The Life and Times of Robin Williams

O Captain! My Captain! The Life and Times of Robin Williams With his shocking death, fans of actor Robin Williams have taken to social media to share their memories of the stocky guy with a huge personality. Explore Williams' life and the impact he had on the world. JULY 21, 1951 Robin McLaurin Williams is born in Chicago, the only child of Robert Williams, a senior Ford Motor Co. executive, and Laura McLaurin, a fashion model. Williams is bullied as a child for being chubby; he spends a great deal of his time playing by himself in his family's large home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He eventually joins the wrestling and track teams and Soon realizes he can make the other children laugh, thus earning their respect. 1960s At age 16, Williams' family moves to California after his father takes early retirement from Ford. He finishes his education at Redwood High School in Larkspur, California. 1969 1973 Williams attends Claremont Men's College in Claremont, California. He studies political science and plays soccer but soon becomes enamored of acting after taking improvisation lessons. He leaves Claremont to enroll in the College of Marin, where he studies acting. Williams is awarded a full scholarship to the famed Juilliard School in New York City, becoming one of only 20 freshman accepted that year. He meets fellow freshman Christopher Reeve, and the two become fast friends, a relationship that would last until Reeve's death in 2004. 1976 He leaves Juilliard and heads back to the West Coast, where he begins working on the comedy circuit. 1977 Williams wins a spot on "The Richard Pryor Show," setting the stage for Williams' big break. 1978 In a spin-off from a brief appearance on "Happy Days," Williams stars as the title alien, Mork from Ork, in the hit sitcom "Mork & Mindy." The show's success helps propel Williams to fame, as he earns a Golden Globe nomination for his performance and Mork's quirky greeting "Nanu-nanu" becomes a worldwide catchphrase. Early 1980s 1980 Williams' first movie role comes in Robert Altman's "Popeye," which is panned by critics and movie-goers alike. Williams becomes addicted to cocaine and alcohol, a battle he'd fight the rest of his life. 1982 “Mork & Mindy" 1978-1982 “The World According to Garp" Williams marries dancer Valerie Velardi, who he'd met at Juilliard. 1983 Williams and 1986 Velardi welcome a Williams, along with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg, stars in the debut Comic Relief event, a star-studded telethon aiming to raise money to fight homelessness. The events would go on to raise more than $50 million over the years. son, Zachary Pym Williams. 1987 COMIC Williams' breakthrough film role comes in "Good Morning Vietnam," in which he plays real-life military DJ Adrien Cronauer. The film brings Williams' first Academy Award nomination and his second Golden Globe win. U.S. BOX OFFICE RELIEF $123 million He and Velardi separate. Did you know? Williams was of the Episcopalian faith, once describing it as "Catholic-lite" 1989 In perhaps his best role ever, Williams plays prep school teacher John Keating in "Dead Poets Society." His work earns him a second Academy Award nomination. The inspirational film spawns such memorable dialog as, "O Captain! My Captain," and this speech: Williams marries Marsha Garces, who had been nanny to his son, Zachary. We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!. of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless. of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be? Garces and Williams welcome a daughter, Zelda, named after the video game character. U.S. BOX OFFICE $119 1990 Another serious role in "Awakenings" million 1991 "The Fisher King," in which Williams plays homeless man Parry, earns the actor his third Academy Award nomination. The same year, he stars as a grown-up Peter Pan in Steven Spielberg's "Hook." Garces and Williams earns Williams another Golden Globe nomination. "Cadillac Man" Did you know? He was a supporter of environmental causes and drove a Toyota Prius. welcome a son, Cody. 1992 na role seemingly conceived for him, Williams becomes a household name among the Disney crowd playing the Genie in "Aladdin." In a performance packed with U.S. BOX OFFICE $217 million Williams'off-the-cuff comedic work, the movie establishes his talents as a voice actor. "Toys" 1993 Williams' box-office success continues with one of his most famous roles as a cross-dressing single father in "Mrs. Doubtfire." U.S. BOX OFFICE $219 million 1995 "Nine Months" 1994 "Jumanji" A turn on the small screen in "Homicide: Life on the Street" earns Williams an Emmy nomination. 1996 Williams stars as a gay nightclub owner in "The Birdcage," another $100 million hit. Did you know? Williams was a cycling fan and owned more than 50 bicycles. "Jack" 1997 WILLIAMS FINALLY GOT HIS OSCAR, IN A SUPPORTING ROLE AS SEAN MAGUIRE, PSYCHIATRIST TO MATT DAMON'S TROUBLED GENIUS WILL HUNTING IN "GOOD WILL HUNTING." U.S. BOX OFFICE 1998 $138 "What Dreams May Come" "Patch Adams" million 1999 "Bicentennial Man" 2002 "One Hour Photo" "Death to Smoochy" "Insomnia" 2006 U.S. BOX OFFICE A memorable supporting role saw $250 Williams playing a comic version of President Theodore Roosevelt in million "Night at the Museum." That same year, Williams suffers a drug relapse and admits himself into rehab. 2008 Williams begins touring for his one-man comedy show "Weapons of Self Destruction." 2009 Did you know? Williams has heart surgery Williams and Garces to replace an aortic valve. divorce later this year. Williams was an avid video game player. 201 Williams makes his Broadway debut in "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo." That same year, he marries Susan Schneider. 2013 Williams returns to the small screen in a starring role in the CBS comedy "The Crazy Ones." Summer 2014 Williams checks into a rehab center to treat alcohol addiction. O August II, 2014 Williams is found dead at his Bay Area home. Did you know? Williams was a prolific military entertainer, making several USO tours to Iraq and Afghanistan throughout his career, performing for more than 90,000 troops by the time of his final tour in 2010. DESIGNED BY INFO GRAPHIC WORLD SOURCES http://www.nytimes.com - http://www.biography.com http://www.lifetimetv.co.uk - http://www.imdb.com http://en.wikipedia.org -http://time.com/ www.IntographicWorld.com