Part of what makes the death of Robin Williams so sad is that, on screen and on stage, he seemed so full of life. In fact he seemed to have enough life in him for a dozen people, his live wire personality no doubt aided by illegal substances during his early career but remaining once he kicked those nasty habits. His ability to improvise at a lightning speed was what set him apart from his peers, and his sharp mind made him one of the most intelligent and sympathetic actors working in Hollywood. Which makes it all the more surprising to find out that he was a painfully shy child. In an interview to promote the supernatural thriller The Night Listener Williams talked about his childhood, he revealed that he was a total introvert as a young man, partly owing to being overweight and not having many friends. A gifted impressionist during his career and in his personal life, his first imitation was of his grandmother. He later learned to do a variety of character "voices" to keep himself company, owing to his lack of friends. It wasn't until he worked up the courage to join his high school drama department that he overcame his shyness, and set himself on the path to superstardom.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
