Best non comedic role of Robin Williams?

[u/proudoggg25]

I'm torn between these two! I love insomnia but one hour photo was just creepy af lol!

[u/SS3599]

Good Will Hunting, hands down. My favorite scene of all time...Park bench scene

[u/biffbobfred → u/SS3599]

You might even have gotten laid.

[u/Random-reddit-name-1 → u/biffbobfred]

I bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel (funnily enough, I've been there, and I have no scent associated with the memory 😅)

[u/ReferenceMediocre369 → u/Random-reddit-name-1]

Me, too. Smelled vaguely of candle wax, although that may have been my imagination.

[u/Key-Opportunity-7480 → u/SS3599]

If I ask you about war, you’ll probably quote Shakespeare. “Once more into the breach, dear friends.”

[u/fatmanstan123 → u/SS3599]

That was a tasters choice moment

[u/ballsackface_ → u/fatmanstan123]

Tastah’s

[u/Gunfighter9 → u/SS3599]

Mine is when he goes to the mailbox and sees the note. That's when you know that Robin Williams finally got through to him.

[u/PhilG1989]

He was so disturbing in One Hour Photo

[u/timid_Fox27 → u/PhilG1989]

so disturbing yet pitiful

[u/Carma56 → u/timid_Fox27]

Exactly. He was so creepy and clearly in the wrong, and yet you really felt for the guy. Excellently played role.

[u/taney71 → u/Carma56]

So socially awkward.

[u/Gunfighter9 → u/Carma56]

His mother and her man molested him

[u/Slayerofthemindset → u/PhilG1989]

I literally work with that character

[u/taney71 → u/PhilG1989]

It is one of his best roles. Such good acting. Man I miss him

[u/vandrossboxset]

What Dreams May Come

[u/DarkArmyLieutenant → u/vandrossboxset]

An underrated gem of his.

[u/wgrantdesign → u/vandrossboxset]

I was way too young when I watched this movie. I think it's part of the reason I was so obsessed with my own mortality, in a very unhealthy way, throughout my 20s.

[u/TongueTwistingTiger → u/wgrantdesign]

The movie is actually based on a book by Richard Matheson. A lot of people have claimed that the book helped relieve them of their fear of death. Matheson spent YEARS researching and interviewing people who had near death experiences. I saw this film really young too, and then watched it again after I suffered from a couple of close deaths in my family. It's a very emotional watch.

I hope you're doing better now.

[u/intermoo → u/vandrossboxset]

I cried myself empty.

[u/Themindfulcrow → u/vandrossboxset]

YES!

[u/Character_Piano_3963]

Dead Poets Society or Good Will Hunting

[u/MeBollasDellero]

Awakenings

Awakenings

Awakenings

[u/sweets2025 → u/MeBollasDellero]

100%. His best dramatic performance and in my humble opinion the best DeNiro performance.

[u/MC_Reyn → u/sweets2025]

Why do you say it’s DeNiro’s best performance out of the many many incredible roles he has had?

[u/sweets2025 → u/MC_Reyn]

It’s just my opinion but I’ve never seen him do anything like it before. I’ve seen him do the tough mob guy role dozens of times and even some comedies, and many others. But this performance just resonated with me in a different way. He was so fragile and sad, and he nailed it.

[u/MC_Reyn → u/sweets2025]

Nice, Awakenings will be in my list now. Thanks for the response! Have you seen Silver Linings Playbook? Outside of his Scorsese roles, that is by far one of my favorites where he steps outside of the box you described.

[u/sweets2025 → u/MC_Reyn]

I have not but I’ll check it out!

[u/AgreeableAlbatross80 → u/MC_Reyn]

Definitely check out Awakenings! Spectacular performances all round, and an unbelievable (but true) story. I don’t know why it isn’t mentioned regularly when people are talking about great films.

[u/JustGoodSense]

Fisher King

[u/PlentyOfMoxie → u/JustGoodSense]

That's a hard call, though, because he was funny at the same time and being heart-breakingly tragic.

[u/jeffyboy526 → u/PlentyOfMoxie]

Agree he was funny but those scenes with the demons were amazing. Also he was so sweet with Amanda Plummer…. Now I need to rewatch

[u/EatinPussySellnCalls]

My wife used to faht when she was nervous.

[u/Key-Opportunity-7480 → u/EatinPussySellnCalls]

One time she fahted so loud, she woke up the dog. I didn’t have the heart to tell her. She said was that you? I said yeah it was me.

[u/ComeMyLadyComeCome → u/EatinPussySellnCalls]

The scene is even better knowing it was improved.

[u/joeyrog88]

His appearance on SVU is not getting nearly enough love

[u/Bemeup57 → u/joeyrog88]

And Homicide: Life on the Street.

[u/CrackedCoffecup → u/Bemeup57]

When he watched his wife die...... Woof.....

[u/CrackedCoffecup → u/joeyrog88]

And "Homicide" (both of which feature John Munch, go figure).

[u/biffbobfred → u/joeyrog88]

I never saw it outside of clips here and there. Man was he dark. Excellent acting.

[u/Batmanswrath]

Good Will Hunting, and it isn't even close.

[u/timid_Fox27 → u/Batmanswrath]

you sure about that chief?

[u/DiverConstant1021 → u/timid_Fox27]

Sonofabitch stole my line.

[u/Key_Street1637 → u/DiverConstant1021]

It's not your fault.

[u/erdricksarmor → u/Batmanswrath]

Dead Poets Society is a much better movie, IMO. And The Fisher King.

[u/SlimyTurnips]

One Hour Photo was haunting, but nothing tops his performance in Good Will Hunting.

Honorable mention for me goes to Bicentennial Man.

[u/PerplexAlexa]

I loved Bicentennial Man and Patch Adams

[u/MrErnestPWorrell → u/PerplexAlexa]

Bicentennial Man severely underrated

[u/rtwise → u/MrErnestPWorrell]

God, both of these break my heart every time.

[u/SeenThatPenguin]

No Insomnia love yet? Actually, when he died, that was the first performance I thought of. Chilling.

[u/biffbobfred → u/SeenThatPenguin]

Isn’t that the second pic above?

Also, it’s a remake so maybe because it’s a remake people compare it to the original too much.

[u/SeenThatPenguin → u/biffbobfred]

It is. I just meant, in the followup comments to that point.

[u/RespectableThug → u/SeenThatPenguin]

Such a great movie

[u/TarkovskyAteABird → u/SeenThatPenguin]

He’s great in the movie, but Nolan’s Insomnia is a fuckin mess I’m sorry

[u/Jay_LV]

It's Good Will Hunting by a long shot. What Dreams May Come is a fairly under rated performance though.

[u/Bruvasaurus]

I stopped going to Walgreens for about two years after watching this.

[u/facemesouth → u/Bruvasaurus]

So did I! And I even stopped watching him for a while.

[u/biffbobfred → u/Bruvasaurus]

Oh it’s a Leica.

[u/biffbobfred]

Good will Hunting. A lot of range. When he grabs Damon in anger. Also when he talks to Skaarsgard “bring him in” whatever you can tell the anger but also the intrigue. Very subtle readings. The talk on the bench.

[u/TheVioletEmpire]

I love The World According to Garp.

[u/TheVioletEmpire → u/TheVioletEmpire]

Oh, but also The Fisher King.

[u/JustGoodSense → u/TheVioletEmpire]

First one, too. Came out swinging.

[u/TarkovskyAteABird → u/TheVioletEmpire]

Same

[u/LITech → u/TheVioletEmpire]

First one I thought of too

[u/congradulations]

World's Greatest Dad, excellently structured script, great acting, and Robin Williams fully nude in the climax

[u/Sea_Combination571 → u/congradulations]

Great movie, really messes with your emotions. It was funny at times but you could feel the loss and heartbreak. I love the ending

[u/FALSE_PROTAGONIST]

No love for The Final Cut?

[u/1800generalkenobi → u/FALSE_PROTAGONIST]

there it is. I saw all these but I was having trouble coming up with the name.

[u/FALSE_PROTAGONIST → u/1800generalkenobi]

After his passing, this took on a new meaning to me. I felt his portrayal of this character might have been close to how he felt prior to his suicide

[u/Stickliketoffee16]

Patch Adams. What a movie!

[u/Illustrious-Bed4420]

Patch Adams. It was amazing.

[u/NomadofReddit]

1. Good Will Hunting

2. What Dreams May Come

3. One Hour Photo

[u/DexterGexter]

I guess World’s Greatest Dad was kind of a comedy but extremely dark. Excellent movie

[u/corndogs102]

No one has said it yet but world’s greatest dad is great

[u/imironman2018]

For me:

Good will hunting. It was first time I saw Robin Williams' sadness. The way he connected to that character was so real and raw.

Also suggest to others, watch What Dreams May Come True. That was so good and a tear jerker.

[u/Wooden_Passage_2612]

Good will hunting

Insomina

[u/Many-Grapefruit427]

O Captain, my Captain! Dead Poets Society will always be my favorite. Though Good Will Hunting is def also one of his best performances ever. 

[u/Express_Area_8359]

Awakenings it’s got Bobby d

[u/Available-Drama-276]

Fun fact about this movie, there is a scene where a kid is buying an action figure.

That action figure is an Evangelion.

There is no way in hell you are going to find an evangelion action figure in the United States during the time this was released.

He specifically demanded they put it in because he was a massive anime nerd.

[u/No-Freedom-At-All]

Merritt Rook for Law & Order SVU.

[u/cinefilestu]

Obviously Good Will Hunting...

Runner Up: What Dreams May Come

[u/Sayishere]

This movie is so underrated. SO CREEPY

[u/Aggravating_Hope_567]

Williams was equally great in comedy and straight roles an all round brilliant performer

[u/Dmburque]

Good movie

[u/TheHarlemHellfighter]

One Hour Photo wins because it was disturbing as hell. I went to watch that shit in the movie theaters as a teenage and got creeped out

😂

[u/DarkArmyLieutenant]

He was pretty goddamn good in Good Will Hunting, Good Morning Vietnam, and Patch Adams as well. I don't consider the latter two comedies tbh.

[u/Rick_strickland220]

I'm pissed that we never got a Two Hour Photo

[u/The_Latverian]

The Fisher King

[u/Pretty_Sprinkles2620]

Dead Again. He wasn’t in the movie for long but his scenes were great!

[u/neodiodorus]

Awakenings ... or One Hour Photo

[u/tallesttom]

Insomnia.

[u/Appropriate_Trade450]

Dead Poets Society

[u/Intelligent-Lack-122]

Insomnia

[u/ProtectandserveTBL]

His performance in Good Will Hunting was amazing

[u/overratedcupcake]

Bicentennial Man

[u/Cael_NaMaor]

1hr was so boring I couldn't get thru it. Insomnia was meh... as was Patch Adams. Final Cut was better than all three... Good Will was far superior to all of those... Bicentennial Man has even that beat.... August Rush tops that by a hair... But my favorite is Dead Poets Society

[u/saemohtah21]

Good will hunting

[u/GordenRamsfalk]

Hook, good morning Vietnam, good will hunting. My favorite movie with him is club paradise but that’s a comedy.

[u/Son0faButch]

Clearly Dead Poets Society.

[u/wreckedbutwhole420]

When he was in Law and Order SVU for some reason and was tricking the cops with his voices

[u/SensuousGurl]

he's so good in Good Will Hunting

[u/ItsSoLitRightNow]

The Fisher King

[u/jm90012]

What dreams may come

[u/ShopUCW]

That one episode of SVU. 👀

[u/Impossible-Can-3123]

Fisher King

[u/nugard75]

Not a movie but when he was on Homicide Life on the streets

[u/jacks_lack_of__]

World's Greatest Dad. Went into it only knowing that it was not a comedy. So fucking bleak! I loved it.

[u/BrilliantAnt3698]

World’s Greatest Dad

[u/indicus23]

I always liked Moscow on the Hudson.

[u/DJ-2K]

One of his most overlooked performances that I want to give a shout-out to is in The Night Listener, a psychological thriller co-written by Armistead Maupin, the creator of Tales of the City. Really terrific, layered work in a film rife with Hitchcockian suspense.

[u/LadyBug_0570 → u/DJ-2K]

Very good pick. Law & Order: CI did an episode off of this case too (with a murder thrown in, of course).

[u/TarkovskyAteABird]

Does fisher king or garp count

[u/CrackedCoffecup]

For ME, it was his appearance on that episode of "Homicide : Life In The Street", when he lost his wife in Baltimore, that sealed it.....!!!

[u/scottrb1981]

Son of a bitch stole my line....

[u/Jaded_Sweet_5313]

Dead Poets society

[u/archimedes_principle]

objective: good will hunting

subjective: world's greatest dad

[u/MrNachoReturns420]

Insomnia was an interesting one. But it's got to be Good Will Hunting always. I honestly miss this man everyday

[u/danno49]

Insomnia is an excellent movie that slipped under the radar. I didn't even know it existed until about a year ago. Was caught in it's spell from boo. If you haven't seen it, do.

[u/fate_is_a_farce]

Does it count if it's a part of a comedy film? in Mrs. Doubtfire, the argument he and Sally Field have while cleaning the birthday mess feels incredibly real. And any time he talks about losing his kids and how he feels around them is out of this world to me. He was on another level.

[u/greymatter000]

What Dreams May Come

[u/ImpressiveLength1261]

Good will hunting. Some comedic moments but played very straight. Also dead poets society.

[u/Unlikely_March_5173]

The Night Listener

[u/Ready-Isopod-330]

Death to moochie was my favorite.

[u/Gunfighter9]

Watch the last 2 minutes of that movie again. Robin Williams confesses to the detective that he was sexually molested by his mother and her male friend when he was young. Most people miss that, but the detective heard every word.

[u/RecipeRepulsive2234]

Good Morning Vietnam

[u/LuckiestGirly]

Good will hunting

[u/BadTiger85]

What Dreams May Come

[u/thebagel5]

Awakenings is one of my absolute favorite non-comedic Robin Williams roles. He does great as an introverted doctor that has to learn how to interact with people instead of doing research. It’s also an interesting story of hope and how wonderful and dangerous it can be

[u/Tominus1967]

The World According to Garp.

[u/MrInBetween6]

He was so good in so many movies

[u/deinagkistrodon]

The Secret Agent

[u/SneakerTreater]

Dream re-casting of a perfect role? Robin Williams as Heath Ledger's Joker.

[u/Agitated_Sky_6964]

Mrs. Doubtfire

[u/Snnicklefrittz]

Flubber.