Robin Williams: An Iconic Comedian's Lifelong Struggle With Dyslexia

Robin Williams was an American actor & comedian, known for his roles in films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, One Hour Photo, and Night at the Museum. Williams was renowned as one of the greatest comedians of all time, being the recipient of multiple awards and building a legacy that would shape comedy as we know it. Despite being such an influential comedian, Williams made it no secret that he struggled with many issues in his personal life, one of which was severe dyslexia.

Williams was born on July 21, 1951. He lived with his parents and two older half-brothers. Williams attended elementary school at Gorton Elementary School and middle school at Deer Path Junior High School. He described himself as having been a quiet child, and while he did well in school, he initially struggled with reading and writing. Williams told Johnny Carson in an interview on The Tonight Show,

“I suffer from severe dyslexia. I was the only child on my block on Halloween to go ‘trick or trout’ … Here comes that young Williams boy. Better get some fish,”

At the time of his graduation in 1969, Williams was voted "Most Likely Not to Succeed" and "Funniest" by his classmates. Despite this, the former ended up being entirely wrong, thanks in no small part to the latter. Gerald Freedman, one of his teachers at the Juilliard School, even described him as a genius. Although he had so much potential to succeed, Williams still had lingering self-doubts and a need to prove himself, which he expressed in several interviews. This could likely have contributed to his depression, a struggle that plagued him even more than his dyslexia. However, his success as a comedian and actor proved that he had somewhat overcome his initial self-doubt.

Succeeding with dyslexia is, contrary to popular belief, not a matter of luck. As so many others have said, success often comes down to perseverance, and Robin Williams’ situation was no different. The fact that he was able to make light of his early struggles with dyslexia and succeed in the face of adversity is proof that he did persevere and that he did overcome those self-doubts.

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About the author: 

I’m a dyslexia specialist and creator of The Teach-to-Read Blueprint, a plug-and-play structured literacy curriculum for tutors and teachers. I help educators make research-backed reading lessons effective and engaging—online or in person.