Robin Williams Praised This Performance as One of the Best Ever
Robin Williams is remembered as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood.
He was famous for being able to do comedy, serious drama, and voice acting all at the same time. Many people believe there will never be another actor like him because his style was so unique. Even though he was a huge star himself, Williams had his own acting heroes that he looked up to.
One of his favorite performers of all time was Peter Lorre. Lorre was a classic actor who became famous for playing very specific and often creepy characters. Williams once shared a story about a conversation he had with the legend. He asked Lorre what it was actually like to act. According to Williams, the actor replied, I don’t act, I just make faces.
Williams was especially blown away by Lorre’s performance in the movie M. In that film, Lorre played a serial killer. It was a big change for him because he had mostly done comedy before that. Williams called it one of the greatest performances ever caught on film. He was fascinated by how Lorre used his eyes to tell a story without saying much.
That performance helped Lorre land roles in famous movies like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. He often played villains or strange men because he filled a very specific niche in the film industry. Williams eventually used his own career to follow a similar path. While he was known for being funny, he later took on dark roles in movies like One Hour Photo to show he could be scary too.
The influence of Peter Lorre can even be seen in some of Williams’ most famous family movies. When he played the Genie in Aladdin, he actually included an impression of Lorre as a tribute. It shows how much respect he had for the older actor’s style and career. Williams felt that certain performances are simply iconic and cannot be copied by anyone else.
It is really cool to see how the greats inspire each other across different generations. Most people think of Robin Williams as just a funny man, but he clearly studied the history of film very closely. He understood that acting isn’t just about saying lines, but about the small details like a look or a facial expression. It makes his own performances feel even more special when you know who he was trying to honor.
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