Five days ago a friend sent me the Jamie Costa/Robin Williams “ROBIN test footage scene” clip, and wrote that he finds it “distracting when someone playing a real person is too accurate in voice and mannerisms, almost like they’re doing an impression versus someone like Anthony Hopkins interpreting Richard Nixon. Despite it being a not great movie, Rod Steiger pulled off a respectable W.C. Fields. While this is uncanny, I’m not sure how it would wear over an entire biopic.”
My immediate response: “Are you KIDDING? This guy is great. Not just a great impersonator but a first-rate, real-deal ACTOR. In my eyes, at least. Thanks for alerting me…amazing.”
Directed and edited by Jake Lewis, the clip features Costa as Williams on the set of Mork and Mindy in march 1982 when his costar Pam Dawber (Sarah Murphree) told him about the death of John Belushi.
I love the moment when Costa / Robin asks Dawber, “Did they say anything…you know, like, how [John Belushi] died?” Answer #1: “Gee, Robin…whadaya think might have happened? Any suspicions?” Answer #2: “Three guesses, Robin, and the first two don’t count.” Answer #3: “John was a secret agent like Chuck Barris, and he was shot last night by a Russian sniper.”