Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, 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.
Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and released several comedy albums including Reality ... What a Concept in 1980. He rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy. Williams received his first leading film role in Popeye. Williams won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting. His other Oscar-nominated roles were for Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society and The Fisher King.
Williams starred in the critically acclaimed dramas The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson, Awakenings, Insomnia, One Hour Photo and World's Greatest Dad.