Robin Williams’ 1981 Interview With ‘Mork And Mindy’ Speaks Volumes Today


Actor Robin Williams did not hesitate to talk about the various battles and inner demons he struggled to overcome throughout his life.

On numerous occasions, the late Oscar winner would openly discuss his problems on stage during a stand-up comedy routine, or even with a witty punchline during a televised interview.

Since Robin Williams’ death earlier this year, it seems as if there has been an increased interest in his extensive collection of work from his decades-long Hollywood career.

A lot of episodes from his popular 1970s sitcom, Mork and Mindy, are currently streaming on Hulu.

However, there is one particular episode that you may want to look at again with fresh eyes, because it is clear that Robin Williams may have revealed a lot more than many fans and critics realized when they first saw it.

The 65th episode of the series (Season 3, Episode 14) titled “Mork Meets Robin Williams” was exactly how the title sounds.

Robin Williams’ iconic alien character, Mork, got a chance to meet actor Robin Williams. In the episode, Mork and Mindy interviewed the stand-up comedian in his dressing room before he went out on stage.

However, Mindy (Pam Dawber) decided to ask some very personal questions that allowed Robin Williams to open up and reveal some of his personal issues and closeted skeletons.

If you pay attention more attention to Robin Williams’ responses to those questions and less attention to the overall laughs of seeing Robin and Mork interact with each other, what you discover might shock you.

The interview starts with Robin Williams admitting that he struggled with being able to say “no” and Mindy decided to get to the bottom of that.

“I don’t know why I can’t say ‘no.’ I guess I want people to like me. I hate myself for that. I used to be able to say ‘no.'”

Mindy responds by asking, “What do you mean?”

Robin Williams then reflected on the time when he had to turn down his friends when they offered to hang out with him outside because his mother wanted him to read instead.

Williams explained that, later on in life, he was afraid to say “no” to those friends because they would taunt him for being “Mr. Smartypants Big Shot,” forgetting his “old friends” and not being willing to lend them any money.

That is the part of the interview where Mindy seems to strike a nerve and Robin Williams possibly revealed a little more than he intended.

Mindy: It seems like if they’re really your friends, they’d understand. But, it seems to me you can’t say no to a total stranger.

Robin: (pauses) Right.

Mindy: It also looks like you’re probably taken advantage of a lot. You know, if you learned to say ‘no’ you’d probably have a lot more time to yourself.

Robin: Maybe that’s the last thing I want.

Shortly before Robin Williams headed on stage to start his performance, he had a chance to share a few final remarks with Mork and Mindy — especially after being asked by Mork whether or not it was all worth it.

Robin responded by opening up about his childhood and how he dealt with having a “case of the terminal shy.”

“I couldn’t make friends that easily; I would spend a lot of time in my room. I created my own little world full of all of these little characters that had strange and unusual qualities. After a while, I realized that more people found these characters kind of funny and outrageous.”

Robin Williams was eventually able to become very comfortable with those characters for a distinct (and somewhat unhealthy) reason.

“I got to the point where I realized that the characters could say and do things that I was afraid to do myself. And, after a while, here I am.”

What do you think?

Did Robin Williams use this Mork and Mindy episode to shine a public spotlight on his issues more than himself?

[Image Credit: Daily News]

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