ROBIN WILLIAMS AND ONE HOUR PHOTO

In preparation for his role in "One Hour Photo" (2002), Robin Williams trained for two and a half days at a photo developing training facility in Southern California on an Agfa MSC 101-D photo developing machine.

Williams was originally cast as the SavMart manager, Bill Owens (eventually played by Gary Cole), but after reading the screenplay for a second time, Williams requested the role of Seymour Parrish. Although playing his nemesis in this film, Cole immensely enjoyed working with Williams on this movie and got along with him very well off camera. Cole in fact accepted the role purely for the reason of working with Williams.

Between takes, Williams would improvise and do comedic takes on the scenes as if "One Hour Photo" was a comedy, and often played practical jokes in the middle of a take during the making of a film. According to producer Christine Vachon, Williams burst out of a doorway completely nude during one take for a chase scene.

After the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Williams overheard viewers say that they forgot it was Williams in the lead role 15 minutes into the film, an observation that made Williams proud...

HOLLYWOOD URBAN LEGEND: ROBIN WILLIAMS

URBAN LEGEND: Did Robin Williams hire homeless people to work on his movies?

ANSWER: YES!

It is amazing that Robin Williams for every movie he was shooting, asked the production company to hire at least 10 homeless people to get them jobs, throughout his career he helped about 1520 homeless people ! A great man, a great heart...

MEMORIES OF THE BIRDCAGE

Steve Martin was originally cast as Armand Goldman and Robin Williams was to play Albert Goldman in "The Birdcage" (1996) but scheduling conflicts caused Martin to drop out of the role and Williams then decided to assume the role of Armand instead, as he wanted a change from flamboyant characters. The role ultimately played by Nathan Lane.

Filmmaker and PBS producer Rick McKay was hired by director Mike Nichols, months before filming of "Birdcage" began, to go to Paris, London, San Francisco, and Atlanta to make a feature length documentary about drag queens. McKay did thorough research to find drag queens all over the world to interview and to film in performance. This finished documentary was used to train Lane and Williams.

Nichols required that Lane and Williams filmed at least one good take of each scene sticking to the script before he would allow them to improvise (something both of the actors are known for).

While Lane, like his character in the film, is openly gay, he hadn't come out at the time of the film's release.

"There's not a day in my life I'm not proud of being gay, but I just wasn't ready for that attention to be placed on it. I remember being on Oprah. Well, not on 'Oprah.' Near Oprah. She started saying, 'Now, Nathan, you got all those girlie moves going down in 'The Birdcage', where's all that coming from? You're so good at all that girlie stuff!'"

During that interview, Winfrey asked Lane if he was afraid that taking a gay role would typecast him for gay roles or make people question his sexuality for the rest of his career. Lane replied, “Not really…. I don’t have an image to uphold. I’m basically a character actor. I’m not a sex symbol. From role to role I’m usually pretty different, and the material was so incredible, I don’t know how you could turn it down because you would be worrying about your image. It’s a wonderful character and very nurturing….”

The celebrity magazine Us later asked Lane point-blank, “Are you gay?” and Lane responded, “I’m 40, single, and I work a lot in the musical theater. You do the math. What do you need — flashcards?”

A TRIBUTE TO ROBIN WILLIAMS: TEN YEARS LATER

It is not fair that Robin Williams is not part of our lives anymore. It is even more tragic that it has been ten years since he left us...

THE LAST WILL OF ROBIN WILLIAMS

The will of the actor Robin Williams became the subject of a legal dispute between his wife and his three children. Robin Williams left all his $100 million estate to his adult children Zachary, Zelda and Cody. There was an additional provision in the will that his wife Susan Schneider Williams should live in the house they shared in Tiburon. The will stated that she should live in it for her lifetime, but that the children will eventually inherit that as well.

Williams had recently updated his will prior to taking his own life in August 2014. No doubt he had wanted to make it clear as to his exact wishes of the distribution of his assets should be. However, unfortunately as sometimes happens, family members disputed how the estate should be allocated. He had specified in his will the large items such as the house and the money. However, it appears that there was some ambiguity over who kept the items in the house where he lived with his wife.

There followed a bitter and no doubt expensive, legal dispute over the distribution of his estate. The dispute was over who was entitled to keep personal items. His widow and his children each wanted to keep sentimental items such as his clothes, his fossil and graphics novels collection and personal photographs. His widow claimed that all the personal items in the home should not be included in the items willed to his children. This was the crux of the matter to be decided before the courts. His widow argued that by expressing the wish that she lived in the house, her husband had implied that the contents would also be hers. The children argued that the will was clear in his intent to give his personal possessions solely to them.

The parties managed to settle their dispute out of court in October 2015. The terms of the settlement were not made public, but it is known that his widow will remain in the home. There is a trust set up for the expenses of the maintenance of the property. Susan Schneider Williams also received some personal items such as a watch, and their wedding gifts.

This unfortunate dispute shows that you need to be as clear as possible in the terms of your will. Unfortunately, though where families are involved there can never be a guarantee that someone won’t challenge the terms of your will. However, a well drafted will is always difficult to challenge so should deter people from trying to make it the subject of a dispute...

SOURCE

A TRIBUTE TO ROBIN WILLIAMS - FIVE YEARS LATER

I can not believe it has been five years since the great Robin Williams left us. The laughter he gave us will live on forever...

RECENTLY VIEWED: MRS. DOUBTFIRE

It has been years since I watched the comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. My son and I ran across it on cable, and we watched it together. When I first saw it in the movie theater, it was a couple of years after my own parents' divorce, but I was too young back then to realize what it meant. The movie was full of laughs, but I got the opportunity to explain to my young son what divorce was. Only days before we watched this movie, my son got mad at me and said "I hope Mommy divorces you some day". After watching this film, I do not think he will ever say that again. Also, two years after Robin William's sad death, it seems like every movie he was in - he looked a little bit sad if you look really close. What a talent he was, and this film shows that genius off.

Mrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy-drama family film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel, Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. It stars Robin Williams (who also served as co-producer) and Sally Field. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Daniel Hillard is a freelance voice actor living in San Francisco, California who quits his job due to a disagreement over a questionable script. Though a devoted and loving father to his three children, Lydia, Chris and Natalie, Daniel is an irresponsible husband. Despite his wife Miranda's objections, Daniel throws a wild birthday party for his son Chris. Miranda becomes furious with him and seeks a divorce. At their first custody hearing, a judge grants Miranda custody of the children, since Daniel has neither a residence nor a job.

Daniel soon learns that Miranda intends to hire a housekeeper and alters her classifieds form when she declines his offer to take care of the children. He then calls Miranda several times, using his voice acting skills as several female job applicants. He then calls as a Scottish-accented nanny, whom he dubs "Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire". Impressed with her alleged qualifications, Miranda invites "Mrs. Doubtfire" for an interview. Daniel enlists his brother Frank, a makeup artist, and his partner Jack to transform him into the character.

Daniel also takes a job at a TV station. CEO Jonathan Lundy sees Daniel clowning around with toy dinosaurs on the set of an unsuccessful children's program. Impressed with Daniel's creativity, Lundy invites him to dinner at Bridge's Restaurant on the coming Friday night for Daniel to pitch ideas as a new host. Meanwhile, Miranda expects Mrs. Doubtfire to attend a birthday dinner arranged by romantic interest Stu Dunmire scheduled at the same time and place.

Unable to reschedule either appointment, Daniel goes to the restaurant and tries to rotate between both dinners, changing in and out of the Mrs. Doubtfire costume in the restroom. He consumes several alcoholic beverages between the two tables and becomes tipsy. He forgets to change out of the Mrs. Doubtfire costume before returning to Lundy's table and seasons cayenne pepper (which Stu is allergic to) on Stu's food. When Lundy questions the costume, Daniel covers for his mistake by explaining that his alter ego is his idea for a television persona, impressing Lundy. At Miranda's table, Stu starts choking. Realizing his mistake, Daniel administers the Heimlich maneuver. During the struggle, Daniel's mask accidentally rips off, revealing his identity to Miranda's dismay.

At their next custody hearing, Daniel demonstrates he has a job and a suitable home. However, the judge is disgusted by his actions and grants Miranda full custody, with Daniel limited to supervised visitation once a week. Without Mrs. Doubtfire, the children again become devastated, and even Miranda admits their lives were so much better with "her". Soon they are delighted when they see Daniel dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire hosting his own television program, "Euphegenia's House", which becomes a hit across several American cities. 

Miranda pays a visit to Daniel after he wraps up one episode. Congratulating him on his success, she admits that things were better when he was involved, so she decides to appeal the custody ruling. Later the children are greeted by Daniel, revealed as their new babysitter, undisguised and without supervision. They head out as Miranda watches a Euphegenia's House episode where Mrs. Doubtfire answers a letter from a little girl whose parents are divorcing, saying no matter what arrangements families have, love will prevail.

I hope my children never have to go through the pain of a divorce like I did, and I do not think they will, but this movie really does a good job of not only making you laugh but also not sugar coating what a divorce does to a family. This film is also an example of why I miss Robin Williams so much...

MY RATING: 10 OUT OF 10

ROBIN WILLIAMS: ONE YEAR LATER

I never thought the death of Robin Williams would affect me that much. I saw many of his movies growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, but in recent years I have not thought about him that much. However, he appeared in so many great movies that I can watch over and over again like: Good Morning Vietnam, The Bird Cage, One Hour Photo, Jumanji, and so many others.

It has been one year now since his death, and I want to take this time to remember Robin Williams. I do not want to remember or think about the dispair or the way he died, but I want to think of all the joy he gave me and stills continue to. It has been one year since Robin Williams died - but his memory will never die. I wish he would have realized that when he was still alive.

He was and is a comedic genius...

THE PASSING SCENE OF 2014

This is the fifth year now that I have written a story on some of the entertainment personalities that have died during the year. Every year there are great losses on the list as well as forgotten entertainers that deserve to be remembered more than they were. This year is no different, and here are just some of the talented people who left us in 2014…

Legendary comedian Robin Williams died on August 11th at the age of 63. Williams gained recognition firstly on the television sitcom "Mork And Mindy", which aired from 1978 to 1982. He made his film debut in 1980's musical Popeye. he starred or co-starred in widely acclaimed films including The World According to Garp (1982), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Aladdin (1992), Good Will Hunting (1997), and One Hour Photo (2002), as well as financial successes such as Hook (1991), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), The Birdcage (1996), and Night at the Museum (2006). On a personal note, this death has hit me harder than all the other deaths in 2014. Williams death, of a suicide, is also especially sad because he made millions of people laugh through the years, but Williams could not find the happiness in his own life.

Actor and director Richard Attenborough died on August 24th at the age of 90. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his roles in Brighton Rock, The Great Escape, 10 Rillington Place, Miracle on 34th Street and Jurassic Park.He won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Director and as the film's producer, the Academy Award for Best Picture for his historical epic Gandhi. Attenborough also directed the screen version of the musical A Chorus Line (1985) and the anti-apartheid drama Cry Freedom (1987). He also directed Robert Downey Jr in the acclaimed biography Chaplin (1992).

Screen legend Mickey Rooney died on April 6^th at the age of 93. He began his film career in silent movies as a child actor. In the 1930s, he was signed to MGM Studios where he became the most popular movies star from 1939 to 1940. He made a series of movie musicals with Judy Garland as well as some beloved classics like Boy’s Town (1938), The Human Comedy (1943), and National Velvet (1944). Rooney left MGM in 1948, but he continued to make movies and television appearances until his death. Weeks before his death he shot scenes for Night And The Museum III, which was just released. My personal favorite role he played was as songwriter Lorenz Hart in the 1948 musical Words And Music. He died after choking on food.

Comedian Jan Hooks died on October 9th at the age of 57. She best known for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL), where she was a repertory player from 1986 to 1991 and continued making cameo appearances until 1994. Her subsequent work has included a regular role on the final two seasons of Designing Women, a recurring role on 3rd Rock From the Sun, and a number of roles in film and television.

Voice actor Dick Jones died at the age of 87 on July 7^th. He worked for Disney Studios and was the voice of Pinocchio in the 1940 movie.

Actress Sheila MacRae died at the age of 92 on March 6^th. She appeared in such films as Caged (1950), Backfire (1950) and Sex and the Single Girl (1964). Sheila also played Alice Kramden on 52 episodes of The Jackie Gleason Show from 1966 to 1970. She also was married to singer Gordon MacRae from 1941 to 1967. She had been suffering from dementia.

Singer and actor Herb Jeffries died on May 25^th at the age of 100. He began his career working with Erskine Tate and his Vendome Orchestra when he moved to Chicago from Detroit at the urging of Louis Armstrong. His widest fame as a singer came when he sang with the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1940 to 1942. Herb also played a cowboy in a number of movies of the 1940s and 1950s. Even though he retired in 1995, he remained active and performed occasionally up until 2010.

Child star Shirley Temple died on February 10th at the age of 85. Temple began her film career in 1932 at the age of three. In 1934, she found international fame in Bright Eyes, a feature film designed specifically for her talents. She received a special Juvenile Academy Award in February 1935 for her outstanding contribution as a juvenile performer to motion pictures during 1934, and film hits such as Curly Top and Heidi followed year after year during the mid-to-late 1930s. Licensed merchandise that capitalized on her wholesome image included dolls, dishes and clothing. Her box office popularity waned as she reached adolescence. She appeared in a few films of varying quality in her mid-to-late teens, and retired completely from films in 1950 at the age of 22. She was the top box-office draw in Hollywood for four years in a row (1935–38) in a Motion Picture Herald poll

Television actress Ann B Davis died at the age of 88 on June 1^st. She gained worldwide fame for playing Alice on the TV comedy “The Brady Bunch”, but she won her two Emmys for her role of the secretary on “The Bob Cummings Show” in the 1950s. She died after a fall.

French actor Jacques Bergerac died at the age of 87 on June 15th. He appeared in films like Les Girls (1957) and Gigi (1958) or MGM Studios, but he was more famous for his ex-wives. He was married to actress Ginger Rogers from 1953-1957 and to actress Dorothy Malone from 1959-1964. He left show business to run the Paris office of Revlon Make-up in 1969.

James Garner

Actors James Garner died on July 19th at the age of 86. On television Garner starred on the popular shows "Maverick" from 1957 to 1962 and "The Rockford Files" from 1974 to 1980. Garner's acting ability and good looks made him a natural in movies as well. Garner also starred in more than fifty films, including The Great Escape (1963), The Americanization of Emily (1964), Grand Prix (1966), Blake Edwards' Victor Victoria (1982), Murphy's Romance (1985), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, Space Cowboys (2000), and The Notebook (2004).

British character actor Bob Hoskins died on April 29^th at the age of 71 of pneumonia. He was a popular actor in films for decades and appeared in such beloved classics as Mona Lisa (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989), and Hook (1991). He also appeared as Bobby Darin’s uncle in the movie biography Beyond The Sea (2004). He made his last movie in 2012.

Buddy DeFranco, who played the great clarinet solo on "Opus One" with Tommy Dorsey -- and was one of the finest clarinetists in modern jazz -- died on December 24th at the age of 91. He was bandleader of the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1966 to 1974, under the name, "The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, Directed By Buddy DeFranco". He made his last record in 2006.

Director and actor Harold Ramis died on February 24^th at the age of 69 of vasculitis. He was a legendary writer and director who made his best films in the 1980s and 1990s. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters (1984) and Russell Ziskey in Stripes (1981); he also co-wrote both films. As a writer-director, his films include the comedies Caddyshack (1980), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Groundhog Day (1993) and Analyze This (1999). Ramis was the original head writer of the television series SCTV, on which he also performed, and one of three screenwriters of the film National Lampoon's Animal House (1978).

Songwriter Mary Rodgers died at the age of 83 on June 26^th. She was a composer who wrote the score for the Broadway musical Once Upon A Time On A Mattress. She also was a children’s author, and she wrote “Freaky Friday”. Mary was the daughter of famed songwriter Richard Rodgers (1902-1979).

German born actress Luise Rainer died at the age of 104 on December 30th.  She was the first actor to win multiple Academy Awards and the first person to win them consecutively. She was discovered by American studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talent scouts while acting on stage in Austria and Germany and after appearing in Austrian films. She is as of yet the longest-lived person ever to have received an Academy Award

Actress Mona Freeman died at the age of 87 on May 23^rd. She started out as a child actress in the 1940s, but soon moved on to adult roles. Some of her famous movies included Mother Wore Tights (1947), Dear Wife (1949), and Jumping Jacks (1952). She dated Bing Crosby briefly in 1954, and she left Hollywood in 1961 to raise a family and become a painter.

Jerry Vale

Singer Jerry Vale died on May 18^th at the age of 83 after a lengthy illness. He specialized in Italian songs, and some of his greatest hits included: “Have You Looked Into Your Heart”, “Two Purple Shadows”, and “Pretend You Don’t See Her”. Vale had to retire from singing after suffering a stroke in 2002. He also appeared as himself in the movies Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995).

Actress Lauren Bacall died on August 12th at the age of 89. A popular actress that was married to Humphrey Bogart from 1945 to 1957, she had a distinctive husky voice and sultry looks. She first appeared as a leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have and Have Not (1944) and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in Bogart movies The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947), and Key Largo (1948). Her performance in the movie The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.

Actress Patrice Wymore died on March 22^nd at the age of 87. Wymore's first film appearance was in the 1950 film Tea for Two, opposite Doris Day and Gordon MacRae, where she made an impression with the Latin flavoured rendition of “Crazy Rhythm”. She was signed to Warner Brothers, but never really appeared in a huge role. She played Frank Sinatra’s girlfriend in the 1960 film Ocean’s 11. She left Hollywood in 1967. She also was the last wife of actor Errol Flynn. They were married from 1950 until his death in 1959.

The last of the original von Trapp children, Maria Franziska von Trapp, died at the age of 99 on February 18^th. She was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives inspired the musical and film The Sound of Music (1964). She was portrayed as the character "Louisa".

Actress and activist Ruby Dee died at the age of 91 on June 11^th. Her first major Hollywood movie was The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), and she received wide acclaim for her film version of the play A Raisin In The Sun (1961). Dee was married to actor Ossie Davis from 1948 until his death in 2005. She was nominated for an Oscar for playing Denzel Washington’s mother in American Gangster in 2007. Dee was also an Emmy and Grammy winner.

Actress Elaine Stritch died at the age of 89 on July 17th. She was mostly known for her Broadway and live performance work. The actress's notable Broadway credits include her Tony Award nominated roles in the original production of William Inge's 1955 play Bus Stop, and musicals by Noël Coward (Sail Away, 1961) and Stephen Sondheim (Company, 1970), the latter included her performance of the song "The Ladies Who Lunch", plus the 1996 revival of the Edward Albee play A Delicate Balance and her 2001 Tony Award winning one-woman show Elaine Stritch at Liberty. She won an Emmy Award in 1993 for her guest role on "Law & Order" and another in 2004 for the television documentary of her one woman show. From 2007 to 2012, she had a recurring role as Alec Baldwin's mother  on NBC's "30 Rock", a role that won her a third Emmy in 2007.

Silent film star Carla Laemmle died on June 12^th at the age of 104. Her first movie was in 1925’s Phantom Of The Opera. She also starred in The Broadway Melody (1929) and Dracula (1931). She is one of the last surviving silent screen actresses and Carla was a favorite at classic movie convention shows throughout the country.

Sid Caesar

Legendary comedian Sid Caesar died at the age of 91 on February 12^th. He was one of the last surviving pioneers of early television which also included Bob Hope, Milton Berle, and Steve Allen.  He starred on Your Show of Shows from 1950 to 1954. The show gave such writers as Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, and Woody Allen their first breaks. Sid also appeared in such popular movies as It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad Mad World (1963), Grease (1978), and History of the World Part 1 (1981). Sid was also married to his wife for 66 years. They met and married in 1943 and remained married until Florence Caesar died on March 3, 2010.

Troubled actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died on February 2^nd at the age of 46 of a drug overdose. He won an Oscar for his role as author Truman Capote in Capote (2005). His three other Oscar nominations came for his supporting work playing a brutally frank CIA officer in Charlie Wilson's War (2007), a priest accused of pedophilia in Doubt (2008), and the charismatic leader of a nascent Scientology-type movement in The Master (2012).  

Actress Polly Bergen died on September 20th at the age 84. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in The Helen Morgan Story. Her film work included 1962's Cape Fear and 1963's The Caretakers, for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. 

Character actor Eli Wallach died at the age of 98 on June 24^th. He was a prolific actor that worked well into his 90s. Wallach’s debut film was a huge role for him in 1956’s Baby Doll. He also starred in The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Misfits (1961), and The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966). Wallach was married to actress Anne Jackson from 1948 until his death. His last movie was the 2010 film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

Actress Juanita Moore died on January 1^st at the age of 99. She was the fifth African American to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category at a time when only a single African American had won an Oscar. Her most famous role was as Annie Johnson in the movie Imitation of Life (1959).

Actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. died on May 2^nd, 2014 at the age of 95. He was known for his starring roles in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I.  He is also known as recurring character "Dandy Jim Buckley" in the series  Maverick. He was the father of actress Stephanie Zimbalist and the son of Efrem Zimbalist Sr (1890-1985), who was a famous violinist.

Billie Rogers

Female trumpeter and jazz pioneer Billie Rogers died at the age of 96 on January 18^th. She was one of the first female musicians to play in an all-male band. She was with the Woody Herman Orchestra from 1941 to 1944. She led her own band briefly in 1944, and then she played with the Jerry Wald Orchestra from 1945 to 1947. She retired in 1948 to raise a family.

These entertainment legends, pioneers, and personalities are gone now, but hopefully the fans will see to it that they are never really forgotten…

IN HONOR OF ROBIN WILLIAMS

In honor of the great Robin Williams, I have cancelled all scheduled stories on my blog. For this week, let us remember the legend and genius he was and is...

              RIP Robin Williams: July 21, 1951 - August 11, 2014

MY FIVE FAVORITE ROBIN WILLIAMS MOVIES

It is hard to believe someone who has made me laugh throughout my childhood and adult years is now gone. Robin Williams leaves behind a lasting legacy of wonderful work. I am not sure film ever fully captured his comic genius, but he made some memorable movies. Even the little supporting roles he had in crappy films like: Nine Months (1995), Night At The Museum (2006) and License To Wed (2007) were memorable. It is hard to pick out my five favorite Robin Williams movies, and again these are just my preferences. (I personally did not like 1997's Good Will Hunting). I think you will be surprised at what movies made my list of favorites:

5. RV (2006)
Okay, the family comedy RV is not the greatest movie ever made, but it really showed a more family friendly comedy from Robin Williams. I didn't see this film in the movie theaters, but whenever it is on television now, I have to stop and watch it. Even though Williams plays a devoted father in the film, his comedy still comes out. A prime example is when he is talking "street" to some bullies bothering his son. Robin Williams made better movies, but I love watching this film of his to feel good.

4. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME (1997)
This movie takes a whole other dark meaning with Robin Williams' apparent suicide. In the film, Robin Williams dies to find himself in a heaven more amazing that anything he dreamed of. However, his wife is missing, because after Williams died, his wife killed herself and went to hell. Williams,  risks his life in heaven to save his wife from hell. The movie is amazing. It is unlike any movie I have ever seen. It is a very dark movie, while being a very optimistic movie as well. 

3. JACK (1996)
This comedy drama was directed by Frances Ford Coppola. William plays the role of Jack Powell, a boy who ages four times as fast as normal as a result of a disease, Werner syndrome, a form of progeria. What Williams brought to the role was ability to channel his inner child. The movie as a whole was not believable, but Williams really makes the role more realistic. He is also joined on screen by another comedy legend, Bill Cosby, who played his private tutor. It was great to see these comedic geniuses work together. 

2. THE BIRDCAGE (1996)
This film is one of Robin Williams' best comedies, and for the most part he played the straight man (no pun intended) to his over the top life partner (played by Nathan Lane). Armand Goldman owns a popular drag nightclub in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover Albert stars there as Starina. "Their" son Val (actually Armand's by his one heterosexual fling, twenty years before) comes home to announce his engagement to Barbara Keely, daughter of Kevin Keely, US Senator, and vice president of the Committee for Moral Order, who was played by Gene Hackman. The movie is a riot from beginning to end. If you only pick one Robin Williams comedy to watch as a tribute to his greatness, it should be this film.

1. ONE HOUR PHOTO (2002)
Robin Williams should have wone the Oscar for this film. This role is unlike any other Robin Williams role. There are no laughs in this film. Williams is almost unrecognizable as a demure photo lab technician that sort of goes off the deep end as he becomes to attached to his customers. Williams plays Middle aged Sy Parrish, a technician at a one hour photo lab located in a SavMart store in a suburban mall. Sy is a lonely man, never having had any friends. He knows much about his customers through the photographs they have developed. But he knows more about the Yorkin family - specifically Nina Yorkin and her adolescent son Jake Yorkin, the two in the family who drop off and pick up the family's photofinishing - than anyone else, the family about who he is obsessed. I won't spoil anymore of the film, but Williams should have one an Oscar for this movie. 

Whatever demons Robin Williams had the caused this tragic end to a brilliant career never entered into his work in film. He could make us laugh, he could make us cry, and he could make us feel good when the lights in the movie theater came back on. Robin Williams was a brilliant actor, and these five films does not even scratch the surface of what an amazing career he had...

RIP: ROBIN WILLIAMS

It is hard to believe that someone as talented and as funny as Robin Williams is now gone...

The Oscar-winning actor and stand-up comedian Robin Williams, whose range extended from manic mimicry to understated character portrayals, was found dead in his California home on Monday. In a statement, local sherriff’s office said that it was treating the death of the 63-year-old star as a suspected suicide.

“This morning I lost my husband and best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken,” said Williams’s wife, Susan Schneider in a statement released through the actor’s publicist.

Williams, who had recently sought treatment for depression and drink problems, was last seen alive at his house at 10pm on Sunday night. He had battled addiction to cocaine and alcohol in the 1980s but was reported to have been sober for decades.

“Robin Williams passed away this morning,” his representative Mara Buxbaum said in a statement. “He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.”

Williams, who was born in Chicago, brought a hyper-kinetic energy to screen roles and stand-up comedy. He rose to fame in the television series Mork and Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982, building on a character that debuted on Happy Days .

In the 1980s, he had a string of film successes with Good Morning, Vietnam in 1987, Dead Poets Society in 1989, Awakenings in 1990, and the Fisher King and Hook in 1991. The nearly unbroken line of success continued with Aladdin in 1992 and Mrs Doubtfire, a 1993 comedy about a divorced dad who impersonates a Scottish nanny to be closer to his children.

A sequel to Mrs Doubtfire had been announced and it was rumoured that filming would begin this year.

In her statement, Schneider said: “As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.”

Williams was last seen alive at the house that he shared with Schneider in Tiburon, north of San Francisco, at about 10pm on Sunday night, the sherrif’s office said.

“The sheriff’s office, as well as the Tiburon fire department and southern Marin fire protection district were dispatched to the incident with emergency personnel arriving on scene at 12pm. The male subject, pronounced deceased at 12:02 pm has been identified as Robin McLaurin Williams, a 63-year- old resident of unincorporated Tiburon, California.”

It continued: “An investigation into the cause, manner, and circumstances of the death is currently under way by the investigations and coroner divisions of the sheriff’s office. Preliminary information developed during the investigation indicates Mr Williams was last seen alive at his residence, where he resides with his wife, at approximately 10pm on August 10, 2014.”

The statement said the coroner suspected the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia and that a comprehensive investigation would be completed before a final determination was made. “A forensic examination is currently scheduled for August 12, 2014 with subsequent toxicology testing to be conducted.”

The actor had openly talked about his battles with alcohol and cocaine in the early 1980s, his years of sobriety, and relapse in 2006. He appeared to have recovered but last month he returned to rehab – the Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center near Lindstrom, Minnesota.

His representative played down the news at the time, telling TMZ: “After working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment, of which he remains extremely proud.”

Mara Wilson, who acted with Williams in Mrs Doubtfire, has become a prolific writer and user of social media in adulthood. She wrote: “”Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while.”

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: CRYING HOLLYWOOD

I know actors a paid to be able to show emotion on cue, but I wanted to try to pull together pictures of Hollywood stars actually crying. It was hard to do, but here are the best pictures I could find of stars actually crying for real...