10 Actors Who Brilliantly Reinvented Themselves

Robin Williams was the ultimate funny man. His energy was unrivalled, his humour one of a kind, and his scene-stealing role in Happy Days led to the creation of the show's spin-off, Mork & Mindy (1978-1982). Playing Mork for the show's ninety-five episodes, Williams made a name for himself as not just a brilliant stand-up comedian, but a brilliant comedic actor.

And for a while, that's how his career stayed. He was the energetic funny man, an image he cemented with film roles in Popeye (1980), The World According to Garp (1982) and The Best of Times (1986). Along the way, he continued to perform stand-up, and won hearts worldwide with his humour and passion.

Then in 1987, a crack began to form when he starred in Good Morning, Vietnam. Nominated for an Oscar for his performance, Williams proved for the first time to be not just a comedian, but a competent dramatic actor. From there, he went on to star in Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), Good Will Hunting (1997), One Hour Photo (2002) and World's Greatest Dad (2009).

Williams won an Oscar for his turn in Good Will Hunting, and although he never lost his comedic sensibilities during the rest of truly spectacular career, it would have been hard to imagine that the guy from Mork & Mindy would become one of cinema's most versatile dramatic performers.