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“A balm for the soul”
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Joy

1991 blooper clip of Robin Williams and Elmo is a wholesome nugget of comedic genius

Robin Williams is still bringing smiles to faces after all these years.

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Robin Williams and Elmo (Kevin Clash) bloopers.

The late Robin Williams could make picking out socks funny, so pairing him with the fuzzy red monster Elmo was bound to be pure wholesome gold. Honestly, how the puppeteer, Kevin Clash, didn’t completely break character and bust out laughing is a miracle. In this short outtake clip , you get to see Williams crack a few jokes in his signature style while Elmo tries desperately to keep it together.

Robin Williams has been a household name since what seems like the beginning of time

Before his death in 2014, he would make frequent appearances on " Sesame Street ." The late actor played so many roles that if you were ask 10 different people what their favorite was, you’d likely get 10 different answers. But for the kids who spent their childhoods watching PBS, they got to see him being silly with his favorite monsters and a giant yellow canary. At least I think Big Bird is a canary.

Robin Williams and Elmo were a match made in heaven

When he stopped by " Sesame Street " for the special “ Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake ” in 1991, he was there to show Elmo all of the wonderful things you could do with a stick . Williams turns the stick into a hockey stick and a baton before losing his composure and walking off camera. The entire time, Elmo looks enthralled … if puppets can look enthralled. He’s definitely paying attention before slumping over at the realization that Williams goofed a line. But the actor comes back to continue the scene before Elmo slinks down inside his box after getting Williams’ name wrong, which causes his human co-star to take his stick and leave.

Unforgettable Robin Williams moments

Seeing Robin Williams interact with Elmo is a wonderful moment that stands on its own. But part of what makes it so special is when seen in the context of our shared memories of Williams as a brilliant comedic and dramatic performer. His undeniable humanity is what ultimately set Williams apart. If you need a refresher, here are some of his other unforgettable moments that will stay in our collective pop culture memory forever. And just maybe, a few you've never seen.


Robin Williams had some other classic Sesame Street appearances as well

The little blooper reel is so cute and pure that it makes you feel good for a few minutes. For an additional boost of serotonin, check out this other (perfectly executed) clip about conflict that Williams did with the two-headed monster. He certainly had a way of engaging his audience, so it makes sense that even after all of these years, he's still greatly missed.


This article originally appeared on 06.30.22

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Humor

Watch Robin Williams hilariously take over interviews in this brilliant compilation

There was rarely a room he occupied that wasn't full of laughter.

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Watch Robin Williams hilariously take over interviews.

The comedic genius that was Robin Williams still never ceases to draw a hearty chuckle even years after his death. Someone is always digging up an old video of him doing what he did best, making people laugh. In a rediscovered video, someone put together an epic compilation of Williams essentially taking over interviews with his antics.

In the 10-minute video , he goes from talk show to talk show where he upstages the comedian charged with hosting the show. His hilarious full-body comedy tickles the crowd into a roaring thunder of laughter. In one of the clips he's talking about how easy it used to be to fly on an airplane compared to post 9/11. He jumps into different accents with ease as he jokes about not being able to have a fingernail clipper on a flight because so meone might threaten to clip someone's hangnail.

In the clip with Jay Leno, Williams begins to explain why he wore tape over his mouth at an event, but instead of telling the story like a normal person, he starts speaking strangely and says he had to go into a witness protection program. The audience cannot get enough of his hilarious shenanigans while he talks to Leno. One thing about Williams' style of comedy is that it seemed to cross all social barriers and still does.

In the short snippet of him on "The Tonight Show Starting Johnny Carson," he dramatically gets up and pretends to be a drunken Shakespeare looking for an apartment, 2B … or not 2B. There's no way that the written word could do his comedic performance justice. Don't believe me, check it out for yourself in the video below.

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Pop Culture

Robin Williams blends celebrity impersonations and Shakespeare in unearthed '90s clip

Only Williams could pull off Sylvester Stallone as Hamlet.

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Robin Williams—the comedic genius

We all know the late, great Robin Williams was a comic genius. Many people also know that he was classically trained in theater. In a recently unearthed clip from 1991, Williams combines those two talents, leaving people splitting at the seams even decades later.

Williams was a guest on “The Tonight Show” starring Johnny Carson, when he and Carson began chatting about William Shakespeare, who Williams quickly quipped was a “man with a second grade education, [who] wrote some of the greatest poetry of all time, and sometimes I think, maybe not.”

Carson then asked Williams how he felt about other actors playing Hamlet (for context, Mel Gibson had recently starred in the role). Williams, being no stranger to the Bard’s work , then went into one of his delightfully creative frenzies, managing to effortlessly slide into the voices of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack Nicholson while throwing out verses like it was nothing.

Needless to say, the whole thing brought Carson into a fit of laughter.

The clip, which was posted to Twitter, left people wholeheartedly appreciating Williams all over again.

“The man could simply just start speaking & the talent would flow. Every single interview I've seen is just pure comedy. This man is sorely missed,” one person commented.

“One of a kind, there will never be anybody like him again. So sadly missed,” wrote another.

“The man could simply just start speaking & the talent would flow. Every single interview I've seen is just pure comedy. This man is sorely missed,” one person commented.

“One of a kind, there will never be anybody like him again. So sadly missed,” wrote another.

“Johnny was such a great host. [He] could just relate and say a word or two and let the genius shine,” wrote one person.

Williams had a gift for lighting people up. He might be gone, but his brilliance keeps on giving.

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Culture

Robin Williams The Movie: Actor's beautiful impression has folks wanting the full film

Youtube

Jamie Costa in ROBIN Test Footage Scene.

I think we can all agree, the loss of Robin Williams is still one that just hurts. He had an otherworldly type of quirkiness and charm that is simply irreplaceable. Not to mention a warmth that was like no other.

Luckily, we get to have one more viewing opportunity. One that feels remarkably like watching Williams on screen again. All thanks to a fellow comedian.

Jamie Costa , like Williams, is a jack-of-all-trades in the performing world. His bio describes him as an actor, director, producer, writer, voice actor, filmmaker, comedian and—most important for this story—a very talented impressionist. Though he embodies many well-known characters, Costa's claim to fame is his uncanny rendition of Robin Williams.

It's easy to see why. The actor not only bears an eerie physical resemblance to the late comedian, but perfectly matches his (unique) vocal tone to a tee.

Feel free to grab some tissues and watch it all here:


ROBIN Test Footage Scene www.youtube.com



If you need further proof, just check out this tribute video Costa put out when Williams passed away in August 2014, titled "Never Had A Friend Like Him. " In the video, Costa masterfully reenacts 20 impressions of Williams' most well-known characters.

My personal favorites? Alan from "Jumanji" and Peter from "Hook. "


But this next video is pretty breathtaking, and gives us all what feels like an intimate, hidden and never-before-seen aspect of Williams. It feels like watching a bonafide Williams biopic. So much so that many rallied in the YouTube comments calling for it to actually happen.




One user wrote: Please tell me someone is making his biopic and this man is playing the role. Robin Williams would be totally fascinating to better understand, want this. Need this.

Another person, one who clearly had been following Costa's work, wrote, "Who else has been hoping Jamie would play Robin in a biopic since you saw his first Robin impressions?"

Another simply stated, "This bio needs to be made with Jamie playing Robin."

The video, simply titled " ROBIN Test Footage Scene " on YouTube, depicts a young Robin Williams (played by Costa) backstage prepping for the "Mork & Mindy" In the scene, Pam Dawber (played by actress Sarah Murphree) gives Williams the tragic news that John Belushi had died.

Unsure how to handle this initial grief, Williams goes into denial, saying "I was with him last night. "

The elephant in the room, of course, is how Belushi died. Instead of coming right out and saying it was an overdose, Dawber simply gives Williams her plea that "I can't let what happened to him happen to you. "

The clip ends with one of those bittersweet and beautiful "the show must go on" moments. Williams runs his lines in the mirror, fighting back emotion. And for the first time, past the veil of one of his beloved characters, we catch a glimpse of the REAL Robin Williams. The Williams who made the whole world laugh, yet hid away great pain.

Costa does a beautiful job of bringing to life not only the Williams mannerisms and quirks, but also the rich depth and, not to be melodramatic, some of the inner torture as well. It's beyond an impression; he actually embodies Williams' essence. And it's a great service to an artist who gave the world so much.

Great job Jamie Costa. You've done the impossible and brought back to life one of the greats.

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