Speaking at a Fan Expo San Francisco panel, Winkler recalled that Williams didn’t make a big impression at first. He seemed quiet and unassuming when he walked into the room. That changed the moment he picked up the script.
According to Winkler, once Williams began reading, it was immediately clear that something special was happening. His imagination exploded in every direction, leaving everyone else in the room stunned.
“All I could think was, ‘Know your lines and stay out of his way,’” Winkler said. “You were never going to stand toe-to-toe with that level of imagination.”
Williams first appeared as Mork on Happy Days, before the character became the center of the hit spin-off Mork & Mindy. The show ran from 1978 to 1982 and turned Williams into a household name almost overnight.
Winkler explained just how unique Williams was on set. Scripts for Mork & Mindy were often much shorter than usual because writers knew Williams would fill the gaps himself.
“There would literally be lines that said, ‘Robin will say something here,’” Winkler recalled. “And he always did — and it was always brilliant.”
Williams’ ability to improvise became legendary and set him apart from everyone else in television at the time. That same creative force later carried him through a career that included unforgettable dramatic performances, such as his Oscar-winning role in Good Will Hunting, and inspirational classics like Dead Poets Society.
After Williams’ death in 2014 at the age of 63, Winkler publicly honored his former co-star, praising not just his talent but his otherworldly creativity.
“This man was from another plane,” Winkler said in a past interview. “His imagination poured out of him like a torrent.”
Even decades later, Winkler’s words make one thing clear: Robin Williams wasn’t just funny — he was unforgettable, and even icons like the Fonz knew they were witnessing something truly rare.
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