‘Mork & Mindy’: 2014 Robin Williams and Pam Dawber Reunion Was Worth the Wait
You know Robin Williams as the funny star from Mrs. Doubtfire and Flubber, but many fans know him from the TV show Mork & Mindy with Pam Dawber.
Before he became the star he’s known to be today, the two actors had incredible chemistry on the set, and many fans were sad to see the series go. Nonetheless, it captured the same light-hearted and comedic style many are used to seeing in Williams’ latest films and shows.
So when the opportunity arose, and Dawber made a guest appearance on The Crazy Ones, fans found it was well worth the wait to see them together again.
‘Happy Days’ spinoff: ‘Mork & Mindy’
Mork was first introduced in season five of Happy Days, leading to a spinoff that gave the alien more depth. The premise of Mork & Mindy is that Mork is an alien that lands on earth in an egg-shaped spaceship and meets a human by the name of Mindy.
He’s on earth simply to observe and analyze humans and their behaviors but spends much of his time with her. As time goes by, the two eventually fall madly in love with each other just before Mork is put in danger.
Ratings were too low, so although season four was set up for another one, fans would never get to see the danger Mork would get into.
The crazy fact is that the hilarious Happy Days spinoff was actually inspired by Star Wars’ popularity and viewers shifting interests in the direction of science fiction. According to Parade, “In 1977, Star Wars was a huge hit, and Happy Days creator/producer Garry Marshall’s son was a fan. He was such a fan that he begged his father to make a TV show about an alien.”
And thus, Robin Williams’ career was born.
Their 2014 reunion on Williams’ sitcom ‘The Crazy Ones’
After Mork & Mindy, Williams made hit movies and built a loyal fanbase while Dawber decided to stay home and settle down with her family. However, to the surprise of many fans, Dawber snuck back into show business to appear on The Crazy Ones. It had little to do with missing her career and much more to do with her ex co-star.
On The Crazy Ones episode “Love Sucks,” Williams played his usual character, Simon Roberts, who could sell anything to anyone. Dawber came in as Lilly, his love interest, and viewers got to see him struggle with romance amidst Gordan’s breakup that left him a little shook.
It was the perfect reunion because fans got to see their chemistry and connection through another TV series where they were kissing, holding hands, and simply being a version of their real selves together.
There’s nothing but a ‘very deep level’ of love between the two stars
There was clearly a close connection between the two actors, although not particularly romantic. Dawber just really enjoyed Williams’ company and had a great time working with him.
AVC mentioned to Dawber in an interview that “Tracy Poust, a writer-producer for The Crazy Ones, said they didn’t actually tell Robin they’d even approached [her] until [she] officially signed on, and that he got a little misty when they told him.”
“Robin and I… I don’t know what it is about the two of us, but I have just loved him on a very deep level. Robin is truly one of the kindest, most caring people I’ve ever met,” Dawber responded. “We’re different, and it’s a different show, and… he’s a grown-up! [Laughs.] So it was really interesting to just be there for that few days. I loved it.”
There was clearly a strong friendship between the two Mork & Mindy stars, and we all would be so lucky to have a friendship like theirs.
