Born in Chicago, IL; educated at Claremont Men's College, CA (political science), the College of Marin, Kentfield, CA (acting) and Juilliard (drama). Hyperkinetic performer who made his name as part of the burgeoning West Coast comedy scene in the late 1970s. Williams first seized the nation's imagination as the ad-libbing extra-terrestrial, Mork from Ork, on the popular sitcom "Happy Days," which quickly led to the spin-off show, "Mork and Mindy" (1978-82). Although his launch as a film lead in POPEYE (1980) was a disappointment -- audiences were thrown by director Robert Altman's purist vision -- box-office success came two years later with George Roy Hill's THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP (1982). Williams, who divides his time between live SRO comedy appearances, TV specials and film work, is renowned for his free-associative comic rants. Although some of his finest moments in GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM (1987) were the result of on-set improvisations, his unpredictability was at one point seen as a barrier to a dramatic screen career. He has, however, defied initial skepticism and proven himself capable of disciplined work in such films as DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989), AWAKENINGS (1990) and THE FISHER KING (1991). Ironically, Williams's most popular film outing in the 90s was the animated feature, ALADDIN (1992), for which he supplied the voice of the Genie. Freed from the physical restrictions of live-action acting, Williams took off on some inspired riffs, impersonating scores of pop-culture icons from Arnold Schwarzenegger to William F. Buckley, as the animated images provided lightning-fast visual correlatives to his verbal pyrotechnics. Williams joined an illustrious group of actors (Dustin Hoffman, Jack Lemmon and the Monty Python comedy troupe, to name a very few), when he dressed up in drag to play an elderly Scottish nanny in the family comedy MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993). This was his first film co-produced with his wife, Marcia Garces Williams, under the banner of their production company, Blue Wolf Productions, and it went on to become one of the biggest box-office hits of the year. Williams followed up this success with a far riskier project, playing five different roles -- in five different historical periods -- in Bill Forsyth's whimsically daring but dismally received comedy BEING HUMAN (1994). He finally received validation for his abilities from the Academy with his 1997 Best Supporting Actor win for his protrayal of the troubled psychiatrist in GOOD WILL HUNTING. Other notable (non-nominated) credits include THE SURVIVORS (1983), MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON (1984), THE BEST OF TIMES, SEIZE THE DAY and CLUB PARADISE (all 1986), THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1988), CADILLAC MAN (1990), DEAD AGAIN and HOOK (both 1991), TOYS and SHAKES THE CLOWN (both 1992), NINE MONTHS and JUMANJI (both 1995), THE BIRDCAGE, JACK, THE SECRET AGENT and HAMLET (all 1996), FATHERS' DAY, DECONSTRUCTING HARRY and FLUBBER (all 1997), WHAT DREAMS WILL COME, JUNKET WHORE and PATCH ADAMS (all 1998), GET BRUCE, JAKOB THE LIAR (also producer) and BICENTENNIAL MAN (all 1999), A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLEGENCE (2001, voice), ONE HOUR PHOTO, DEATH TO SMOOCHY and INSOMNIA (all 2002), THE FINAL CUT, HOUSE OF D and NOEL (all 2004), THE BIG WHITE (2005), THE NIGHT LISTENER, RV, MAN OF THE YEAR, HAPPY FEET (voice) and NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (all 2006), LICENSE TO WED and AUGUST RUSH (both 2007), OLD DOGS (2008) and THE KRAZEES (scheduled for release in 2009). Since 1986, he has joined fellow co-founders Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal in HBO's "Comic Relief," an annual benefit that has raised over $40 million for the homeless. Williams co-hosted the broadcast of the 58th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony in 1986 with Jane Fonda and Alan Alda.  Nominated for Best Actor 1987: GOOD MORNING, VIETNAMGOOD MORNING, VIETNAM  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 1989: DEAD POETS SOCIETY  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 1991: THE FISHER KING  Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1997: GOOD WILL HUNTING 4 nominations, 1 Award