ROBIN WILLIAMS

Date of Birth: July 21, 1951

From the moment this comedian jumped out of the TV screen at audiences as the lovable alien in Mork and Mindy, it seemed that a star had been born. What no one was sure of was whether his larger than life comedy would work on the big screen or not. At first it didn't seem likely as his films were only so-so. It wasn't until Moscow on the Hudson (1984) that the man some think the funniest comedian alive really came into his own.

The only child of a wealthy Chicago Ford Motor executive, Williams grew up in a milieu of wealth and privilege. He trained early as a stage actor and mime and remembers: "I was a mime in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where wealthy ladies would say, 'Get the #@%! away from me!' "

Once connected to the Hollywood party-go-round—it was said he snorted cocaine with John Belushi hours before that comedian's death of a drug overdose—Williams says he no longer is on that ride. "I don't do the Hollywood party scene anymore," he jokes. "You can't come home and say to the kid, 'Hi, here's a little switch. Daddy's going to throw up on you.'"

In 1998 he won an Oscar for his supporting role in Good Will Hunting (1997). He also has five Golden Globe awards for various television and film roles. Recently, however, he has appeared in bombs such as Death To Smoochy (2002) (for which he received a Razzie nomination as Worst Supporting Actor). Although he won some acclaim for his role as a creepy photo lab employee in One Hour Photo (2002), it wasn't a box office success.

At the height of his fame in 1988, Williams left his first wife for their son's nanny, Marsha Garces. They were married in 1989 and have two children. Garces filed for divorce in 2009.

Filmography:

The Prince of Providence (2011)
Old Dogs (2009)
World's Greatest Dad (2009)
Shrink (2009)
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
August Rush (2007)
License to Wed (2007)
The Krazees (2007)
Mrs. Doubtfire 2 (2007)
Night at the Museum (2006)
Man of the Year (2006)
Happy Feet (2006) (voice)
The Night Listener (2006)
R.V. (2006)
The Big White (2005)
House of D (2005)
Robots (2005) (voice)
The Final Cut (2004)
Insomnia (2002)
Death To Smoochy (2002)
One Hour Photo (2002)
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Bicentennial Man (1999)
Get Bruce (1999)
Jacob the Liar (1999)
Patch Adams (1998)
What Dreams May Come (1998)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Flubber (1997)
Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Father's Day (1997)
Hamlet (1997)
Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996) (voice)
The Birdcage (1996)
Jack (1996)
The Secret Agent (1996)
Jumanji (1995)
Nine Months (1995)
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
Being Human (1993)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Aladdin (1992) (voice)
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992) (voice)
Toys (1992)
Dead Again (1991)
The Fisher King (1991)
Hook (1991)
Shakes the Clown (1991)
Awakenings (1990)
Cadillac Man (1990)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
The Best of Times (1986)
Club Paradise (1986)
Seize the Day (1986)
Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
The Survivors (1983)
The World According to Garp (1982)
Children of Babylon (1980)
Popeye (1980)
Do It Till I Need Glasses? (1977)