Comedy Legends: Greatest Comedic Actors Of All Time

There aren’t many actors alive today that can say they’ve had careers as good as the late Robin Williams. Plenty of comedic actors have their iconic roles that live in the hearts of their audiences, but Robin Williams was a different beast. From stand-up comedy to television, to some of the most iconic movie roles, and even voice acting if there was a character that needed to be brought to life, Robin Williams had to be your first call.

His earliest credited roles (according to IMDb.com) were in the late 1970s with roles on The Richard Pryor Show and the early days of Laugh-In. However, it was his role as Mork on two episodes of the sitcom Happy Days that captured his energy. His character made such an impact he’d earn his own show Mork & Mindy in the next year and would run from 1978-1982. While he made frequent appearances and contributions, he’d go on to play one of the most recognizable cartoon sailors in a live-action Popeye movie in 1980.

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His iconic roles wouldn’t stop there, having too many to name. He’d go on to play Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning, Vietnam, John Keating in Dead Poets Society, Sean in Good Will Hunting, the title character in Patch Adams, and Andrew in Bicentennial Man just to name a few. However, it was his family-friendly roles that stood out the most.

Robin Williams brought energy and excitement to so many roles that audiences of all ages could enjoy. He was iconic as the Genie in Aladdin, wowed fans as Daniel in Mrs. Doubtfire, tugged on your heartstrings in Jack, and put his stamp on a Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum. If you sat here and scrolled his actor bio, each role you’d come to would be just as exciting as the last. He was the man of many faces, many voices, and many laughs. Between his timing, his wit, and his humor he lit up every role he was in.

However, the reason Robin Williams was so iconic was the level of sincerity he brought to his characters. Every single character he played either inspired you or tugged on your heartstrings. In each role, he played he made his mark to the point of not being able to see anyone else in that role. Every minute of screen time was dedicated to bringing those characters to life and making the audience love the experience. Robin Williams brought energy to each performance. In the word of Genie “often imitated, never duplicated. He was one of a kind and finding a greater comedic actor to replace him is next to impossible. For that, he belongs on the list of greatest comedic actors of all time.