Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982). Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, he is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian.
On September 30, 1988, the Space Shuttle Discovery ( STS-26) crew started its day with a wakeup call from Williams imitating his character Adrian Cronauer in the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam.
