'Robin' by Dave Itzkoff reviewed: A planet called Williams, inhabited by a troubled comic genius
"Robin" by Dave Itzkoff; Holt (544 pages, $30)
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In early 1981, midway through the third season of ABC-TV's hit series "Mork & Mindy," an episode titled "Mork Meets Robin Williams" revealed its newly, drastically famous co-star's conflicted feelings about being famous.
Williams, then 29, played a resident of the planet Ork, confounded by the ways, means and hang-ups of earthlings. In this episode, he also played himself. The show was like a therapy session. Williams as Williams spoke of the appeal of pretending to be someone else; "characters could say and do things," he said, regarding his younger self, "that I was afraid to do myself." Williams as Mork closed the show with a report back to his home planet. He puzzled over how "everybody wants a piece of
