Robin Williams was a master of improvisation, and his unique style of acting left an indelible mark on the world of cinema. His ability to transform simple lines on a page into iconic, memorable moments is a testament to his genius. Here are some of his most iconic improvised movie lines that made it into the final cut:
Dead Poets Society (1989): Williams' role as English teacher John Keating in Dead Poets Society taught Ethan Hawke, who played student Todd Anderson, the power of improvisation. When Keating is teaching the boys about Shakespeare, he delivers a line impersonating Marlon Brando performing one of Shakespeare's works, something that was not present in the script but made it into the movie. Similar classroom moments, like asking the boys to 'Yawp' and tear pages from their textbooks to immerse themselves in the lesson, were also improvised.
Aladdin (1992): Ron Clements and John Musker, who co-wrote and co-directed Disney’s Aladdin in 1992, actually crafted parts of the script with Williams’s improv style in mind, especially when envisioning the Genie’s personality. They encouraged him to 'improvise to his heart’s content.' The lines that came from this freedom became some of the most memorable parts of the film, in true Williams’s fashion. For instance, when Jafar turns into a Cobra, The Genie quips: 'Becoming a reptile, unnecessary use of reptile. Five-hundred-year penalty,' straight from Williams’s comedic genius.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993): Mrs. Doubtfire was one of the best comedies of the ’90s, due in large part to Williams’s ability to turn a script into so much more than just words on a page. The iconic 'run-by fruiting scene' in which Mrs. Doubtfire, played by Williams, throws a lime at Stuart Dunmeyer, played by Pierce Brosnan, and blames it on a staff member at the country club, was improvised. And at the birthday party, when Mrs. Doubtfire’s dentures fall into a glass of wine, and she says, 'Carpe dentum, seize the teeth,' that was classic Williams; perhaps also a nod to his Dead Poets Society role as John Keating, who delivers a similar line.
Good Will Hunting (1997): Much like in Dead Poets Society, Williams made his role in Good Will Hunting all the more real and raw with a bit of improv. As the film comes to a close, therapist Sean McGuire, played by Williams, is meant to say nothing. As Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote it, the character reads Will's goodbye letter, the car drives off, and the credits start to roll, but Williams had other plans. As he reads the letter at his doorstep, he delivers the line, 'Son of a b****. He stole my line,' totally unscripted. The story about his character’s late wife farting in her sleep was also improvised, making Damon’s reaction in this scene entirely organic.
Williams' improvisational skills were so legendary that directors often rewrote scripts to flatter his style, knowing that what ended up on screen would be among the most original and memorable moments in film. No one has, or ever will, capture hearts and seize screens quite like Williams did. His singular imagination transcended his life and is forever imprinted in many of cinema's most acclaimed scenes.
