Robin Williams Birthday: 8 Facts You Didn't Know About The Late Comedian

On July 21, fans from all over the world will be celebrating one of Hollywood’s biggest legacies, for it is the birthday of late comedian and award-winning actor Robin Williams. He passed away in a tragic death in 2014. He was 63.

Williams made people laugh and cry, and his performances already left a mark in the showbiz industry. So, in celebration of his special day, we’re giving you eight facts you might not know about him.

1. Robin Williams’ comedy stint started in church

When the late comedian couldn’t find work as an actor after leaving Julliard School in New York City, he returned to his hometown in San Francisco, California. He found a stand-up comedy workshop in church. He gave it a shot, then realized later that he had started to build his own act from there.

2. He formed a friendship with Koko the gorilla

Williams shared an extraordinary bond with the sign-language-speaking gorilla Koko. They first met in 2001, when Koko had signed for him to play with her. Williams once said, “Koko used sign language to ask me to play with her. We shared interspecies laughter. I realized how important the work of the Gorilla Foundation is for the future of Koko and her species."

3. He tried to get Lydia from Mrs. Doubtfire back in school

Lisa Jakub, who played Lydia from Mrs. Doubtfire, was more than Williams’ daughter on the big screen. He treated her as his own, especially when he tried to get Jakub back in school.

Jakub spent most of her time filming the movie, causing the school to kick her out. But Williams did not let it pass and even sent a letter asking them to accept her again. Jakub did not end up returning, but the school had reportedly framed the letter.

4. He wanted to play Hagrid in “Harry Potter”

The “Harry Potter” phenomenon was a big hit among adults and teenagers, and Williams was one of them. He was once desperate to be cast as Hagrid in the “Harry Potter” movie adaptation, so he personally sent author J.K. Rowling a letter “begging” her for the role. Sadly, Rowling refused because she was forming an all-British cast.

5. He pioneered the era of celebrity voice acting

After the success of the Disney animated film “Aladdin” in 1992, where Williams launched his voice acting career by starring as Genie, more celebrities got the opportunity to explore the “voice acting realm.”

Since then, other Disney animated films, including “The Lion King,” started casting big names in Hollywood like James Earl Jones (Mufasa), Jeremy Irons (Scar), and Rowan Atkinson (Zazu) to voice the characters in the film.

6. He Got Ethan Hawke An Agent

When Ethan Hawke and Williams both starred in the Academy Award-winning film “Dead Poet’s Society,” the 51-year-old “Before Sunrise” star revealed in an appearance on “The Graham Norton Show” in 2019 that he assumed that Williams hated him during filming.

Hawke noticed that the former comedian was being hard on him but was shocked to receive a phone call from Williams’ agent after filming ended, asking him to sign with him as per the late actor’s suggestion.

7. He wasn’t the producers' first choice to play Mork on ‘Mork & Mindy’

The cultural phenomenon “Mork & Mindy” helped launch Williams’ acting career. He played the famous role of a funny alien named “Mork” on it. However, the show’s creators Anson Williams, Marion Ross, and Don Most revealed that Williams wasn’t the first actor offered the role.

The actor who was supposedly going to make Mork’s first appearance on the “Happy Days” episode “My Favorite Orkan” quit. The sister of producer Garry Marshall was the one who discovered Williams and suggested him. Williams got hired on the spot, and the rest was history.

8. His “Inside The Actors Studio” Appearance Gave An Audience Member A Hernia

One of Williams’ most famous interviews was his appearance on “Inside the Actors Studio.” At the time, he didn’t miss the opportunity to do his stand-up comedy stint and flaunt his improvisational skills. Surprisingly, executive producer James Lipton later confirmed that an audience member got rushed to the hospital after getting a hernia from laughing so hard.