Robin Williams Once Revealed His Favorite “Creepiest” Role

Robin Williams once revealed that his favorite “creepy” role was in the 2002 psychological thriller One Hour Photo.

The film, written and directed by Mark Romanek, stars Williams as Sy, a photo technician who becomes dangerously obsessed with a family whose pictures he develops. Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle also appear in the movie.

Williams told BeatBoxBetty.com: “(It’s) probably my favourite creepy movie I’ve ever done. It disconcerted people in a very good way. It’s about the idea of someone living vicariously through someone else’s life, before all of the stuff with social media on the Internet. It is very, very minimalist, but I’m really proud of it.”

He also praised the film for portraying his character in a unique way. “Yes. As it’s meant to be. But it was so wonderful that the film’s writer and director (Mark Romanek) portrays the character as—not some creepy bad guy that you automatically hate. But it’s the brilliant things that he says that make him lovable in some ways,” Williams explained.

One of the elements that drew Williams to the role was the character’s reflections on life and memory. “That’s what I like. The things he says are painfully true—like, my favourite line is… ‘photographs are your own personal stand against time. That someone cared enough about me to take my picture means that I existed.’”

He recalled seeing old photographs at a flea market and realizing the fleeting nature of life. “There’s a moment in time that you really get to see someone,” he added.

One Hour Photo premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, before getting a limited release in August and a wider release in September.

The movie earned positive reviews, with critics praising Williams’ against-type performance. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 82% approval rating based on 195 reviews, and Metacritic lists it with a score of 64 out of 100. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, “Robin Williams plays Sy, another of his open-faced, smiling madmen, like the killer in Insomnia. He does this so well you don’t have the slightest difficulty accepting him in the role.”

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle said, “Yet the consistent delicacy and emotional clarity of Williams’ acting in One Hour Photo makes the picture impossible to dismiss.”

The film was also recognized in pop culture. In 2013, GamesRadar+ named Williams’ character as one of the “50 Creepiest Movie Psychopaths.” Financially, the movie was a success, grossing over $52 million on a $12 million budget.

Williams’ performance in One Hour Photo showed his ability to take on darker, more complex roles while leaving a lasting impression on audiences and critics alike. It remains a standout example of his versatility as an actor.

What do you think about Robin Williams’ darker roles? Did One Hour Photo creep you out as much as it did fans and critics? Share your thoughts in the comments.