Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Starting as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, he is credited with leading San Francisco's comedy renaissance.[7] After rising to fame as Mork in the sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–82), Williams went on to establish a career in both stand-up comedy and feature film acting. He was known for his improvisational skills.

After his film debut in the musical comedy Popeye (1980), he starred or co-starred in widely acclaimed films, including the comedy-drama The World According to Garp (1982), the war comedy Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), the dramas Dead Poets Society (1989) and Awakenings (1990), the comedy-drama The Fisher King (1991), a voice role in the animated musical fantasy Aladdin (1992), the drama Good Will Hunting (1997), and the psychological thriller One Hour Photo (2002), as well as financial successes such as the fantasy adventure film Hook (1991), the comedy Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), the fantasy adventure Jumanji (1995), the comedy The Birdcage (1996), and the fantasy adventure-comedy Night at the Museum (2006).

In 1998, Williams won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Dr. Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. He also received two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Grammy Awards throughout his career.