Henry Winkler: ‘One of the Seven Wonders of the World’ To See Robin Williams Perform

MITCHELL Henry Winkler you ░░░░░░░░ there at the beginning ░░░░░░░░ me about this young ░░░░░░░░ a graduate of Juilliard ░░░░░░░░ was so special about ░░░░░░░░ Williams WINKLER When you ░░░░░░░░ met him when he ░░░░░░░░ up to the cast ░░░░░░░░ were standing in the ░░░░░░░░ of Arnold s and ░░░░░░░░ walked up with the ░░░░░░░░ director Bobby Hoffman Now ░░░░░░░░ were two days into ░░░░░░░░ with no mork with ░░░░░░░░ actor to play this ░░░░░░░░ So it was really ░░░░░░░░ to be crunch time ░░░░░░░░ we shot two days ░░░░░░░░ And this very gentle ░░░░░░░░ fellow very shy came ░░░░░░░░ and shook hands with ░░░░░░░░ and it very quiet ░░░░░░░░ his Hello Hello How ░░░░░░░░ to meet you How ░░░░░░░░ you And then we ░░░░░░░░ rehearsal and I am ░░░░░░░░ you it was a ░░░░░░░░ was like one of ░░░░░░░░ seven wonders of the ░░░░░░░░ because I have seen ░░░░░░░░ lot of actors with ░░░░░░░░ I have seen a ░░░░░░░░ of actors with bravado ░░░░░░░░ was a guy who ░░░░░░░░ very carefully to everything ░░░░░░░░ was around him Every ░░░░░░░░ every sound that was ░░░░░░░░ he vacuum cleaned it ░░░░░░░░ And then he turned ░░░░░░░░ knob and shot it ░░░░░░░░ into the world And ░░░░░░░░ m telling you for ░░░░░░░░ moment you forgot what ░░░░░░░░ job was You forgot ░░░░░░░░ you were supposed to ░░░░░░░░ because you just looked ░░░░░░░░ this miracle at this ░░░░░░░░ force And your eyes ░░░░░░░░ out MITCHELL Henry he ░░░░░░░░ been described as a ░░░░░░░░ James Lipton talked about ░░░░░░░░ fact that great comedians ░░░░░░░░ great actors Tell me ░░░░░░░░ your perspective because you ░░░░░░░░ the evolution of this ░░░░░░░░ talent WINKLER You know ░░░░░░░░ the beginning you had ░░░░░░░░ idea what was packed ░░░░░░░░ packed inside this human ░░░░░░░░ And as time went ░░░░░░░░ every time he would ░░░░░░░░ a project you would ░░░░░░░░ Oh my god didn ░░░░░░░░ know he could do ░░░░░░░░ Oh my goodness here ░░░░░░░░ is again He could ░░░░░░░░ comedy with drama He ░░░░░░░░ do drama He could ░░░░░░░░ he could do comedy ░░░░░░░░ didn t matter what ░░░░░░░░ genre He like a ░░░░░░░░ would transform into the ░░░░░░░░ he was doing And ░░░░░░░░ ripped your heart out ░░░░░░░░ he made you laugh ░░░░░░░░ hard you had to ░░░░░░░░ the theater MITCHELL Did ░░░░░░░░ fellow actors know about ░░░░░░░░ personal struggles WINKLER A ░░░░░░░░ of people knew about ░░░░░░░░ personal struggle And we ░░░░░░░░ know the struggle to ░░░░░░░░ back to maintain his ░░░░░░░░ ness you know was ░░░░░░░░ I never saw any ░░░░░░░░ All I saw was ░░░░░░░░ man who stood for ░░░░░░░░ moment quiet and then ░░░░░░░░ was a whirling dervish ░░░░░░░░ ultimate comedy I don ░░░░░░░░ know how else to ░░░░░░░░ it If you didn ░░░░░░░░ see it you cannot ░░░░░░░░ describe it in human ░░░░░░░░ Let me put it ░░░░░░░░ way And that s ░░░░░░░░ even hyperbole That s ░░░░░░░░ Oh my did you ░░░░░░░░ see what I just ░░░░░░░░ MITCHELL And was there ░░░░░░░░ doubt among those of ░░░░░░░░ who were with him ░░░░░░░░ the beginning that this ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ life force a creative ░░░░░░░░ for generations WINKLER When ░░░░░░░░ met him when we ░░░░░░░░ hands the maybe within ░░░░░░░░ 40 seconds of rehearsal ░░░░░░░░ thought to myself We ░░░░░░░░ in the presence of ░░░░░░░░ MITCHELL Wow WINKLER We ░░░░░░░░ in the presence of ░░░░░░░░ And my job is ░░░░░░░░ not look at him ░░░░░░░░ keep a straight face ░░░░░░░░ if possible not even ░░░░░░░░ to him because he ░░░░░░░░ shoot me out of ░░░░░░░░ cannon through the roof ░░░░░░░░ stage 19 and I ░░░░░░░░ be a laughing hyena ░░░░░░░░ space somewhere MITCHELL And ░░░░░░░░ s hard to even ░░░░░░░░ the sense of loss ░░░░░░░░ those of you who ░░░░░░░░ him personally have today ░░░░░░░░ Well you know his ░░░░░░░░ m ultimately and I ░░░░░░░░ said this before but ░░░░░░░░ know when you re ░░░░░░░░ his presence it s ░░░░░░░░ gentleness the warmth the ░░░░░░░░ would be with you ░░░░░░░░ you would think I ░░░░░░░░ the only person he ░░░░░░░░ in the universe And ░░░░░░░░ was at that time ░░░░░░░░ then forevermore beloved by ░░░░░░░░ universe He knew he ░░░░░░░░ everybody But when you ░░░░░░░░ with him nobody else ░░░░░░░░ in the room MITCHELL ░░░░░░░░ Henry Winkler thank you ░░░░░░░░ much thanks for sharing ░░░░░░░░ thoughts WINKLER I d ░░░░░░░░ to just say that ░░░░░░░░ thoughts and prayers my ░░░░░░░░ family are our prayers ░░░░░░░░ thoughts our sorrow is ░░░░░░░░ an arrow to the ░░░░░░░░ family MITCHELL Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much Safe travels my ░░░░░░░░