Five Aussies who met Robin Williams reveal what he was really like

A YEAR on from his death, five Aussies who got to spend time with Robin Williams share their memories of him.

IT’S hard to believe it’s been a year since Robin Williams’ death.

Few of us had the privilege of meeting the gifted comedian, but for those Aussies who did, it was an experience they’ll never forget. These are their treasured memories:

Network Ten entertainment reporter, Angela Bishop:

Interviewing Robin Williams was always a great day at the office. You never knew exactly what you would get because his mind would move so brilliantly in so many directions. Also, you didn’t need to have too many questions prepared because he would take one question and run with it. But there was a bit of pressure, because deep inside I always had a faint hope I could make him laugh.

On the red carpet at the Emmys one year, I had an Australian flag I waved to attract the attention of the stars. He came right over, grabbed it, turned it upside down and did a side-splitting routine on how me and my flag were on the wrong side of the planet. During a sit down chat for The Birdcage he taught me how to ‘mince’.

I remember thinking after one such interview, that Robin was put on this earth to make people happy. Then I wondered if he was happy.

The last time I interviewed him was in Australia for Happy Feet 2 and I remember thinking he seemed a little more subdued than usual. Maybe it was jet lag.

My favourite Robin Williams experience was in 1998. I was in New York having dinner at Nobu with Molly Meldrum and a great group of people, when we noticed Robin and Billy Crystal sitting at the next table. Molly insisted we go and say hello (everyone knows and loves Molly so it didn’t seem like an intrusion), and so we did and had a warm, wonderful, hilarious, once-in-a-lifetime chat. The photo below is from that night.

I remember the day he died, breaking the news live on Studio 10, and feeling bereaved. The reaction from the rest of the panel, from the studio audience and from the viewers was a mix of shock and genuine sadness, as though someone they knew well had passed. The realisation was that this man, who had cheered so many of us in a dark moment, was unable to rescue himself from his own.

A night Angela Bishop, pictured with Billy Crystal (left) and Williams, will never forget.

TV legend, Anne Wills:

In April 1988, I had to fly from Adelaide to Sydney to interview Robin Williams for Good Morning Vietnam.

I was dreading this interview because Williams had cut a swathe through the hosts of most Aussie TV shows that previous week ... and he took no prisoners.

The day started badly at Adelaide airport at 6am: TAA (now Qantas) were on strike and the plane from Adelaide was suddenly full. The guys on the ticket counter said, “We can fit you and your husband (newly married three weeks ago) in the cockpit!”

When we got to Sydney, Robin Williams’ minder told us he only had five minutes because he was leaving to go back to LA. He also told us Robin was still in a bad mood from the night before when he’d done an interview with Derryn Hinch (apparently he didn’t appreciate the questions about John Belushi’s death).

We pinned the microphone on Robin and I sat down beside him on the couch, kicked my shoes off, tucked my legs up under me and said, “I had to fly the plane to get here today, I’ve been married for only three weeks and quite frankly, I’m fu*ked”.

He genuinely laughed out loud and from that minute on he was absolutely fabulous! He kept grabbing my hands and saying, “I’m so glad you’re the last one I’m chatting to in Australia, you’re great”.

I told him that my husband and I had been at the Academy Awards three weeks earlier (which was a wedding gift from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as I had attended the Academy Awards for the previous eight years to report for my TV show, Movie Scene) only to see Robin lose the Oscar to Michael Douglas. We commiserated over that.

Not only was he his usual funny self throughout the 47-minute long interview, but he was blown away when I told him I had entertained twice in Vietnam, so he interviewed me for a while!

He was kind, considerate and there wasn’t any sign of the Robin Williams who ate TV hosts for breakfast.

He thanked me for the bottles of wine I had brought him from Adelaide and he said he wouldn’t drink them as he was “dry” now, but would give them to friends.

We had a copy of the interview delivered to his agent in LA and he sent back a message of thanks.

It is I who thank you Robin. It was an honour to share the screen with you.

Anne Wills is available as a guest speaker through Vegas Promotions.

Fun fact: Anne Wills has won more Logies than anyone else.

Host of Tonight Live and various radio shows, Steve Vizard:

I interviewed Robin William twice. Interviewed is probably the wrong word — I said “Robin Williams” and then Robin Williams flew.

Even through the bustling mechanics of TV production and flattening constraints of movie publicists, Robin Williams found a way to be wildly, improvisatorially funny. I can’t remember what movies he was supposed to be promoting: judging by the interview, neither did he. On both occasions Robin side stepped the obligatory questions about his latest project and followed the wild laughter and applause of the audience.

I recall he extemporised about Australian accents, Australian directors, his good mate Peter Weir in particular, how Australians were taking over Hollywood, adolescence, his early days in stand up, his dress sense, tap dancing, international time zones, airline food, the problems with beards, of being hirsute and of shaving several times a day, kids and on and on. Each observation was accompanied by an accent, an impression, an instant characterisation. Robin Williams channelled funny. My questions were limited. His talent was not.

You can’t profess to know someone when you interview them a couple of times. But you know instantly when you’re in the presence of a creative greatness. What struck me most wasn’t simply his talent or generosity during our on-air interviews — but his talent and generosity as we talked off — air.

Whether I’m laughing at The Birdcage or crying at Dead Poets Society, it’s all in his eyes. It’s forever in his eyes.

Tonight Live aired five nights a week from 1990 - 1993.

Shazam Top 20 co-host on Today’s hit network, Ash London:

I grew up loving Robin Williams. My afternoons were spent watching Mork and Mindy re-runs, Good Morning Vietnam was my favourite movie (even before I was old enough to really understand the themes at play) and of course — like everyone my age, I can still recall most of the dialogue from Mrs Doubtfire verbatim.

He was like my cool Uncle who told naughty jokes I didn’t understand and always bought me the best Christmas presents.

As an adult, I got the call up to interview him as part of the Happy Feet 2 junket. I was equal parts elated and petrified at the thought of going face to face with the man that had made me laugh my whole life. I sat outside the hotel room telling myself to chill out.

“Calm down, London. Be cool. Don’t tell him how much you love him. Just please, for the love of God, try and be cool.”

I wasn’t cool. Not one bit. I walked into the junket, armed with way-too-many questions, my heart beating outside my chest, and as I looked up, there he was. Before I could stop myself, the words were falling out of my mouth and I was telling him how much I loved him and how nervous I was.

What an idiot.

What he did next was pretty special. Beckoning me over, he took my hands in his, looked into my eyes and with a kind smile told me that I was going to do great.

As it turned out, I needn’t have prepared even one question. For the next 10 minutes he brought the room to life with one huge hilarious monologue. Everyone in the room laughed along, not saying a word, completely captured by this hurricane of joy that had torn through the room and pulled us all into his trail.

When my time was up, I wrapped the interview, thanked him, and turned to walk out. As I did, he stood up, gave me a kiss on the hand and told me that, as expected, I’d done a wonderful job.

The truth is, I hadn’t done anything. He on the other hand, had given me one of the most memorable days of my life.

Ash hosts the Shazam Top 20 on Today’s Hit Network from 7pm weeknights.

Channel Nine entertainment editor, Richard Wilkins:

When you met Robin Williams you just knew that you were in the presence of greatness.

I had the rare pleasure of interviewing him maybe half a dozen times. He was such a beautiful man and he always remembered you and what you had talked about previously.

In most interviews, you work out what you’re going to say and where the interview will go but all that was kind of unnecessary with Robin. All you had to do was say “hi” and he just took it from there.

The most memorable time was when the producers of the Today show decided that I should interview Robin live downstairs in the bistro, as we used to call it.

They threw to me and there were perhaps two or three people in there watching.

Robin was an absolute genius, especially when he was unscripted, and as we were bantering back and forth more and more people came running down to the bistro to watch.

He just loved an audience and the interview must have gone about 10 minutes. By the time we’d finished we had a full studio audience watching on.

He was one of the very few people that were so brilliant in their comedy but he had so much pathos. You just wanted to give him a big cuddle.

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Richard Wilkins from Today on Channel Nine.