Tribute to a Master Storyteller

I’ve been struggling to write this blog post ever since the news broke. Robin Williams might not have been a writer, but he was a master storyteller. He had perfected the art of character and voice and played such an influential part in my childhood and path towards writing that I felt it was only right to pay tribute to what he meant to me.

His Characters: Robin played some of the most dazzling characters during his time with us. They stretched your imagination and helped explore parts you maybe you didn’t even know you had.

Genie- He’s lovable, hilarious and blue! The Genie showed us what it means to be not only a good friend, but a great friend.

Mr. Keating- As a word nerd, I only wished I had a teacher like Mr. Keating and some of mine came very close! This character inspired me to look further into books at all the gorgeous meanings behind simple words.

Peter Banning- A grown up Peter Pan trying to be young again? What could be better??

Alan Parish- I’m always a sucker for the kid in adult body trope, so Robin’s portrayal of long lost Alan in Jumanji was nothing short of perfection.

Sean Maguire- While the Good Will Hunting role might have been his most serious, it also showed us a mature, jaded, cathartic side to Robin that really hit home in recent days.

Mrs Doubtfire- Anyone who is anyone has seen Mrs. Doubtfire and it was a beautiful role that demonstrated what a dad’s love really means.

In stories, your characters have to grow and change, just like all of Robin’s did but most of all they need to teach you something without ever saying it.

There are many more I loved and I regret to say many more I haven’t yet experienced, but in a way that will help keep him alive for me– always discovering new characters of his 🙂

 

His Voice:

Just like writers hope to achieve different voices from their varied characters, Robin had a way of making each of his personas unique. Every character he played had a different way of speaking whether it was their tone, the inflection of their voice to certain questions, the cadence, or even unique phrases and words.

He put on a clinic in each of his films about how to create and execute voice. I would go so far as to say he is one of the few blessed with the ability to create the perfect voice each time and sometimes on the spot. If you ever get confused about how to differentiate your character’s voices or what makes a voice stand out, check out any of his movies. Seriously. That’ll clear it up right quick for you.

 

His Humor:

This one goes without saying, but I’ll talk about it a bit anyway. Robin knew how to make people laugh. Plain and simple. A lot of the foundation of his humor came from the characters and voices he created. I would list some of his best lines but then I’d have a whole new blog post on my hands. Everything he said was funny in some way or another and I try my best to include humor in fiction, but none can do it quite as well as the master.

Do you have a favorite character he acted or voiced? What’re you favorite memories of the late, great Robin Williams?