Unexpected Picture:
This photo was taken by Martin Schoeller for The New Yorker in 2002. “I was hired by The New Yorker in 2002 to photograph Robin Williams. After researching him, I realized that he was a very physical comedian. I came up with this idea to photograph him swinging from a chandelier in a fancy hotel room. Normally, publicists don’t like wild ideas like that, so I didn’t tell anyone about it. I secretly rigged up a chandelier at the Waldorf Astoria hotel for him to swing from.
When Robin arrived and saw what was planned, he lifted his shirt to show me a huge scar on his shoulder. He had just had surgery and couldn’t even lift his arm. He was really disappointed! He felt bad about not being able to do the idea because he loved it and wanted to help me make it happen. Unlike many Hollywood stars, he wasn’t affected by his fame or success. He talked to everyone, from the stylists to the crew to the hotel staff.
In the end, we asked a maid at the hotel to swing from the chandelier instead. I asked Robin to sit and read a newspaper, and I think it turned out to be an even funnier, more unexpected picture.”