Robin Williams is known for his lively and entertaining on-screen performances, which not only delighted audiences but were also enjoyable for him. However, it didn’t seem to be the case for Steven Spielberg’s 1991 film Hook, which featured him in the role of an adult Peter Pan.
Despite being Spielberg’s worst-rated film, it was a commercial success and has since gained a cult following. While the film turned out to be quite successful, it was challenging for Williams to portray an uptight, regular adult version of Peter Pan.
Robin Williams Was Forbidden From Being Funny in Steven Spielberg’s Hook
Steven Spielberg’s Hook follows an adult Peter Pan, named Peter Banning, who has left Neverland and has started a family on Earth. However, things take an unexpected turn after Captain Hook kidnaps his children, prompting him to return to Neverland to rescue them with the help of Tinkerbell.
Despite the film’s intriguing premise, Robin Williams’ role in the 1991 movie was quite different from his previous ones. Unlike his other roles, which allowed him to improvise and infuse humor, Peter Banning was characterized by his detachment from whimsy.
After moving to Earth, where he had become a lawyer, Peter Banning approached life in a legalistic manner, a stark contrast to his younger, more playful self. And to portray that on the screen, Williams was strictly required to avoid any comedic elements.
Rather he was required to depict the character as confused, frustrated, and irritable. This challenge was one of the most difficult aspects of his role, as he revealed in a later interview.
Robin Williams Faced Unusual Challenges in Steven Spielberg’s Hook
In a 1991 interview with Boca Raton News, according to the Robin Williams fansite, the actor opened up about the challenges of playing a serious character like Peter Banning.
Talking about his role in the movie, he said,
The hardest part was playing the grownup Peter Banning, the Type-A, bottom-line lawyer who has forgotten he was once Peter Pan … [Be]cause normally I want to be as inventive as possible, to try everything under the sun.
However, it was not the same for his role in Hook. The filmmaker also acknowledged that it was a real challenge for the actor, saying, “That character is the antithesis of who Robin is.”
The actor also drew a parallel between his own life and his character’s, revealing that both he and Peter Banning used work as a distraction from family matters. When he discussed his issues with a therapist, he was advised to spend more time with his child.
He recalled,
I had a therapist say, ‘Basically the only therapy I can offer you right now is to play with your child,’ because I had been using work as a buffer.
He also shared that these parallels were the reason the story appealed to him, adding that he was more relaxed and composed after that. Although Hook may not be considered his greatest film, it remains one of the memorable performances of the late actor.
Hook is available to stream on Prime Video.
