by 
Updated on December 10, 2021
Today brought sad news of the death of actor/comedian Robin Williams at the age of 63.
Williams had a presence in the world of animation, where he did voice work for cartoons, including an animated version of his hit primetime sitcom “Mork and Mindy.” He also did guest voices on series such as “Tiny Toon Adventures.” However, his most famous voice was the Genie in Disney’s “Aladdin.” Williams didn’t return to voice Genie in the direct-to-video spinoff “The Return of Jafar” or the TV series (Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, was the voice of Genie in those), but did return for the final sequel, “Aladdin and the King of Thieves.”
Robin Williams’ live-action roles were also memorable, including as Popeye in the 1980 film of the same name, as Mrs. Doubtfire in the 1993 film (also of the same name), and as Nathan Lane’s better half in the 1996 film “The Birdcage.”
As a kid, I had a “Mork” Halloween costume, as I was a fan of “Mork and Mindy,” plus its sibling shows “Happy Days” and “Laverne and Shirley.” I also enjoyed Williams as Genie; “Friend Like Me” still ranks in my opinion as one of the all-time best Disney animated musical songs. Finally, while depictions of LGBT folk in media have changed a lot since its release, I enjoyed “The Birdcage.”
