Trivia: Onstage, on television, in the movies or in a serious interview, listening to and watching comedian/actor Robin Williams was an extraordinary experience. An improvisational master with a style comparable to Danny Kaye, his words rushed forth in a gush of manic energy. They punctuated even the most basic story with sudden subject detours that often dissolved into flights of comic fancy, bawdy repartee, and unpredictable celebrity impressions before returning earthward with some pithy comment or dead-on observation.Born in Chicago on July 21st, 1951, Williams was raised as an only child and had much time alone with which to develop his imagination, often by memorizing Jonathan Winters' comedy records. After high school, Williams studied political science at Claremont Men's College, as well as drama at Marin College in California and then at Juilliard. His first real break came when he was cast as a crazy space alien on a fanciful episode of Happy Days. William's portrayal of Mork from Ork delighted audiences and generated so great a response that producer Garry Marshall gave Williams his own sitcom, Mork and Mindy, which ran from 1978 to 1982. The show was a hit and established Williams as one of the most popular comedians (along with Richard Pryor and Billy Crystal) of the '70s and '80s.Williams made his big screen debut in the title role of Robert Altman's elaborate but financially disastrous comic fantasy Popeye (1980). His next films included the modestly successful The World According to Garp, The Survivors, Moscow on the Hudson, Club Paradise, The Best of Times. Then in 1987, writer-director Barry Levinson drew from both sides of Williams - the manic shtickmeister and the studied Juliard thesp - for Good Morning, Vietnam, in which the comedian-cum-actor portrayed real-life deejay Adrian Cronauer, stationed in Saigon during the late sixties. Levinson shot the film strategically, by encouraging often outrageous, behind-the-mike improvisatory comedy routines for the scenes of Cronauer's broadcasts but evoking more sober dramatizations for Williams's scenes outside of the radio station. Thanks in no small part to this strategy, Williams received a much-deserved Oscar nomination for the role, but lost to Michael Douglas in Wall Street.Williams subsequently tackled a restrained performance as an introverted scientist trying to help a catatonic Robert De Niro in Awakenings (1990). He also earned accolades for playing an inspirational English teacher in the comedy/drama Dead Poets Society (1989) -- a role that earned him his second Oscar nomination. Williams's tragi-comic portrayal of a mad, homeless man in search of salvation and the Holy Grail in The Fisher King (1991) earned him a third nomination. In 1993, he lent his voice to two popular animated movies, Ferngully: The Last Rain Forest and most notably Aladdin, in which he played a rollicking genie and was allowed to go all out with ad-libs, improvs, and scads of celebrity improvisations.Further successes came in 1993 with Mrs. Doubtfire, in which he played a recently divorced father who masquerades as a Scottish nanny to be close to his kids. He had another hit in 1995 playing a rather staid homosexual club owner opposite a hilariously fey Nathan Lane in The Birdcage. In 1997, Williams turned in one of his best dramatic performances in Good Will Hunting, a performance for which he was rewarded with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.Williams kept up his dramatic endeavors with both of his 1998 films: the comedy Patch Adams and What Dreams May Come, a vibrantly colored exploration of the afterlife. He next had starring roles in both Bicentennial Man and Jakob the Liar, playing a robot-turned-human in the former and a prisoner of the Warsaw ghetto in the latter. Though it was obvious to all that Williams' waning film career needed an invigorating breath of fresh air, many may not have expected the dark 180-degree turn he attempted in 2002 with roles in Death to Smoochy, Insomnia and One Hour Photo. Catching audiences off-guard with his portrayal of three deeply disturbed and tortured souls, the roles pointed to a new stage in Williams' career in which he would substitute the sap for more sinister motivations.Absent from the big-screen in 2003, Williams continued his vacation from comedy in 2004, starring in the little-seen thriller The Final Cut and in the David Duchovny-directed melodrama The House of D. After appearing in the comic documentary The Aristocrats and lending his voice to a character in the animated adventure Robots in 2005, he finally returned full-time in 2006 with roles in the vacation laugher RV and the crime comedy Man of the Year. His next project, The Night Listener, was a tense and erosive tale of literary trickery fueled by such serious issues as child abuse and AIDS.Williams wasn't finished with comedy, however. He lent his voice to the cast of the family feature Happy Feet and Happy Feet 2, played a late night talk show host who accidentally wins a presidential election in Man of the Year, portrayed an enthusiastic minister in License to Wed, and played a statue of Teddy Roosevelt that comes to life in Night at the Museum and its sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. He would also enjoy family-friendly comedic turns in World's Greatest Dad, Shrink, and Old Dogs.In 2013, he returned to television, playing the head of an advertising agency in The Crazy Ones; the show did well in the ratings, but was canceled after only one season. He also played yet another president, Dwight Eisenhower, in Lee Daniel's The Butler. Williams died in 2014 at age 63.

Trivia: Black supporting actor Cleavant Derricks first appeared onscreen in the '80s.

Trivia: Launching his career in South American films and television programs, Argentinean actor Alejandro Rey spent most of his professional life in Hollywood. At first just another handsome Latin type, Rey emerged into a dynamic character actor, as witness his solid performance as Russian immigrant Robin Williams' attorney/protector in Moscow on the Hudson (1984). Rey's television activities included directing dozens of episodic TV programs. Alejandro Rey is most familiar to 1960s TV addicts for his three-year stint as Puerto Rican nightclub owner Carlos Ramirez in the Sally Field vehicle The Flying Nun.

Trivia: Tall, instantly identifiable Eastern European actor Elya Baskin fit the bill in Hollywood for ethnic character portrayals, especially characters with a Slavic background and an amiable demeanor; he also frequently exhibited a slightly zany undercurrent that became something of a trademark. A native of Latvia in the former USSR, Baskin attended Moscow's Theatre and Performing Arts College, then built a formidable reputation on the European stage. He achieved his international breakthrough, however, at the hands of Hollywood giant Paul Mazursky, who cast him opposite Robin Williams as the clownish Russian circus performer Anatoly in the masterful seriocomedy Moscow on the Hudson (1984). (When coupled with the sad demeanor that Baskin projected in that role, the actor's birdlike arm-flapping -- a symbol of the character's need for freedom -- became one of the film's most poignant and memorable images). An additional collaboration with Mazursky followed, the 1989 smash Enemies: A Love Story; in the meantime, Baskin began to rack up a litany of roles in additional A-list projects, including 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), Vice Versa (1988), and Love Affair (1994). The Pickle (1993) re-teamed Baskin and Mazursky for a third occasion; unfortunately, it failed to match the critical or commercial success of its predecessors. Baskin remained in full flower through the end of the following decade, with a memorable comedic turn as Vladimir on the sitcom Mad About You and prominent roles in the big-screen projects Spider-Man 3 and The Dukes (both 2007).

Trivia: He was never considered among the Soviet Union's great thespians, nor was he a dashingly handsome hunk, but a lack of looks and dramatic talent did not prevent Savely Kramarov from becoming one of his country's most popular comedians of the '60s and '70s. Back then audiences adored his goofy crossed eyes and stupid, slack-jawed portrayal of the everyday Joe. Of the 42 Soviet films in which he appeared, his most popular were Trembita (1968), The Twelve Chairs (1970), Gentlemen of Fortune (1972, featuring one of his largest roles), Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession (1973), the television mini-series Long Recess (1976). Kramarov began his career after graduating from the Soviet State Film School. At the peak of his popularity in 1979, Kramarov shocked his fans by publicly announcing his desire to leave Russia and live in Israel. The authorities allowed him to leave in the early '80s, but instead of emigrating to Israel, he moved to the U.S. Just before leaving, Kramarov called himself "a prisoner of my own success" and claimed that no one would be allowed to see his films and television shows after he departed. Kramarov was right. As with all celebrities considered traitors of enemies of the state, Kramarov became persona non grata in the Soviet Union. His name was removed from film credits, and no biographies or mention of his name in print was allowed until the late Perestroika period (late '80s). By the time of his death in 1995, Kramarov's films were again becoming popular in Russia.During the 13 years he spent in the United States, Kramarov underwent surgery to repair his crossed eyes, and then forged a sporadic, and largely non-descript career as a character actor. His most famous roles in American films included that of a KGB operative/hot-dog vendor in Moscow on the Hudson (1984), and a cosmonaut in 2010 (1984). Kramarov made his final appearance playing a Russian seaman in Love Affair (1994).

Trivia: An ex-prize fighter, a professional musician, and an actor of stage, screen, and television, Tiger Haynes is perhaps best remembered for playing the Tin Man in the Broadway version of The Wiz. From 1945 to 1956, he played guitar with the Three Flames. In the mid-'40s the trio had its own NBC radio show. His television credits include In the Heat of the Night and The Cosby Show. His film credits include Awakenings (1990) and Jungle Fever (1991).

Trivia: Although actor/director Paul Mazursky enjoyed a lengthy and successful career spanning several decades, he rose to his greatest prominence during the 1970s, an era during which his films probed with uncommon insight and depth. Born Irwin Mazursky on April 25, 1930, in Brooklyn, NY, he studied literature at the nearby Brooklyn College. There he began acting, winning acclaim for a leading role in a 1950 campus revival of Leonid Andreyev's He Who Gets Slapped. His performance caught the eye of scenarist Howard Sackler, who introduced the young actor to an aspiring filmmaker named Stanley Kubrick. Mazursky then took a leave of absence from his studies to travel to California to appear in Kubrick's little-seen debut feature, Fear and Desire, for which he changed his first name to Paul. Upon graduating in 1951, he migrated to Greenwich Village, where he studied method acting under Lee Strasberg. He also appeared in a number of stock productions, ranging from Death of a Salesman to The Seagull. In 1955, Mazursky returned to the screen, appearing as a juvenile delinquent in Richard Brooks' The Blackboard Jungle. Major success continued to elude him, however, and he spent the next several years regularly appearing in small roles on television and both on and off-Broadway. He also appeared as a standup comic, first performing with fellow comedian Herb Hartig in an act billed as "Igor and H" and later touring the nation as a solo act. In 1959, Mazursky relocated to Los Angeles, forging a collaboration with fellow struggling performer Larry Tucker while working with the U.C.L.A. repertory company. In 1963, he and Tucker were both signed as writers for television's Danny Kaye Show, and two years later they penned the pilot for The Monkees. In 1966, Mazursky also appeared in Vic Morrow's low-budget Deathwatch, making his first return to film in over a decade. With the short subject Last Year at Malibu -- a parody of the Alain Resnais masterpiece Last Year at Marienbad -- Mazursky made his directorial debut, and in 1968 he and Tucker wrote the screenplay for the feature I Love You, Alice B. Toklas. Strong reviews allowed Mazursky the leverage to direct the duo's next script, 1969's Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice; a frank comedy about the "new morality" of the sexual revolution, the film was a massive hit, earning close to 20 million dollars. Its success offered Mazursky the freedom to make movies according to the wishes and demands of no one but himself, and he responded with 1970's Alex in Wonderland, the clearly autobiographical tale of a young filmmaker pondering his future. The picture was an unmitigated critical and financial disaster, however, and injured by its reception, he traveled to Europe to take stock of his career. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Mazursky ended his partnership with Larry Tucker and began work on his first solo screenplay, Harry and Tonto. Finding no takers for the project, he instead turned to 1973's Blume in Love, a return to reviewers' good graces. After securing the backing of 20th Century Fox, he finally made Harry and Tonto in 1974, directing star Art Carney to an Academy Award. Next, he again turned reflective, going back to his youth for the inspiration behind 1976's Next Stop, Greenwich Village, followed by an appearance in the 1976 Barbra Steisand remake of A Star Is Born. Mazursky's next directorial effort, 1978's An Unmarried Woman, remains the most highly regarded of his pictures, scoring an Oscar nomination for Best Picture as well as a Best Actress nod for star Jill Clayburgh. The 1980 Willie and Phil -- an homage to Francois Truffaut's masterpiece Jules et Jim -- met with a mixed reception, as did its follow-up, 1982's Tempest, an update of the Shakespeare drama. He then helmed the 1984 culture-clash comedy Moscow on the Hudson, a vehicle for Robin Williams which restored some of his critical and box-office lustre, and in 1986 Mazursky scored his biggest success in years with the satire Down and Out in Beverly Hills, a remake of the 1932 Jean Renoir classic Boudu Saved From Drowning. After serving as the art director on 1987's Intervista, a film from one of his idols, Federico Fellini, Mazursky helmed 1988's Moon Over Parador, followed by a pair of onscreen performances in Punchline and Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills. With 1989's adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer's Enemies, a Love Story, Mazursky achieved new levels of acclaim, scoring Best Director honors from the New York Critics' Circle and leading stars Anjelica Huston and Lena Olin to Academy Award nominations. However, his next picture, the strained 1990 comedy Scenes From a Mall -- a satiric update of Ingmar Bergman's far superior Scenes From a Marriage -- was a disaster. Mazursky then spent several years away from filmmaking, only producing 1990's Taking Care of Business as well as appearing in Bob Rafelson's 1992 flop Man Trouble. When The Pickle, his 1993 comeback effort, fared poorly, Mazursky again retreated, appearing in films ranging from the 1993 Brian DePalma crime drama Carlito's Way to the 1995 romantic comedy Miami Rhapsody. Faithful, his 1996 return to directing, was also a disappointment, the victim of legal hassles and distribution problems. In Mazursky's later career, he mostly focused on acting and writing- he had recurring roles in Once and Again and Curb Your Enthusiasm and regularly wrote as a film critic for Vanity Fair. In 2014, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild of America. He passed away later that year, at age 84.

Trivia: Actor Sam Stoneburner has played supporting roles on stage, screen, and television. A native of Virginia and a graduate from Georgetown University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Stoneburner studied under Uta Hagen in New York. He took his first Broadway bow in Different Times and made his feature film debut in Tootsie (1982). Fans of the former daytime soap Loving may recognize Stoneburner for having played the character Soames.

Trivia: All evidence indicates that actor Michael Greene's first film assignment was an unbilled bit in 1965's The Cincinnati Kid. He continued accepting small roles into the 1970s, notably the motorcycle punk who gives Woody Allen a going-over in Play It Again Sam (1972) (curiously, Greene shows up in a later scene as a restaurant extra sitting directly across from Allen!). After several years' of faithful anonymous screen service, Greene was given a leading role in something called The Clones (1973) wherein Michael Greene plays a scientist who learns to his horror that he has been cloned by mad doctor Stanley Adams--thus paving the way for a climactic showdown between Greene and his synthetic look-alike.

Trivia: Stunningly beautiful Cuban-born actress Maria Conchita Alonso emigrated with her family to Caracas, Venezuela when she was five years old; there she appeared in films and commercials while still a child. At age 14 she won the title of Miss Teenager of the World. Four years later, she became Miss Venezuela, going on to combine a successful modeling career with acting and making TV commercials; eventually, she starred in four Venezuelan films and appeared in ten Spanish-language soap operas. She moved to the United States in 1982, going on to make her English-speaking film debut in Abel Ferrara's Fear City (1984); though only a small part in a large cast, this led to a supporting role as Robin Williams's girl friend in Moscow Hudson (1986), which moved her up in the film world to the status of a co-star. In addition to finding steady work in films such as Running Man (1987), House of the Spirits (1993), Caught (1995), Alonso is also a Grammy-nominated singer who has become a top-selling artist in South America. In 1995, while filming Caught, Alonso became the first South American woman to star on Broadway when she won the role of Aurora/Spider Woman in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She continued to work steadily for the next fifteen years playing lead parts in a variety of films ranging from Catherine's Grove The Code Conspiracy, and Chasing Papi, as well as finding work on various television shows including Kingpin.