Robin Williams (21.07.51 - 11.08.14)
Robin Williams was an American actor and comedian, best known for his stand-up comedy, and his work in films like 'Good Will Hunting', 'Alladin', and 'Night at the Museum'.
Net Worth: At the time of his death, in 2014, Celebrity Net Worth released an article stating that Robin Williams had a net worth of 50 million USD.
Childhood: Robin Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Laurie and Robert Fitzgerald Williams. He studied at Gorton Elementary School just outside of Chicago, before moving on to Deer Path Junior High School. At 16, William's family moved to Tiburon, California, and Williams attended Redwood High School. Williams briefly studied political science at Claremont Men's College, California, before leaving to pursue his career in acting. He spent three years studying theatre at the College of Marin in Kentfield, California. He later earned a scholarship to Juilliard School in New York City and studied there alongside Christopher Reeve. He left in 1976 when he was told that there was nothing more he could learn. From the mid-1970s, Williams began performing stand-up comedy, with his first gig taking place at Holy City Zoo in San Francisco.
Career: While living in Los Angeles, Williams was performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Club in 1977. Television producer George Schlatter saw him perform, and invited him to make his debut television appearance on the show, 'Laugh-In'. While the show failed to connect with audiences, Williams developed a career in television very quickly. His televised 1979 stand-up performance 'Reality. What a Concept' earned him a Grammy Award. Williams shot to the public eye with an appearance as an alien in an episode of 'Happy Days' in 1978. Viewers connected so well with the performance, that Williams was given a spin-off series, entitled 'Mork and Mindy', which ran from 1978 to 1982. Due to his sudden success, Williams earned two HBO shows during the 1980s, entitled 'An Evening with Robin Williams' and 'Robin Williams: Live at the Met'. He also hosted the Academy Awards in 1985. Williams made his film debut in 1977, in 'Can I Do It 'Till I Need Glasses?', although his first starring role came in 1980 with his performance of the title character in 'Popeye'. In 1987, Williams appeared in his breakout role - the main character in 'Good Morning, Vietnam', which earned him an Academy Award nomination. The performance is best known for being largely unscripted, with Williams improvising something new for each take. He appeared in a number of comedy roles throughout the 1990s, often with a strong element of pathos underlying the performance. In 1991, he appeared in 'Hook', followed by an appearance in the animated film, 'Aladdin' in the following year. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in 1997's 'Good Will Hunting'. During the 2000s, he appeared as President Theodor Roosevelt in the 'Night at the Museum' series, appearing in three films, one of them posthumously.
Personal Life: Robin Williams married Valerie Velardi in June, 1978, after meeting her two years beforehand. They had a son in 1983, and the following year he met Tish Carter and began an extramarital affair. His marriage to Valerie ended in 1988. The following year, he married Marsha Garces, the nanny for his son who was also pregnant with his child. In 1989, they had a daughter, before having a son in 1991. Marsha and Robin Williams were divorced in 2010. In 2011, Williams married his third wife, Susan Schneider. On the 11th August, 2014, Robin Williams was found dead in his home in California. The cause of death was stated as suicide, and his ashes were later scattered across San Francisco Bay.
Biography by Contactmusic.com
Robin Williams voiced the Genie in Aladdin.
Disney have released new footage of Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin.
