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There will never be another Robin Williams. He was a singular talent that raised the bar for what could be expected from both a comedian and actor. Few artists have made us cry tears of both laughter and sadness through such an eclectic mix of characters. It has been almost 8 years since his passing, and still, Williams remains a relevant maestro whose influence can be seen in almost every facet of the entertainment world.
Combining the acting prowess of Jack Nicholson, the elastic physicality of Jim Carrey, and the rockstar charisma of Freddie Mercury, Robin Williams brought hundreds of characters to life across genres and mediums to unprecedented critical and commercial success. Ranking his movie performances is an intimidating task due to his immense catalog of memorable roles.
10. Lance Clayton, World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
World’s Greatest Dad is an extremely morbid comedy about a struggling writer/teacher named Lance, whose mean-spirited son, Kyle (Daryl Sabara), accidentally dies in an embarrassing way. To save himself and his son the shame, Lance stages Kyle's death to look like a suicide, then writes a poetic journal from Kyle’s POV to give the impression he was a tortured soul who only acted like an abusive bully to mask his inner pain. The diary soon becomes published to massive commercial success and everyone who hated Kyle now pretends they were good friends or even soulmates. The pressure gets to Lance as his life spirals out of control.
This movie walks such a fine line, and it's only through the success of Robin Williams that Lance’s actions come across as sympathetic. Williams somehow portrays a character going through the stages of grief and makes it funny. Though the film is dark and absurd, the theme of “suicide is a temporary solution to a permanent problem” is an important one, and Williams treats the emotional toll of the story with the gravity it deserves.
9. Seymour “Sy” Parrish, One Hour Photo (2002)
One Hour Photo was notable due to Williams being cast against type, even sporting a short, bleached-blonde haircut. In the vein of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, One Hour Photo is a thriller about a lonely photo technician, Sy, who works in a Wal-Mart style big box store. He is secretly obsessed with a family of three whose photos he develops. His compulsion, amplified by his severe isolation, eventually leads to his world slowly falling apart. A slight by the father of the family serves to further unravel Sy’s already shattered psyche.
A critical and commercial success, One Hour Photo was the first in a trend of thriller films Williams would star in during the early 2000s, including Insomnia, The Final Cut, and The Night Listener. Without William's brilliant turn, there isn’t much to separate One Hour Photo from other similarly themed stalker-thrillers. His acting is so captivating, troubled, and sad that the film makes an impression nonetheless. The climax especially is the scariest we’ve ever seen him as he perfectly embodies a man on the edge, capable of anything.
8. Nolan Mack, Boulevard (2014)
Boulevard is a perfect example of a true master elevating a mediocre film to something more. His last role before his passing, Boulevard is about a middle-aged man, Nolan, coming to terms with his homosexuality and the effect it has on his wife and work life.
With the subtlest of glances, we see the gears in Nolan’s head-turning as he is forced to make one life-altering decision after another. Williams' physicality compliments Nolan, a man who’s bottled up his emotions his entire life. There are scenes where Nolan desperately wants to take action, but a lifetime of repression and doubt freezes him in place. So few actors could say so much without saying anything at all. Though Boulevard is not a particularly good film, it does possess some of the most beautiful and sympathetic acting moments in Robin’s long and distinguished career. It deserves to be seen.
7. Armand Goldman, The Birdcage (1996)
Armand, the owner of a popular Miami drag club, is a happy and self-assured man until he and his life partner Albert (Nathan Lane) are forced back into the proverbial closet. Armand’s son, Val (Dan Futterman), asks the couple to “play straight” to appease his fiancé's conservative parents (Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest).
Adapted from the 1978 French film La Cage aux Folles, The Birdcage is a madcap comedy that allows Williams to be as absurd and larger than life as he wants. Some of his funniest moments are in this picture, including a brilliant dance scene (choreographed by Vincent Paterson) where he’s instructing one of his troupe on how to play a musical number. The dinner scene, Albert’s drag disguise as “Mrs. Coleman” and the shenanigans of Armand’s “Butler” (played by a wonderfully camp Hank Azaria) all make The Birdcage crucial viewing in Robin Williams' filmography.
6. Daniel / Euphegenia Doubtfire, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Mrs. Doubtfire was a mammoth smash at the international box office. It is Robin William's most financially successful film with him in the starring role, and it's easy to see why. In the vain of the equally watchable Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire is about voice actor, Daniel, who dresses up as a woman. In this case, however, it's so he can see more of his kids through the week. With the help of Oscar-winning makeup effects applied in the film by Uncle Frank (Harvey Fierstein), Daniel transforms from a cheeky, difficult voice actor into a kind, yet stern housekeeper and tutor.
‘Euphegenia Doubtfire’ could have so easily failed as a believable character if Williams and his make-up crew hadn't been at the top of their game. Williams is so charming and all-encompassing in his mannerisms as the elderly caretaker that you often forget she's Daniel in disguise. Doubtfire’s Irish accent is infectious and heartwarming while also being authoritative and cheeky. So many have tried to replicate William's success in Mrs. Doubtfire in films such as Eddie Murphy’s Norbit, Martin Lawrence’s Big Momma's House, and Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill. What makes those entries fall short is that those actors don't have anywhere the respect for their characters that Williams does.
5. Sean Maguire, Good Will Hunting (1997)
The film famous for cannoning Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to A-list status, Gus Van Sant’s 90s classic Good Will Hunting scored Robin Williams the 1998 Academy Award for best-supporting actor. He plays psychiatrist Sean Maguire, asked to help the troubled, but brilliant, Will Hunting (Damon). Hunting is an overly confident genius who tries to destroy the psyche of anyone who tries to get in his head, but Maguire is up to the challenge.
Williams runs the spectrum of human experience, utilizing his previous battles with depression as a source of reference for the character’s pain and complexity. He delivers one of the greatest movie monologues in recent memory when, in a five-minute sermon, he calmly eviscerates the mental walls Hunting has built up over the years. Maguire knocks Will down several pegs by illustrating that an intimidating IQ is worthless if you don’t lead a meaningful and fulfilling life. Who best to play that role than a man whose life is a testament to the healing properties of creativity and self-actualization?
4. Walter Finch, Insomnia (2002)
Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia is by far his most under-appreciated film. It’s also one of the few American remakes that is better than the original. Al Pacino plays detective Will Dormer, on the prowl for the man responsible for a murder. Williams is petrifying as killer Walter Finch, a crime novelist who uses his unsuspecting demeanor and cunning to blackmail and frame the victim's boyfriend.
The best parts of the movie are the conversations between Finch and Dormer as they partake in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. What makes Finch such an effective villain are the little nuances and subtleties in Williams' delivery. His tone is innocent, condescending, and menacing all at the same time. There is so much truth in the vulnerability of Finch’s timbre as he tries to justify his murderous actions. He is a sociopath who has convinced himself that he isn’t the bad guy, which makes him so much more terrifying than if he was a mustache-twirling villain.
3. The Genie, Aladdin (1992)
“Ten-thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!” With that iconic line, The Genie bursts to life on the big screen, instantly raising the bar for comic-relief sidekicks. Aladdin is a movie that continues to introduce the comedic tenacity of Robin Williams to children throughout the world. His fast-talking, celebrity-impersonating Genie is one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. Initially meant to be a smaller role, the directors Clements/Musker soon realized they had struck gold with Williams at the helm. The animation team was up to the task when adapting Robin’s pop-culture references into the 2D format. Unfortunately, Disney breached William’s contract when they used his voice to advertise fast food and confectionary, which led to a lawsuit and falling out between him and the studio.
It’s a rarity when an actor's contribution to one role entirely revolutionizes how the movie industry does things. Superstar voice casting, pop-culture references, and cheeky jokes just for adults became in-vogue for every animation studio after Aladdin. You could argue that Dreamworks' entire animated catalog would look a lot different if Robin never took the role as The Genie. Robin Williams was already a real-life cartoon character, so the transition to animated features feels like a natural progression.
2. Adrian Cronauer, Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
After a string of modest successes (The World According to Garp) and some colossal disappointments (Popeye), Good Morning, Vietnam is the picture that skyrocketed Williams into cinematic superstardom. Williams plays radio DJ Adrian Cronauer (loosely based on a real-life Air Force Sergeant). He is tasked with raising morale for US troops during the Vietnam War. Cronauer locks horns with Lieutenant Hauk (Bruno Kirby), a hilariously out-of-touch, humorless control freak. Hauk and his superiors keep Cronauer on a short leash and censor him from acknowledging any negative news on the US’s failing occupation. Good Morning, Vietnam was a massive box office hit and nabbed Williams his first Oscar nomination.
Directed by Barry Levinson, Good Morning, Vietnam could not be a greater vehicle for the comedy stylings of Williams. His dialogue during the radio segments is almost entirely improvised. The heart of the film comes from Cronauer’s relationship with a local teen, Tuan (Tung Thanh Tran), who gives Cronauer a civilian perspective of the war. Williams oozes sincerity and vulnerability during the more intense moments. This breakout role would set the stage for similarly acclaimed dramatic performances from him in future movies like The Fisher King and Dead Poets Society.
1. Rainbow Randolph, Death To Smoochy (2002)
Williams lets loose and has the time of his life in a scenery-chewing masterclass in rage, profanity, and egomania. Stealing every scene in Danny DeVito’s underrated cult film Death to Smoochy, Rainbow Randolph is a children's entertainer who is fired after an FBI sting operation proves Randolph guilty of bribery. Infuriated and driven mad with jealousy as his replacement “Smoochy the Rhino” (Ed Norton) inherits his time slot and audience, Randolph seeks to ruin the Rhino’s career at all costs.
Williams' conduct places Rainbow Randolph up there with Otto from A Fish Called Wanda and Lt. Hauk from Good Morning, Vietnam as one of the greatest heels in comedy history. There is a gleeful glint in his eyes as Randolph insults, abuses, and manipulates those around him for his selfish gain. Just like Armand in The Birdcage, Rainbow Randolph is a perfect vehicle for Robin’s larger-than-life physicality and rubber-faced antics (as well as an equally brilliant dance sequence). No other Williams role allows him to evoke the entire gamut of human emotions as his performance here. Every Robin Williams fan owes it to themselves to watch Death to Smoochy and celebrate the immense talent of one of cinema's great artists.