How Steven Spielberg used Robin Williams to lighten the mood on the ‘Schindler’s List’ set
Throughout his career, Steven Spielberg has helmed countless brilliant movies, but perhaps the most impactful of his oeuvre remains his 1993 Holocaust movie Schindler’s List. Based on the novel of Thomas Keneally, Spielberg tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved more than 1,200 Jews during World War II.
Liam Neeson gave the performance of a lifetime as Schindler, and the film fully captures the brutality and horrors of the Holocaust whilst also diving deep into the systems that caused so much loss of life through the examination of Nazi second lieutenant Amon Goth, played equally brilliantly by Ralph Fiennes.
Naturally, though, the dark historical subject matter of the film led Spielberg, who had also only just finished working on the intensive Jurassic Park production, to experience moments of depression. The iconic director was determined to finish the film, seeing as he felt it was such an important story to tell and knew it would change people’s lives, just as it would change his.
He once told The Hollywood Reporter, “When I went to Poland to start working on Schindler’s List, I quickly realized after a couple of days of filming that this just wasn’t a natural reflex of my filmmaking instincts — this was going to be something that was going to change my life.”
Even so, it was only normal for even a greatly experienced filmmaker like Spielberg to feel the pressure of bringing such a heavy narrative to fruition. He knew that he had to keep his spirits high in one way or another, so he decided to watch episodes of Seinfeld to keep the black dog at bay, and also chose to consult his friend Robin Williams, who Spielberg knew was good for a heartwarming moment or two.
Speaking at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival for the 25th Anniversary of Schindler’s List, Spielberg explained, “Robin knew what I was going through, and once a week, Robin would call me on schedule, and he would do 15 minutes of stand-up on the phone. I would laugh hysterically because I had to release so much”.
Spielberg has developed a close friendship and working relationship with Williams on the set of Hook, so he knew that he was the perfect person to contact when he was feeling low. The director added, “The way Robin is on the telephone, he’d always hang up on the loudest, best laugh you’d give him. He’d never say goodbye, just hang up on the biggest laugh.”
