My Interview with Famous Comedian and Movie Star Robin Williams
By: Terry Mansfield
Tags: Life Lessons, Humor, Time Travel, Interview, Stand Up Comedy

My Interview with Famous Comedian and Movie Star Robin Williams

I used my time machine to travel back in time to visit the renowned Robin Williams, who was kind enough to let me interview him.

Robin Williams at Aviano Air Base (Italy) on December 22, 2007,. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tabitha M. Mans — Wikimedia, Public Domain.

Photo y Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia. CC BY-SA 2.0. Happy Feet Two Australian Premiere With Robin Williams at Entertainment Quarter, Sydney, Australia

Before we get started with the interview, here’s some background on Mr. Williams:

“Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 — August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and a wide variety of memorable voices, he is often regarded as one of the best comedians of all time. Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s and rose to fame for playing the alien Mork in the sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982). After his first starring film role in Popeye (1980), Williams starred in several critically and commercially successful films including The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Patch Adams (1998), One Hour Photo (2002), and World’s Greatest Dad (2009). He also starred in box office hits such as Hook (1991), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Good Will Hunting (1997), and the Night at the Museum trilogy (2006–2014). He was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting. He also received two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Grammy Awards.” — Wikipedia

A photograph of Robin Williams taken by Michael Dressler in 1979, later used as a cover photo for Time magazine to highlight Williams. By Source (WP: NFCC#4), Fair use.

Robin, I want to thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions. So let’s get started.

Q. What are your thoughts on the sanctity of human life?

A. “A human life is just a heartbeat in heaven.”

Q. Do you ever get really emotional? Have you ever been brought to tears over something?

A. “Crying never helped anybody do anything, okay? You have a problem you face it like a man.”

Q. You have a reputation for being very tolerant of people. Is that true?

A. “I’m a very tolerant man, except when it comes to holding a grudge.”

Q. I know that, like all of us, you’ve suffered painful losses. How do you deal with that?

A. “Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself.”

Q. How would you explain the difference between right and wrong?

A. “What’s right is what’s left if you do everything else wrong.”

Q. You seem so upbeat and happy most of the time. How do you manage that?

A. “All you have to do is think one happy thought, and you’ll fly like me.”

Q. How do you handle anger?

A. “For a while you get mad, then you get over it.”

Q. You obviously have an amazing imagination. How much of a role in your life does imagination play?

A. “Imagining something is better than remembering something.”

Q. What are your thoughts on being successful in life?

A. “Some are born great. Some achieve greatness. Some get it as a graduation gift.”

Q. Does love play a prominent role in your life?

A. “If there’s love, those are the ties that bind, and you’ll have a family in your heart, forever. Haven’t we learned anything from the music of John Lennon? All we need is love.”

Q. What do you think is the best way to change the world for the better?

A. “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

Q. I know you’re a huge fan of music. Why do you love music so much?

A. “You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.”

Q. Do you think real freedom is possible in the world we live in?

A. “But only in their dreams can men be truly free. It was always thus and always thus will be.”

Q. You’ve had some major ups and downs in your life. How do go about forgiving yourself?

A. “Good people end up in Hell because they can’t forgive themselves.”

Q. How do you feel about life and death?

A. “Our job is improving the quality of life, not just delaying death. Please, don’t worry so much. Because in the end, none of us have very long on this Earth. Life is fleeting.”



Q. Relationships among people can get tricky and sometimes rocky. When faced with such a situation, what do you recommend to mend things?

A. “You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.”

Q. On the stage, your comedy act usually brims with optimism. How do you achieve that time after time?

A. “Comedy is acting out optimism.”

Q. Do you ever worry about ending up all alone?

A. “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone.”

Q. If you were to choose three things you believe people most need, what would they be?

A. “There are three things in this world that you need: Respect for all kinds of life, a nice bowel movement on a regular basis, and a navy blazer.”

Q. Sometimes things get rough in life. When they do, how do you deal with bad times?

A. “You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren’t paying attention to.”

Thank you very much, Robin, for answering my questions.

Note: All answers above are actual, verbatim quotes from Robin Williams. If you’d like to read my interview with famous actor and comedian W.C. Fields, you’ll find it here:

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