Remembering comedic genius Robin Williams with son Zak

On Sunday’s episode of The Excerpt podcast: Robin Williams was an Oscar-winning actor and comedian best known for his improvisational skills. From his role as a radio broadcaster in “Good Morning Vietnam” to his portrayal of a man grappling with the karmic repercussions of his wife in “What Dreams May Come,” he had a powerful repertoire. Robin died 10 years ago today at the age of 63. The official cause of death was ruled a suicide. On the anniversary of his passing, we remember the incredible person he was, and celebrate his many successes on and off the big screen with his son Zak.

Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

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Taylor Wilson:

Hello and welcome to The Excerpt. I’m Taylor Wilson. Today is Sunday, August 11th, 2024. Robin Williams was an Oscar-winning actor and comedian, best known for his improvisational skills. From his role as a radio broadcaster in Good Morning Vietnam to his portrayal of a man grappling with the karmic repercussions of his wife in What Dreams May Come, he had a powerful repertoire. Robin died 10 years ago today at the age of 63. The official cause of death was ruled a suicide. On the anniversary of his passing, we remember the incredible person he was and celebrate his many successes on and off the big screen. I’m now joined by Robin’s son, Zak. Zak, thank you so much for being on The Excerpt today.

Zak Williams:

Thank you so much for having me today. It’s a pleasure to be on.

Taylor Wilson:

So Zak, your father performed in so many iconic movies in his career. The World According to Garp, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, the list goes on and on. What was his favorite and do you know why?

Zak Williams:

Yeah, I think it primarily related to his experience on set and the people he had the privilege of working with. He’s told me he really enjoyed working on Awakenings, which is one of my favorite films of his. For him, Good Morning Vietnam was an experience. It’s my favorite film of his, and I think he just had a blast doing it. We come from a Navy family. So for him, it was fun to have an opportunity to represent someone from the armed forces. And I think he loved Mrs. Doubtfire because he had an opportunity to film that in the Bay Area and be near his family in addition to it just being a character that he had a lot of fun developing. Also, I know, I know, I know he loved filming The Birdcage and he loved working with Nathan Lane on that.

Taylor Wilson:

It’s such a fun movie. I just watched Awakenings last night, so we’ll get to that in a little bit here, Zak. But you mentioned Good Morning Vietnam. That’s a special movie to me and my family as well. My mom’s father was killed in that war. I think it means a lot to a lot of folks who experienced Vietnam and had that touch their lives in some way. You mentioned it was your favorite of his. Why is that?

Zak Williams:

The energy in that film leapt off the screen. It represents a period in American history that was a very challenging time for different generations to reconcile their experience, and the way in which my father portrays the role for me just takes it to the next level. It gives me goosebumps when I watch that film and it’s representative of his energy. It just, it’s his being that’s showcased in that film.

Taylor Wilson:

So you mentioned Awakenings. That’s also one of my favorites. I just watched it last night. This was the story of a doctor played by your dad who was attending to ward full of patients who were essentially alive but not able to communicate. Why did that film mean so much to you?

Zak Williams:

I’m a mental health advocate in addition to being an entrepreneur, and portraying Dr. Oliver Sacks is something that feels like it would be very hard to do. He was, he unfortunately passed away, but he was a very nuanced individual. Brilliant. He was known for writing books like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and one of my favorite books, Gratitude. But to represent his pathos and ethos was something that I think required a level of in-depth research and time spent with a brilliant man that led to a lifelong friendship in addition to his love and joy around learning about science and taking great pleasure and being able to interact with one of the world’s great scientists.

Taylor Wilson:

Zak, your dad, Robin, was such a larger than life character on the screen, such a big personality. What was he like off-screen in his private family life? I mean, was he that funny when the cameras weren’t rolling? Can you just give us kind of a peek behind the curtain?

Zak Williams:

Well, my father’s private life, he was very funny, but he also was very introspective. He loved playing video games and collecting toys and comic books. I mean, he was a big kid at heart, and the memories I’m most fond of in terms of our private family life relate to my siblings and I spending time with him basically being a big kid. He had so much appreciation and empathy for others and his family. He had so much love for that. When we had the chance to spend focused time with him, it was all about just being in the moment and being present and enjoying group and family activities together. And so I would say he was more on the quiet side than being boisterous and that stage persona that you might see with his comedy or potentially in his films. But he was a deeply thoughtful, curious human being.

Taylor Wilson:

Zak, I’d imagine there were some challenges growing up with such a famous and beloved and iconic parent. Am I making assumptions there, or what was it like being Robin Williams’ son in that sense?

Zak Williams:

Well, I wasn’t really exposed to the limelight relating to the celebrity and entertainment world so much growing up because I grew up in San Francisco. And around San Francisco, he was just Robin, not Robin, the celebrity entertainer. Folks would know him biking around town or going and collecting comics and toys and just being a super friendly guy in the neighborhood. And so from my perspective, I had the privilege and luxury of spending time with Robin the human. And so my upbringing was one that was, I would say, pretty low-key, relative to say maybe growing up more in the spotlight.

Taylor Wilson:

And Zak, you run your own company in the mental health and wellness space called Prepare Your Mind. What does this work center on and how important is this work to you and your family?

Zak Williams:

Yeah. Well, I started the company PYM, which stands for Prepare Your Mind. Pym is actually my middle name. My father gave it to me. He said it sounded vaguely Welsh when he gave it to me. The company sells nutritional products focused on things like amino acids, vitamins and minerals to help people with their neurotransmitter health and ultimately mental wellbeing. And so the goal and vision of the company is to help raise awareness around nutrition for mental wellbeing while we deliver nutrition for folks to ultimately help them for their various needs, whether it’s our mood chews, which help people around things like stress and overwhelm or our attention chews, which help people focus.

I found it very helpful for me personally as I was going through a very challenging time in my life after being diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and depression, and I found nutritional solutions specifically supporting my body’s neurotransmitter system was extremely helpful for me. And so my wife, Olivia June Williams and I co-founded the company together to help hopefully bring support for people while we also raise money and awareness for causes we support, like Bring Change to Mind, which is a nonprofit that a portion of proceeds go to and helps bring youth mental health support communities to high schools and middle schools throughout the United States.

Taylor Wilson:

It’s amazing work, Zak. So I want to just go back to Robin’s films for a second and hear about them and your family. A very different movie that stands out from my childhood in the nineties, Zak, was Aladdin. This was probably the first Robin Williams movie I watched as a kid. Of course, his brilliant performance as the Genie. You have your own kids now, Zak. I’m curious, have you shown them Aladdin or Flubber or Mrs. Doubtfire? Do you share these films of their grandpa with them, and what’s been their response if so?

Zak Williams:

Yeah, so my son Mickey is five, and my daughter Zola is three, and we haven’t shown them Mrs. Doubtfire yet. I think maybe in a few years they’ll be ready. They have seen Flubber, they love Flubber, and they love Aladdin. They just find it hilarious. They’re familiar with Grandpa Robin, and in watching Flubber, they get a kick out of seeing him on the screen.

Taylor Wilson:

That’s beautiful. So I’m sure this is a tough anniversary for you and your family, Zak. Are you spending it in any particular way and really how do you think of your father this time of year?

Zak Williams:

I think of my father fondly all year, but around this time of year, I think about his good works and his philanthropic focus. When it comes to this time of year, I tend to focus on spending time with my family. This is what’s most important to me through the late summer. My father brought joy and laughter to folks all throughout the world. I get stories every single day around it. If a day doesn’t go by, it’s actually the exception where I don’t hear a story or something. Really what it comes down to is remembering him fondly for his incredible heart and love for humanity and people. Really, he wanted to bring joy and laughter to folks all throughout the world, and that’s how I remember him.

Taylor Wilson:

Zak, you mentioned that you always have folks come up to you and share these powerful anecdotes about what your dad meant to them. Can you share one of those with us?

Zak Williams:

Yeah. Well, for me it’s really incredible hearing about folks in the armed forces who spend time with my father on the USO tours. So to have folks talking about the really challenging time they’re having while deployed, whether it’s at Afghanistan or at other bases throughout the world, when those folks share their stories around how it was the highlight of their month, it just makes my day when I hear stories like that because for me personally, to hear how much joy he brings to service members always makes my day.

Taylor Wilson:

And I’ll just end here, Zak. How would you most like people to remember your dad?

Zak Williams:

I would like most people to remember my father through his service work and his charitable contributions. And I hope that if they’re thinking about volunteering or giving to organizations that they can do so full-heartedly. That’s what he would want.

Taylor Wilson:

Zak Williams joining us here in The Excerpt on the anniversary of his father’s death. Thank you, Zak.

Zak Williams:

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Taylor Wilson:

If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visiting 988lifeline.org. Thanks to our senior producer Shannon Rae Green for her production assistance. Our executive producer is Laura Beatty. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note to podcasts@usatoday.com. Thanks for listening. I’m Taylor Wilson, and I’ll be back tomorrow morning with another episode of The Excerpt.