Robin Williams Almost Starred In A Terrifying Stephen King Movie
The late, great Robin Williams is best remembered for his warm-hearted comedic chops. He made generations laugh in films like *Mrs. Doubtfire*, *Jumanji*, *The Birdcage*, *Hook*, and many more. Beyond his comedic talent, Williams was also a respected dramatic actor, earning acclaim for performances in films such as *Dead Poets Society* and *Good Will Hunting*.
Toward the beginning of his career, however, Williams’ life nearly took a very different turn. It would be a long time before he took on those dramatic roles, but according to *Vulture*, Williams was considered for the lead role in one of the most terrifying films ever made: *The Shining*. Stanley Kubrick is said to have thought about casting Williams as Jack Torrance, a role that eventually went to Jack Nicholson.
Jack Torrance is a father coming apart at the seams. Over the course of the film, which was based on the novel by Stephen King, Jack succumbs to rage, alcoholism, severe boredom, and potential demonic influence while looking after a creepy snowbound hotel. It’s hard to imagine Williams in the part because the role has been deeply associated with Nicholson’s iconic performance for decades.
Stephen King himself really disliked Kubrick’s *The Shining*. When King made his own miniseries adaptation in the 1990s with director Mick Garris, Steven Weber played Jack Torrance. Watching that miniseries inevitably invites comparisons to Nicholson’s version, and one can only imagine how jarring it might have been if the role had gone to Robin Williams—the very actor best known for voicing the Genie in *Aladdin*.
The idea that Robin Williams almost played Jack Torrance in *The Shining* is a popular piece of film lore, often featured in “what-if” articles speculating on alternate casting choices. However, there is some doubt as to whether this story is actually true.
At the time *The Shining* was cast and produced, Williams was just starting to rise in fame. He was best-known for starring in *Mork & Mindy*, a *Happy Days* spin-off sitcom where he played an alien trying to understand human life. As Stanley Kubrick biographer Lee Unkrich explained to Snopes, the timeline suggests Kubrick likely hadn’t even heard of Williams when casting the film and likely never seriously considered him for Jack Torrance.
“Stanley first read the galleys of Stephen King’s novel in 1977. Nicholson was cast that year as well,” Unkrich said, having researched the Warner Bros. Archives for his book *Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining.’* He added, “Production on the film began in April of 1978.” This is significant because *Mork & Mindy* did not premiere until the fall of 1978.
Unless there’s some twisted, Stephen King–style time travel involved, the idea that Williams was almost cast as Jack Torrance may simply be an Internet-driven myth.
Though Robin Williams didn’t star in *The Shining* and might not have even been considered for the role, depending on who you ask, he did eventually get a chance to prove he could be scary. In Mark Romanek’s 2002 film *One Hour Photo*, Williams played Sy Parrish, a photo-development technician at a big-box store who becomes fixated on—and eventually stalks—one of the families who drops film at his counter.
Williams is deliciously creepy in the role, but he also brings an uncomfortably sympathetic quality to the character. Yes, you want to cringe when he begins to follow his customers home, but there’s also a palpable sadness and loneliness that Williams captures with incredible nuance.
“I could look at this character because it is so different, and so, kind of, a definite step away from myself,” Williams said.
*One Hour Photo*’s ending is deliberately ambiguous—Williams himself always refused to interpret it for audiences. “I can’t tell you,” he said, “and I don’t want to.”
Robin Williams’ work in *One Hour Photo* stands as a testament to his versatility and depth as an actor, proving that he could embrace darkness just as well as he could warm hearts and bring laughter.
https://www.looper.com/2016967/robin-williams-jack-torrance-stephen-king-movie-the-shining/
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