Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Starting as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, he is credited with leading San Francisco's comedy renaissance. After rising to fame as Mork in the sitcom Mork & Mindy (197882), he went on to establish a career in both stand-up comedy and feature film acting. He was known for his improvisational skills.