Robin Williams finds his roles get better with age
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LOS ANGELES: Who says it's no fun growing old? Not Robin Williams.
The comedian and Oscar-winner stars in low-budget mystery The Night Listener, which opens on Friday.
In an interview with Reuters, Williams said his new role as a gay radio show host at the centre of a possible hoax is typical of parts he is offered at age 55 because the characters are some of the most interesting roles of his 30-year career.
His claim runs counter to many a Hollywood star's complaints that the juiciest roles go to young actors.
"They (the roles) may not be financially enriching, but personally enriching? Yes. You are no longer under pressure. You don't have to prove yourself on some levels, but you do have to push yourself (creatively)," he added.
In Night Listener, Williams' character hosts a talk show, and he befriends a 14-year-old boy who claims to be the victim of child abuse. But the boy's story becomes suspect, and Williams' character begins to question if he is real.
Williams shot to stardom as the wacky alien Mork in 1970s TV sitcom "Mork & Mindy." He earned a reputation as a top actor in movies such as 1987's critically praised Good Morning Vietnam, and turned 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire into a box office smash. He also won a best supporting actor Oscar playing a psychologist helping a young man tame his personal demons in 1997's Good Will Hunting
While he still acts in mainstream comedies such as the recent RV, fans now find him in many art house films like 2002's One Hour Photo where tales of personal and emotional conflict supersede Hollywood guffaws and special effects.
STRANGER IN THE NIGHT
In"Night Listener, Williams portrays Gabriel Noone, the popular host of a late night program in which he tells stories. One night he gets a call from a 14 year-old boy with a shocking tale of sexual abuse, and Noone strikes up a friendly phone relationship with the teenager.
At the same time, Noone is breaking up with his long-time companion, and the Night Listener explores Noone's need for a personal connection that is fulfilled by befriending the boy.
Noone never actually meets the boy, and his attempts to do so yield only time with the adoptive mum (Toni Collette). The movie also deals with whether the boy's life is created by the mum and the nature of people who weave tales of fiction.
"It kind of taps into your own loneliness (and) the idea of what is it to contact people, in any form, and what is the nature of storytelling," Williams said.
The movie is based on San Francisco writer Armistead Maupin's novel of the same name and stems from his real-life experiences in the early 1990s with a fan whose existence has never been proven. The screenplay is written by Maupin and his former companion Terry Anderson.
Williams, a long-time resident of San Francisco, is friends with Maupin and Anderson, and knowing them helped the actor form the character of Gabriel Noone.
Williams said he has never fallen for a hoax, even though he gets letters and requests from people who may not be completely honest with him.
He said being a celebrity can be an isolating and lonely life despite all the adulation from fawning fans.
To combat those feelings, Williams said, he gets out of the house, on the street, and still performs in clubs.
"If they (hoaxers) are going to get you, they are going to get you, but the idea of being in the castle is a pretty lonely place," he said.
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