--- ---  # Robin Williams: His 5 Most Memorable Roles ## Video: Remembering Robin WIlliams: Watch The Actor's Best Performances [Watch (HLS stream): Remembering Robin WIlliams: Watch The Actor's Best Performances](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wrXgMxVS.m3u8) (4:11)  _Published 2014-08-12. Remembering Robin Williams: Supercut_ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Aug 12, 2014 12:17 AM UTC  Robin Williams at "The Crazy Ones" Press Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel on October 8, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Robin Williams at "The Crazy Ones" Press Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel on October 8, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif.Vera Anderson—WireImage/Getty Images by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Aug 12, 2014 12:17 AM UTC Beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams passed away Aug. 11 at the age of 63 in a suspected suicide after a long battle with depression. As the world mourns the loss of a comedic voice that spanned decades, we take a look back at his career. Williams made the long climb from stand-up comic to leading man. His first roles were strictly in comedy, including stints on _The Richard Pryor Show_; eventually, he broke big playing a sailor with a love-hate relationship with spinach in _Popeye_. From there he went on to star in _The World According to Garp_, _Moscow on the Hudson_, _Jumanji_, _Good Morning Vietnam_, _Night at the Museum_, _Death to Smoochy_ and many more films. Here are five of his most memorable roles. **Mork in** **_Mork & Mindy_** Mork, the alien sent from the planet Ork, who came to Earth in a small, one-man egg-shaped spaceship to observe human behavior, was on television for four years and introduced the American audience to Williams’ unique brand of wackiness. Williams’ dedication to the character and willingness to do anything for a laugh made viewers realize that Williams was an actor — not just a comedian. **Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire in** **_Mrs. Doubtfire_** Williams played a man willing to go to any lengths to be with his family, including masquerading as a buxom nanny in the hopes of winning his wife back from Pierce Brosnan. A part that campy could have sunk many actors’ careers, but it just cemented America’s love for Williams. A sequel was planned for 2015. **John Keating in** **_Dead Poets Society_** Williams played a fun-loving poetry professor who came to a stuffy boarding school, then challenged and inspired his students through his outside-the-box teaching methods. When the film came to the final scene, where his students take to their desks to declare their love for their teacher, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. **Genie in** **_Aladdin_** While voicing animated characters is par for the course for established actors these days, Williams’ take on the Genie in _Aladdin_ set the bar very high. His blue-bottled Genie was blustery good fun for both kids and parents. **Dr. Sean Maguire in** **_Good Will Hunting_** Williams came to _Good Will Hunting_ after a string of comedic hits and misses (_Toys_, _Jack_ and _Mrs. Doubtfire_ among them). He shined as a therapist tasked with helping a young math prodigy overcome his anger and work toward a healthy relationship with both a girl and the world at large. Their sessions together revealed a lot about the characters _and_ the actors, paving the way for more serious roles for Williams and kick-starting Matt Damon’s career. **MORE:** [Can the Real Robin Still Stand Up?](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1001980,00.html) **MORE:** [Actor Robin Williams Dies at 63](http://time.com/3101990/robin-williams-dead-63/) Robin Williams' Best Roles: His 5 Most Memorable Movies ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3102021/robin-williams-dead-most-memorable-roles/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3102021/robin-williams-dead-most-memorable-roles/"},"headline":"Robin Williams: His 5 Most Memorable Roles","datePublished":"2014-08-12T00:17:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T07:50:01.346Z","description":"The legendary actor leaves behind a legacy of unforgettable films","url":"https://time.com/3102021/robin-williams-dead-most-memorable-roles/","keywords":["movies","celebrities","remembrance","robin williams"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt90d095f5ff7cf84d/69869a2c169ab0bf8e27a2cc/robin-williams-rehab.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt90d095f5ff7cf84d/69869a2c169ab0bf8e27a2cc/robin-williams-rehab.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"\"The Crazy Ones\" Press Conference","caption":"\"The Crazy Ones\" Press Conference","creditText":"Vera Anderson—WireImage/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3102021/robin-williams-dead-most-memorable-roles/","name":"Robin Williams: His 5 Most Memorable Roles"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Remembering Robin WIlliams: Watch The Actor's Best Performances","description":"Remembering Robin Williams: Supercut","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/wrXgMxVS/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-08-12T14:12:59.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wrXgMxVS.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3102021/robin-williams-dead-most-memorable-roles/","duration":"PT4M11S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3102021/robin-williams-dead-most-memorable-roles/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```