Robin Williams ‘Bittersweet’ Documentary Premieres on HBO

Share This:

Robin Williams in Come Inside My Mind

A two-hour documentary film, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, described in a press release as a “funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians,” debuted July 16, exclusively on HBO. Told largely through Williams’ own words, the film “celebrates what he brought to comedy and to the culture at large, from the wild days of late-1970s L.A. to his death in 2014.” Marina Zenovich (Emmy winner for HBO’s Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired) directs.

Rotten Tomatoes reports overwhelmingly positive reviews. In its review for the documentary, the Los Angeles Times called it “bittersweet.” The New York Times wrote: “we get to see the irrepressible, unpredictable, inventive Williams on top of his game often enough that the documentary flies by.”

The documentary will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming platforms.

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, says the announcement, “explores [Williams’] extraordinary life and career, revealing what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. With previously unheard and unseen glimpses into his creative process through interviews with Williams, as well as home movies and onstage footage, this insightful tribute features in-depth interviews with those who knew and loved him, including Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber and his son, Zak Williams.”

The documentary follows Williams from his youth in the San Francisco Bay Area, to his time in New York at the Juilliard School, to his fame on TV’s Mork & Mindy, to his impact on the American cultural landscape. Such career high points as his comedy show at the Metropolitan Opera, his Broadway debut in Waiting for Godot, his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting and his classic confessional bits about his alcohol and drug issues and 2009 heart surgery “capture the spark that made him stand out across four decades in entertainment.”

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is produced by Alex Gibney and Shirel Kozak; executive producers, David Steinberg, Kristen Vaurio and Marina Zenovich; directed by Marina Zenovich. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

Watch the trailer for the Robin Williams documentary