Today, the world lost an amazing, hilarious, and all around good natured man. A man who got his film start portraying a live action version of a certain sailor who ate spinach to gain strength, and a role that really resonated with me from childhood up until now, the genie in Aladdin. Ladies and gentlemen, I am of course talking about Robin Williams, and in memory of him, I am going to review the two films I mentioned before because as a child, these films were what I thought of when I heard the name "Robin Williams". Robin had a very distinct style of acting, one could give him a script and he would not stick to it at all, giving all sorts of improvisations. It is a well known fact that a majority of his dialogue in Aladdin and Popeye was improvised out of the blue. There are cut takes from Aladdin that exist of him improvising dialogue based on a box of props beside him while recording, and can be heard if one looks at the "Making of Aladdin" DVD featurette. That role also was the inspiration for broadway actor James Monroe Iglehart to pursue a career in theatre, eventually becoming the same role that inspired him twenty-two years ago, currently playing Genie in the stage adaptation of Aladdin. (A role he is totally awesome in at that) It was also Williams that partially inspired me to pursue making my own fan adaptation of Aladdin. (Release Date: Unknown)
I do not know much about his role as Popeye when it comes to production history like Aladdin, but I do know that from watching the film that started his career, he managed to both stay true to the source material as well as making the role his own. He stepped into the role of the iconic sailor and was able to convey to the audience the beginnings and origins of Popeye as well as allowing us to feel genuinely towards the character and garner respect for Robin as well. It was through Robin we were able to learn how Popeye lost sight in one eye and began to talk in the way he does, while also making the role his own like he would with Genie years later. Robin Williams was a man of comedy and happiness whenever he stepped into a new role, whether it was an android fighting to be human, a doctor using comedy to cure patients, crossdressing as a woman, Theodore Roosevelt, or even the aforementioned topic roles in this post. He allowed us to feel sympathy for the characters he portrayed and actually care about them, which is not an easy task for an actor. I close this post by saying, "We will never forget you, Robin Williams." Your passing may have been too soon, but you will always be remembered by your fans and followers, as well as the family you have left behind. Farewell.
