10 Facts About Robin Williams That We Bet Even His Die-Hard Fans Didn't Know

Robin Williams was a legend. His infectious charm still holds the world under its spell. There was no one who could ever come close to his efferverscence, nor do we think there will be someone like him in future. 

He made Aladdin's Genie look cool, way before Will Smith came into the picture. Kids of the current generation will never be able to relate to the joy of watching movies like 'Jumanji' (1995 version), 'Dead Poets Society' or 'Mrs. Doubtfire'. Had he been alive, he would have turned 68 today. To honour this legendary actor-comedian, Star World is releasing a documentary on him called 'Robin Williams: Come inside my Mind' that will air tonight at 9 PM.

His death has left a void in everyone's hearts which will never be filled. He may not be with us anymore, but his talent and work will continue to live and entertain generations to come. Taking a look back at his journey, here are some lesser known facts that most of us didn't know about the actor.

1. While filming 'Mork & Mindy', Robin improvised the script so much that most of his dialogues were ad-libbed. So after a point, the makers stopped trying to stick to a script for him and left gaps with "Mork can go off here" on it. 

In fact, thanks to his reputation for improvising so much, the creators of 'Jumanji' started contemplating casting him in the movie as they feared he will change the script a lot. However, Williams stuck to the script shared and the rest is history.

2. Before making it big in Hollywood, Williams performed as a mime on the street outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, to make money.

3. 'Good Morning, Vietnam', a film that put Williams on the map as an actor and also got him his first Oscar nomination, almost didn't happen initially. After years of tossing around the project, it was only when the script finally reached Williams that he read it and realised that it was a perfect platform for him to showcase his talent.

4. Jim Carrey's role of 'Riddler' in 'Batman Forever' was originally offered to Robin Williams. 

5. Williams claimed that as a child, he was overweight, shy and shunned by other kids. In school, he was once voted as "least likely to succeed." So, he would entertain himself by talking in different voices. His first ever impression was of his grandmother, which he performed to his mother. That's where it all began. 

6. To convince Williams to take up the role of Genie in 'Aladdin', Disney animated and lip-synced the genie performing Williams' own stand-up comedy. Williams was so impressed that he signed on the paper immediately.

7. The Holocaust was so depressing that when Steven Spielberg was making 'Schindler's List', Williams would call and tell him jokes to uplift his spirits.

8. Robin got a full scholarship to join the famous Julliard School in New York, becoming one of 20 students accepted into the freshman class and one of two accepted by John Houseman into the Advanced Program at the school that year. 

The second was his close friend and 'Superman' actor Christopher Reeve. Williams claimed that Reeve would feed him all the time, because he had no money for food and his student loan hadn't come in.

9. In fact, at Julliard School, he was asked to focus on stand-up instead of wasting time on acting. Sometimes teachers can be so wrong and Williams' success is proof. 

10. Williams is a huge fan of cycling and owned more than 50 bicycles. He even credits cycling for saving his life when he battled with depression.

Apart from Robin Williams, Star World is coming up with a documentary series 'The Real Side', where they will provide a sneak-peek into the lives some of the prominent personalities.