Top 10 Times Robin Williams BROKE the Rest of the Cast

“Patch Adams” (1998)
A seasoned pro of the screen, Philip Seymour Hoffman starred in many notable dramas and even won the Oscar in 2006 for playing Truman Capote. Point is, he doesn’t seem like the type of actor who would break easily. Yet he and Robin Williams were having the time of their lives on the set of “Patch Adams.” Hoffman and Williams just can’t seem to get through the scene in which Mitch introduces himself to Patch. They incessantly giggle like a couple of teenagers on a mind-altering substance, and they can’t make it two sentences without breaking. We wish we were on set that day. It seemed like a good time.

“Good Morning, Vietnam” (1987)
Robin Williams earned his first Oscar nomination for playing Adrian Cronauer, an Armed Forces DJ who keeps morale high during the Vietnam War. Adrian’s hilarious broadcasts were largely improvised by Williams, with producer Mark Johnson saying they “just let the cameras roll.” What resulted was cinematic magic, with many people losing their composure both in front of and behind said cameras. There’s also a scene where Adrian breaks from the radio and entertains a group of GIs in person. Many of these extras did not speak English, yet they still laughed at Williams’s physical mannerisms, and their genuine laughter was included in the film.

“The Birdcage” (1996)
One of Williams’s more underrated comedies, “The Birdcage” contains one of the funniest scenes in his filmography. And it’s not thanks to the script, but Williams himself. Armand, Val, and Agador are panicking inside a kitchen, and Armand eventually slips on the floor. Williams genuinely slipped and fell, and Armand telling Agador that he was alright was actually Williams informing Hank Azaria. Funnily enough, Williams is the one who breaks from this mistake. While the other two are mostly successful in keeping a straight face, it’s Williams who briefly giggles while desperately trying to stay in character.

“Night at the Museum” (2006)
Robin Williams clearly had a penchant for making even the most professional of actors laugh. He stars alongside screen veteran Ben Stiller in “Night at the Museum,” playing a living wax sculpture of Theodore Roosevelt. One scene required Stiller to kneel over Williams as he lay in the snow, and for some reason it brought out the giggles. They’re barely able to string three words together without laughing, and at one point director Shawn Levy can be heard telling them to “take a breath.” Stiller’s little jig does nothing to help and he breaks again, forcing Levy to finally call cut. We don’t blame Stiller. We’d be laughing too.

“Patch Adams” (1998)
We return to the medical comedy for the most universal form of humor - that of a good, loud fart. The camera is slowly panning into Williams when he lets loose, forcing an immediate breaking of character from everyone around him. Monica Potter smiles and looks a bit disgusted while Daniel London immediately laughs and turns to a slightly embarrassed Williams. And while we don’t see Philip Seymour Hoffman’s reaction, he’s clearly grinning when the camera pans back to him. Williams doesn’t even have to open his mouth to get everyone around him laughing. Such is the connective power of a good toot.

“Sesame Street” (1969-)
Robin Williams starred multiple times on “Sesame Street,” often bearded and wearing both a baseball cap and a colorful shirt. He appeared during the 1991 special “Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake,” showing Elmo the imaginative power of a simple stick. The 2018 documentary “Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind” contains outtakes from this segment, and they are every bit as enjoyable as you would think. The clips ooze with charm, as Williams makes the crew laugh with his silly antics. The funniest part comes when Elmo accidentally calls him Mr. Robbins, prompting a great reaction that warms the heart and soothes the soul.

“Awakenings” (1990)
Not to belabor the “he makes seasoned pros laugh” point, but come on - this is Robert freaking de Niro we’re talking about here! In fact, De Niro earned an Oscar nomination for playing encephalitis patient Leonard Lowe, proving that he was at the top of his game on set. Yet he couldn’t help but laugh alongside his co-star. Williams stumbles during one scene, leading to a prolonged joke in which he starts doing another voice. This voice makes De Niro laugh even harder, and to be honest, we don’t think we’ve ever seen him like that. De Niro has always seemed like a very serious person, yet here is belly laughing with the rest of us.

“Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (1998-2007; 2013-)
It’s hard to name the funniest segment in “Whose Line” history, but may we suggest Scenes from a Hat with Robin Williams? Williams was on fire the whole episode, elevating the energy and effort from everyone else, but he really shines during Scenes from a Hat. It’s just wall-to-wall hilarity, and the laughter literally never stops for three and a half minutes. The audience is clearly having the time of their lives, and the other performers are often doubled over in laughter. Even the inscrutable Colin Mochrie laughs on more than one occasion, even though he’s the one usually causing the breaking. Oh, to have been in that audience…

“Jumanji” (1995)
‘90s kids may remember the visual of Alan Parrish being stuck in the wooden attic floor, the unfortunate result of playing the titular Jumanji. But even having his face stuck inside a prop floor isn’t enough to stop Williams from bringing the heat. Bonnie Hunt gets the giggles acting alongside Williams’s face, and frankly, we don’t blame her - it’d be quite hard taking that visual seriously. Williams keeps the laughs and smiles coming, making jokes about religion, crafting stupid puns, and screaming in her face for no reason. And yes, just like “Patch Adams,” there’s even a fart.

“Good Will Hunting” (1997)
Ok, so Robin Williams clearly has a thing for farting. Even a comedic genius such as him finds value in it. “Good Will Hunting” is one of Williams’s most serious roles, playing the grieving Sean Maguire, but he still finds time to squeak in a good fart joke. Sean tells Will a funny anecdote about his late wife tooting in her sleep, and the entire bit was ad-libbed by Williams. Will’s reaction is genuine laughter from Matt Damon, and legend has it that the camera operator also chuckled, causing the screen to subtly shake. Not only is the speech hilarious, but it adds a beautiful and oddly touching dimension to Sean’s character. Such was the genius of Williams.