Remembering Robin Williams: An Icon’s Legendary Jewish Moments

The world is remembering Robin Williams today, a legendary actor who died yesterday at the age of 63. Known for his ability to change personalities in a flash, Williams brought to the screen a series of beloved Jewish characters. We’ve compiled some of our favorite memories of this talented performer.

5. The Birdcage

Robin Williams was a beloved actor, often known for his great comedic roles and his ability to play any part. While Williams himself was not Jewish, he considered himself an “honorary Jew” and often seemed to perfectly play the role of Jewish characters. Here are five Jewish moments from Robin Williams’s films.

In this 1996 movie, Robin Williams plays a gay Jewish drag club owner whose son is engaged. However, his son’s future in-laws are very conservative and very Christian. In this scene, Robin Williams is pretending to be a Christian and a crucifix is put up on the wall. William’s character, Armand Goldman, asks “Are we crucifying someone tonight?”

4. Aladdin

In this family Disney movie, Robin Williams plays Genie, a magical genie with a lot of attitude. Genie is the comic relief of the film. Williams also made the character stand out a lot more by adding Yiddish words and phrases for the genie to say. In fact, Genie’s first word of the film, as seen in this clip, is “Oy!”

3. Seize the Day

In this film based off of a Saul Bellow novel, Robin Williams plays Tommy Wilhelm (Williams) who comes to New York City to fix his broken life. Tommy has to face his father and fix their relationship while figuring out his new life.

2. Jakob the Liar

In this 1999 comedy-drama film, Robin Williams plays a Polish-Jewish shopkeeper named Jakob who is summoned to the German headquarters in Poland in early 1994 after being falsely accused of being out after curfew. While waiting for the commander, Jakob overhears a German radio broadcast speaking about Soviet offensives. Once Jakob returns to the ghetto, he shares this information with a friend and sparks rumors that there is a secret radio within the ghetto. After some hesitation, Jakob decides to use the chance to spread hope throughout the ghetto by continuing to tell the optimistic, fantastic tales that he allegedly heard from “his secret radio” and his lies keep hope and humor alive among the isolated ghetto inhabitants.

1. Mrs. Doubtfire

In this family film, Robin Williams plays Daniel Hillard, a talented, but recently unemployed voice actor living in San Francisco who loses custody over his children when his wife sues him for divorce. Daniel then pretends to be a pleasant and kind elderly Scottish nanny, Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire, so that his wife, who is looking for a housekeeper for the children, will hire him. After being invited for an interview, Daniel enlists his gay brother Frank, a makeup artist, and Frank’s partner Jack to transform him into Mrs. Doubtfire. The three men, during the makeover scene, as seen in this clip, sing “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” from the Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof.