Watch Robin Williams Improvise a Hilarious 13-Minute Routine in a Newly Unearthed Clip from the Early '80s

Among Robin Williams’ many gifts was an unparalleled ability to create comedy out of thin air. A newly unearthed video from the 1980s shows the late actor doing just that, as he improvises a hilarious 13-minute string of off-the-cuff routines. Working off a very basic premise (“Robin” is supposed to be shooting a promotional spot for TV director Howard Storm — but can’t keep his jokes in check), Williams invents a completely new routine for every take. He becomes Charlton Heston, Jack Nicholson, Diana Ross, and Barbra Streisand. He choreographs a dance routine, invents songs, speaks gibberish French, mimes imaginary conversations, and makes fun of director Storm’s diminutive height in a dozen different ways. It’s as inspiring to watch, as it is exhausting.

At the time this video was shot, Williams was beginning the difficult transition from Mork & Mindy to feature films (where he struggled, until the success of Good Morning, Vietnam in 1987). Most likely, the comic actor agreed to make this spot for Storm — with whom he had a close relationship — as a personal favor. Primarily a sitcom director, Storm became renowned for his work with Williams on Mork & Mindy from 1978 to 1981. In a 2008 interview for the Archive of American Television, Shore explained that the challenge of directing Williams was to convince him to do less.

“Working with him was just amazing,” said Storm, who went on to direct episodes of Full House and Everybody Loves Raymond. “The trick I found with Robin was that you could not sit on him. You could not stop him. You had to let him rehearse, and do everything he wanted to do and get it out of his system, and then you could start to peel away.”

The video was uploaded to YouTube by Daniel Pastel, who was working at the production company that was hired to edit the spot. Williams passed away on August 11 at the age of 63.

Photo: YouTube/Daniel Pastel