Robin Williams: A Biography (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The dawning of the American Century, that period when America began to dominate the world economically, politically and culturally, came with the end of the..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Entertainment Weekly has declared Robin Williams "The Funniest Man Alive," but he started out a shy, overweight boy who was bullied at school. In high school, Williams discovered that he was funny. He decided to pursue acting at Juilliard, rooming with Christopher Reeve, but soon dropped out to pursue stand-up comedy, which led to his big break on Mork and Mindy. His film debut in Popeye was a flop, but he scored in The World According to Garp and has been a successful film actor ever since. He found fame difficult to handle, though, and he hid in drinking, drugs, and womanizing until the drug-related death of friend John Belushi spurred him to clean up his act. British writer Dougan (Untouchable: A Biography of Robert De Niro, Thunder's Mouth, 1997), interviewed Williams himself as well as his friends and colleagues, producing the first in-depth biography to appear in the last ten years. A straightforward account that reveals new facts about a very private celebrity. Recommended.?Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. System, Pacific Grove, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Andy Dougan's biography provides a detailed look at of Robin Williams's life and career from his poor-little-rich-kid childhood to his successes in such films as The Fisher King, Awakenings, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Dougan interviewed Williams five times and spoke with the actor's schoolmates, teachers, colleagues, and costars.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560252138
• ISBN-13: 978-1560252139
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,422 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good biography, February 9, 1999

By	S. A. Felton (southern OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Robin Williams a Biography (Hardcover)

I saw this book on the table at the local library and decided to read it, though I am not that big a fan of Mr. Williams.

I found this biography to be really top notch, highly readable, having just enough details without being excessive. The book is an intimate portrayal yet is not intrusive. While the author acknowledges at the outset that his book is an "unauthorized" biography, you wouldn't know it - the quotes from Williams, his two wives, and close associates are very poignant, as if given while being interviewed for this biography.

The author does a fine job of tracing Williams life from childhood in Detroit through his beginnings as a performer in San Francisco and at the Julliard School in New York. There he becomes close friends with Christopher Reeve. The friendship lasts through the years, and the chapter where Williams flies to be with Reeve after the latter's tragic 1995 horse-riding accident, cheering him up as he has cheered up many other fellow entertainers, is very moving.

The book traces Williams career in TV and the movies (while always mentioning Williams countless live comedy club performances) with care and thoroughness. The chapters on Mork and Mindy are interesting, followed by Williams' lack of box-office success in "Popeye," "Moscow on the Hudson," and the disastrous "Club Paradise." While having trouble making it in the movies, Williams also has a lot of personal problems. Again, this part of Williams' life is handled carefully, with detail, but without excess, and also has a happy outcome when he bonds with his second wife, who later produces another of Williams' huge successes, "Mrs. Doubtfire."

Finally, in his 8th film, Williams makes the big time with an outstanding performance in "Good Morning, America." He is nominated for academy awards in this film, "Dead Poets Society," and "The Fisher King," but does not win. I assume that synchronistically while the author was writing this book, Williams finally breaks through with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in "Good Will Hunting," which is described in the book's epilogue. It seems like a fitting conclusion, yet the author also discusses Williams next 3 movies, as he is a tireless performer!

Highly recommended if you like Robin Williams work at all.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Hollywood Point of View, November 24, 2006

By	Wendy Benedetti "Grandma1" (Grants Pass, OR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Robin Williams a Biography (Hardcover)

My personal opinion was that this book was written for people who wanted to know what it was like for Robin Williams in Hollywood. I feel the author does too many take offs on other actors and actresses he names in the book and also on movies and TV shows mentioned. I wished for a true insight into the life of Robin, what kind of person he is and what kind of childhood he experienced. In the preface or early it is stated that Robin's lawyer is not in support of this author writing this book and that lawsuits will follow if needed, so this leads me to believe there is not a lot of substantial facts for the basis. i am enjoying gleaning what I can.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very effectively dispels rumors and other untrues., February 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Robin Williams a Biography (Hardcover)

I found this book to be a very interesting and enlightening account of the events that have made Robin Williams the man he is today - the funniest man in the world. Mr. Dougan goes to great lengths to dispel the rumors and other untrues so often associated with the comedian and the actor. However, he does not sugar coat the difficulties (both professional and personal) that Robin Williams has encountered and overcome during his career. The book does drag in a few places where Mr. Dougan provides a somewhat lenghtly background into the lives of people remotely associated with Robin. To me, this information had little to do with the subject at hand. But I still highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the life (good and bad) of Robin Williams.