Over a successful 36-year career, he played an alien, an elderly woman, a teacher, and even a US president. But in the end, the role that proved most challenging was just being himself.

The actor in question is the incredibly talented Robin Williams. Williams was one of Hollywood's brightest stars. Younger generations may remember him as Teddy Roosevelt in the Night at the Museum films, or as Ramon in Happy Feet. Others might recall Williams dressed up as a woman to get closer to his children in Mrs. Doubtfire. And older generations can think back to Mork and Mindy, the show that gave Williams his big break in 1978.

Robin Williams is one of those rare actors who is loved by all. He began as a stand-up comic and had a well-known gift for improvisation. No matter what the scene was, Williams could make it work—and get a big laugh in the process. Yet Williams would not have made it as far as he did if he had relied on his comedy skills alone. There was a very genuine quality in his acting style. He was willing to reveal a vulnerable side to characters he played on-screen. This display of weakness helped people connect to Williams, because it’s what we all feel sometimes in our everyday lives.

Williams may have been drawing from his own troubled private life during these performances. Struggles with depression, drugs, and alcohol were constant themes in his life. During his later years, a brain disease led to other physical problems like poor vision and trouble sleeping. In 2014, Williams ended his life at his home in California. It is very sad that he left the world so soon. However, he left behind an incredible body of work, one that has made the world a better place.

在他超過36 載的成功演藝生涯中，他扮演過的角色包括外星人、老嫗、教師、甚至是美國總統。但到頭來他證明了，最難克服的角色是做自己。

上述說的這位演員就是才華洋溢的羅賓．威廉斯，他可說是好萊塢最亮眼的巨星。年輕一代的觀眾對他的印象應該是《博物館驚魂夜》裡的羅斯福總統，或是《快樂腳》裡的拉蒙。有些人對他在《窈窕奶爸》裡飾演為了接近孩子而扮成女人的角色記憶猶新。長青觀眾則可能想起更久以前的《默克與明蒂》這部在1978 年開播，讓威廉斯一戰成名的電視劇。

羅賓．威廉斯是少數幾個廣受大家喜愛的演員。他以獨角喜劇起家，即興演出的天賦眾所皆知。無論是什麼樣的場景劇情，威廉斯都能信手拈來，引得觀眾捧腹大笑。不過，倘若單靠他的喜劇才華，無法達到今日的泰斗地位；主要還是他充滿真誠特質的演技引人入勝。他願意藉由大螢幕上的角色，顯現出自己脆弱的一面。這種呈現弱點的演繹方式，因十分貼近我們日常生活中時而產生的感受，而讓觀眾對他產生共鳴。

威廉斯或許是從自己煎熬的私生活中擷取表演靈感。他一生中不斷在憂鬱症、藥物、酒精等問題中苦苦掙扎。他在世的最後幾年更罹患了腦疾，造成視力減弱與睡眠障礙等生理問題。2014年，威廉斯在加州自宅結束自己的生命。雖然他這麼早就離開人世，令大家悲慟萬分，但他身後留下流傳於世的影視作品，已然賦予這個世界燦爛的火花。