The five iconic roles Robin Williams almost secured
The American actor and comedian Robin Williams is the kind of star that you would never mind seeing in a movie or TV show, with his comedic wit and charming personality welcome during almost any production. Working with such filmmakers as Francis Ford Coppola, Gus Van Sant and Steven Spielberg throughout his career, whilst many see Williams as a typecast performer, he was capable of impressing in a diverse range of roles.
Sure, Williams might be known for his loveable performances in such films as Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting and Jumanji, but the actor’s greatest ever role arguably came in the 2002 Mark Romanek movie One Hour Photo. Playing a far more troubled character than he usually does, Romanek’s film told the story of a mentally fragile photo developer who becomes unhealthily obsessed with a middle-class family.
His various performing talents were recognised by Hollywood, too, with directors asking for Williams’ professionalism for countless roles that the actor turned down. Such includes the Oscar-winning role of Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s 2008 film Milk, Frank in Little Miss Sunshine, a character eventually played by Steve Carell, and the voice of Howard the Duck in the bizarre 1986 Marvel movie named after the anthropomorphic bird.
Still, there were five other more iconic roles that Williams rejected, silently changing the course of cinematic history.
Five roles Robin Williams almost secured:
Hagrid and Remus Lupin – Harry Potter Franchise (Various directors, 2001-2011)
Robin Williams was a massive Harry Potter fan, and he made no secret of this, either. When the franchise kicked off in 2001, he pleaded to be a part of the cast, wanting to play the giant gamekeeper Hagrid, despite his own humble height. He was turned down for the role in favour of the far mightier Robbie Coltrane and was later denied the chance to appear as Remus Lupin for one specific reason.
The author of the book series on which the films were based, J. K. Rowling, had demanded that a predominantly British cast and crew would be used to create the movies, meaning the American Robin Williams was barred from production.
Jack Torrance – The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The role of Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 horror movie The Shining is known as one of the greatest and most terrifying roles of all time, captured excellently by actor Jack Nicholson. Initially, however, Kubrick wanted Williams for the role, but the studio and Stephen King, who penned the original novel, didn’t like the idea, with the production eventually opting for the insanity of Nicholson.
Allegedly, Kubrick also found Williams “too psychotic” for the lead role, which is a little ironic, considering the fact that Torrance is one of the most unhinged characters ever to be put to cinema.
Joe Miller – Philadelphia (Jonathan Demme, 1993)
By 1993, Williams had only flexed his dramatic muscles a handful of times, appearing in the Terry Gilliam fantasy flick The Fisher King in 1991, as well as alongside Robert De Niro in the 1990 biographical Oscar-nominee Awakenings. Such made him a brave choice to appear in Jonathan Demme’s 1993 film Philadelphia, a film following a gay man, Andy (Tom Hanks), who sues his employer after an AIDS diagnosis, with the filmmaker wanting Williams for the role of Joe, played in the movie by Denzel Washington.
Worried the film would be too bleak, Demme wanted Williams to appear as Andy’s lawyer, also considering Bill Murray, but he eventually went with Washington once the celebrated actor became available.
The Joker – Batman (Tim Burton, 1989)
We’ve already discussed how Stanley Kubrick considered Williams to be “too psychotic” to play Jack Torrance, but what about the king of chaos, the Joker? Turns out Williams was a top choice to take on the role but was once again beaten out by Jack Nicholson, with his celebrated performance in 1980’s The Shining no doubt helping him to secure the part.
There was controversy behind the scenes when the studio tried to contact Nicholson, however, with the actor not responding to their offer. As a result, they offered the role to Williams, only to backtrack when Nicholson eventually picked up the phone.
Willy Wonka – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton, 2005)
Speaking of insane characters, not enough is said about the unhinged nature of the iconic fictional chocolatier Willy Wonka. Played by the likes of Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder throughout the years, with a performance from Timothée Chalamet yet to come, Williams was considered for the role during the making of Tim Burton’s 2005 remake, which added a splash of the director’s iconic gothic tone.
It should also be noted that countless actors were considered for the role, with Dwayne Johnson bizarrely being Burton’s second choice. Yet, this followed months of studio searching, where the likes of Brad Pitt, Mike Myers and even Robert De Niro were considered.
