Tim Allen was on The Kelly Clarkson Show today, and she asked him about a photo he shared of himself with Bob Saget, Rodney Dangerfield, Jon Lovitz, and Robin Williams. The daytime talk show host wanted to know what was going on behind the snapshot.
The Last Man Standing told her that Mork doesn’t shut up, and the Man Who Got No Respect wasn’t getting any respect. As in, Dangerfield was trying to say something but Williams wouldn’t shut up long enough to let him talk. So Allen was laughing because he was waiting for Dangerfield to have a “nervous breakdown.” Which he didn’t have. Saget wanted to go eat at the buffet. And Lovitz wanted everyone to know he was Lovitz.
So if you ever wondered what comedians do when they meet up in person, now you know. And I wish I were a fly to hear what they were saying.
Long before Robin Williams was a late night show staple, he was not big into being on talk shows. For some reason, today The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson decided to post his first appearance on it back on October 14, 1981.
I am so happy that they did, I have tears streaming down my face. Not from missing the comedic genius who was taken away from us much too soon. It is because he is so freaking funny. Even Carson did not know what hit him. It was a Robinado. Once you were swept up in it, there was no way of breaking free. Not that you would want to know.
Since we all need to laugh more, press play and be prepared to have your pants get wet.
https://youtu.be/2ahpgVVIfzE?t=2332
Before Tim Reid, 32, Paul Mooney, 36, Marsha Warfield, 23, Argus Hamilton, 26, Robin Williams, 26, Sandra Bernard, 22, and John Witherspoon, 35, had their own comedy shows and/or sitcoms, they were part of The Richard Pryor Show. Whoever did the casting for that 1977 variety show truly had an eye for excellent talent. Look how many future stars they discovered before they had their first big roles.
It has been a little over a month since we lost the great Robin Williams and his best friend, Billy Crystal, talked about him on The Tonight Show yesterday. He shared with Jimmy Fallon that they used to stay up late at nigth talking on the phone working on their comedy, and it was exhausting. Then he shared a story about the time that Michael Dukakis said that Mork was from Uranus and all hell broke loose in Robin’s magnificent mind. I mean, can you imagine saying that planet, out of all of them, to someone who as genius as Robin Williams. What was he thinking? Obviously he wasn’t.
I just love hearing Crystal talking about his true gem of a friend, that I wanted to make sure you heard it too.
David Letterman was on vacation last week, so he was not able to pay tribute to Robin Williams until last night. The Late Show host honored his friend of 38 years with a beautiful, well executed tribute that will make you tear up. He told the story of the first time he saw the Oscar winner perform standup, and he knew that there was greatness standing in front of him. He was also afraid for his job because he was so good. The CBS host then shared the story about how Williams would get his comedy buddies, like Letterman, to be on Mork & Mindy to help out their careers. Finally, he concluded his emotional stories with a look back at the best of Robin’s fifty, yes 5-0, appearances on his shows.
I don’t care what you are doing today, but you need to take 10 minutes of your day to watch this heartfelt look back at a friendship that lasted through the decades.
