Becoming a heavy hitter in Hollywood isn’t something just anybody can do. It takes amazing talent, an unmatched drive for success and a healthy dose of luck as well. Only a very small percentage of people possess the qualities it takes to make it big on the silver screen.
The comedic virtuoso Robin Williams is someone who had all three of these characteristics from the very beginning of his career. If you watch any performance of his—comedic or dramatic—you’ll instantly realize why he was a star. He simply had a magnetic personality, and few just couldn’t tear their eyes away.
You’ll be even more impressed after reading these 33 little-known facts about this respected and accomplished actor!
1. You might have a hard time believing this fact based on Robin Williams’ popularity, but when he was a young boy, he claimed he had very few friends because he was so overweight. He actually started imitating voices to entertain himself as a result.
2. When Robin was a struggling actor trying to make a living in New York City, he would often perform shows as a mime for extra cash. He would usually act with a partner outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
3. The high school that Robin graduated from gave him quite the senior superlative before he left. He was actually voted “Least Likely To Succeed” by classmates. Boy, did he prove them wrong!
4. Robin received some very unusual advice while he was taking classes and training at the famed Juilliard School in New York City. He was told to focus more on his stand-up career than acting, which is very interesting considering that he’s an Academy Award winner.
5. Despite the amount of success that Robin achieved over his career, it may come as a surprise that the first film he ever starred in was a complete flop. It was a live-action version of the popular comic strip “Popeye”—and it received scathing reviews.
