This video montage brings us a treasure of Robin Wiliams’ best improvisational moments that remained in the director’s final cut. In ‘The Birdcage,’ Robin slips on the floor accidentally, and the comedic fall makes the scene more memorable. Robin breaks the character laughing a bit when he tells another actor to go.
In the film, ‘Jack’ Robin plays a child who ages four times faster than a typical child. According to director Francis Ford Coppola, Robin improvised most of his parts in the film. Robin even improvised in the animated feature ‘Aladdin.’ He made a ‘whoop’ sound to connotate Pinnochio’s nose growing. The animators loved it so much they added in a part where the genie’s head turns into Pinnochio to match the improvised sound.
Robin also improvised on the small screen when he joined Billy Crystal on an impromptu visit to the ‘Friends’ set. The two legendary actors made up their entire dialogue as they mixed in with the cast of ‘Friends’ in a coffee shop scene.
In ‘Good Will Hunting,’ Matt Damon leaves Robin a note in his mailbox in the final scene. The script called for silence, but Robin added his own flair again. He reportedly added a different line on each take. Matt Damon grabbed the director and told him the one to use. It remained in the film, and the role brought Robin an Academy Award.
The montage also features improvisations from the tv series ‘Mork and Mindy’ and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’ In ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Robin decided to make up lines when his cake icing face mask melted in the hot studio lights. All of those lines made it into the film.
The director of ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ noted that most of the DJ scenes were entirely made up by Robin. Another clip shows Robin and Matt Damon from ‘Good Will Hunting’ in an entirely improvised scene where Robin tells him that his late wife used to fart in her sleep. Damon’s laughter was genuine, and the dialogue was left untouched.
The most legendary improv acting was done during the recording of dialogue for ‘Aladdin.’ Robin reportedly gave the filmmakers over 16 hours of hysterical unscripted lines, including countless celebrity impressions. Robin’s talent and persona made him larger than life. His work endures and becomes even more special when you realize he created so much of it himself.
