27:27Those were the things that blew people's minds.
27:48In 2005, Robin Williams was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes.
27:54He's all smiles as he accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award
27:57honoring the impact he's made through his illustrious body of work.
28:00The actor's off-the-cuff remarks feature many of his trademarks,
28:04including accents and a few impersonations for good measure.
28:20Saluting his family and colleagues,
28:22he doesn't shy away from some more emotional moments either.
28:25Williams' ability to snap between a heartfelt story
28:28and a hilarious one is abundantly clear in this clip.
28:44In the end, the performer was able to touchingly thank everyone
28:47while keeping the ceremony light with his upbeat energy.
28:50Nobody else could do that quite like him.
28:56In one of the movie's greatest sequences,
28:59Daniel is forced to play both himself and Mrs. Doubtfire
29:02when social worker Mrs. Selner pops by for a surprise visit.
29:20Having lost his mask, Daniel shoves his face in a cake
29:24and pretends that it's Mrs. Doubtfire's nightly meringue mask.
29:33That much was scripted. The rest was all Williams.
29:37The hot studio lights began melting the icing on Williams' face
29:40and it genuinely began to look like a real cake.
29:43The scene where Daniel and Mrs. Doubtfire meet for the first time
29:46The hot studio lights began melting the icing on Williams' face
29:49and it genuinely began dripping off into the tea.
29:52Williams decided to just run with it
29:54and he gave audiences a classic bit of comedy in the process.
30:17In this war comedy drama, Williams plays Adrian Cronauer,
30:23a real United States Air Force airman
30:26who served as a military DJ throughout the Vietnam War.
30:28Williams' performance as Cronauer was widely acclaimed
30:31and it earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
30:43According to the movie's producer, Mark Johnson,
30:45most of the DJ scenes were entirely improvised by Williams.
30:49In the movie's production notes, Johnson stated,
31:00Such was the manic energy and unbelievable creativity of Robin Williams.
31:15Good Will Hunting
31:17Despite being one of his more serious roles,
31:19Williams still found time to imbue Sean McGuire with a funny bone.
31:30During a heart-to-heart with Will,
31:32Sean mentions that he has to learn to embrace a woman's imperfections.
31:40To give an example, he tells Will that his late wife used to fart in her sleep.
31:44That line, and the resulting discussion,
31:46were entirely improvised by Williams and Matt Damon.
31:50And Damon's laughter was reportedly genuine.
32:07Some viewers even noticed the camera shaking
32:09right after Sean says,
32:11to tell her.
32:24Indicating that the camera operator was laughing alongside Williams and Damon.
32:28Oh, what it would have been like to work with this man!
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32:441. Celebrity Impressions – Aladdin
33:05As stated before, Aladdin may be Robin Williams' greatest work.
33:09So much so, in fact, that he reportedly gave the filmmaker 16 hours of content.
33:14Animation supervisor Eric Goldberg recalls that he had Williams for four four-hour sessions,
33:19and Williams filled that time with improvisations, jokes, lines, and tons of celebrity impressions.
33:25Looks like we're gonna have to find a way out of here.
33:28Excuse me? Are you looking at me? Did you rub my lamp? Did you wake me up? Did you bring me here?
33:36And all of a sudden you're walking out on me? I don't think so. Not right now.
33:41You're getting your wishes, so sit down!
33:43Goldberg told Entertainment Weekly, quote,
33:46when we got Robin in the recording studio, out came all the celebrity impressions.
33:52That's a good move. I can't believe it. I'm losing to a rug.
33:56So aside from busting a gut laughing, we just looked at each other and said,
34:00we can't not use this stuff. The result was Genie's signature use of celebrity impressions,
34:06and the rare case of animators working around a voice actor. Williams really could do anything.
34:12Genie, I need help!
34:13All right, Sparky, here's the deal. If you want to court the little lady,
34:17you gotta be a straight shooter, do you got it?
34:20Which Robin Williams movie is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
34:24Will your verse be?
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