A Testament To True Talent
It’s no secret that Robin Williams was one of the greats—and not just in comedy. Williams brought more than his smile into everything he did. He had a heart of gold and all the talent to match—including the incredible ability to improvise.
On more than one occasion, Williams saved the scene with his quick wit and vocal energy—but his best performance involved a lot more than that.
It Was A Common Occurrence
Williams was said to have “free-flowing motormouth skills” that allowed directors to basically just turn on the camera and then sit back and let him do his thing—knowing he’d easily create a crowd-pleasing masterpiece. And in many films, they did just that.
Here’s 10 of Robin Williams’ best unscripted movie moments.
Miramax, Good Will Hunting (1997)
Jack (1996)
One of Williams’ best performances was in his role as Jack Powell, an endearing, adult-sized boy who aged four times as fast as average people. Critics claim Williams nailed it, making audiences feel empathetic and invested in a film about a five-foot-nine four-year-old boy.
The best part is, Williams improvised almost his entire performance!
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting is said to be one of the best movies to watch when you’re stressed. Williams played the role of Matt Damon’s title character’s therapist, Sean Maguire—and it happened to be one of his most proficient and iconic performances to date.
What makes it even better though, is when Williams muttered something while he thought the cameras were off—and it was so perfect, they kept it in the film.
Miramax, Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
When Williams was prepping for his next scene, he read a letter from Will Hunting that uses the term “gotta go see about a girl”. At that moment, Williams looks down, and then mutters to himself, “son of a…he stole my line”—not realizing the cameras were rolling the whole time.
While Williams was actually saying it about Damon, it happened to work out perfectly in the film, and directors were thankful for the mishap.
But that’s not the only moment of the film Williams improvised.
Miramax, Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
During filming, the cast apparently struggled to keep it together most of the time—usually because Williams was continuously cracking jokes.
One of his jokes about his character’s late wife, though, ended up making the cut. When Maguire and Hunting are in the office discussing Hunting’s progress, Maguire makes a comment about how his wife used to “fart in her sleep”.
Hunting’s laugh was actually Damon’s genuine reaction—and the director couldn’t pass it up.
Miramax, Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Robin Williams was quite possibly one of very few actors who could pull off the lead role in Good Morning, Vietnam. It required someone with quick wit and a smart mouth—and Williams nailed it.
Much like his role in Jack, Williams improvised most of this script, too.
Touchstone, Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
The Birdcage (1996)
This film follows Armand Goldman (Williams) as he anxiously tries to convince his soon-to-be in-laws that he’s straight—when, in fact, he is not.
At one point, Goldman is so frantic that he falls down in the kitchen—a move that wasn’t actually in the script. But when Williams popped back up and shrugged it off with a joke, it appeared intended, and the directors loved it.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Dead Poet’s Society is easily one of Robin Williams’ best drama films. He’s perfectly cast as a kind but unconventional teacher—one who takes a lighter approach to Shakespeare.
And once again, Williams went off-script for most of the movie—which was exactly what director Peter Weir was hoping he’d do.
Touchstone, Dead Poets Society (1989)
Aladdin (1992)
For some, the best part of Aladdin is the genie—and it’s all thanks to Williams’ electric energy. While he still mirrored the director’s intentions, his vocal energy was all his, and it truly brought the part to life.
He also improvised a random Pinocchio reference during the film, which was originally going to be cut, but then directors chose to include. They found it an “example of his brilliance”.
Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
Another one of Williams’ best works, Mrs Doubtfire has Williams playing the role of Daniel Hillard, a father who loses his job, his marriage, and custody of his kids. In a desperate attempt to see his family, he straps on a wig and makeup and poses as Mrs Doubtfire, the new family nanny.
But before he impersonates an elderly woman, he seeks other help—and this is when he goes rogue with the script.
Twentieth Century, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
When Hillard—a former voice actor—seeks help at an employment agency, they ask him what his skills are, and it’s Williams himself who answers the question.
Robin Williams, an accomplished voice actor himself, instantly starts rattling through impressions, from famous stars to average folk, and everything in between—and to say it’s impressive is an understatement.
But that wasn’t the only improvised scene he did in the film. This next one is even better.
Twentieth Century, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
During the film, Hillard appears often in a state of panic, trying to avoid accidentally revealing his double life—especially when a social worker comes around asking questions.
The famous scene where his mask falls out the window and he suddenly slams his face into a cake for a quick makeshift face mask is one of the best scenes of the movie. And while the cake face was scripted—what happened next was not.
Twentieth Century, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Mrs Doubtfire (1993)
The cake mask was intended, but the dripping meringue was not. When the face mask starts dripping into the social worker’s coffee, Williams quickly improvises and sticks his finger in the beverage and spews out some quick-witted jokes about cream and sugar.
Williams improvised, and then seamlessly got back into script without a single hiccup—a true testament of his legendary talent.
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Twentieth Century, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
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