Bridesmaids director on how legendary Robin Williams ‘sabotaged’ his stand up comedy career

Paul Feig, director of A Simple Favor, Jackpot! and Bridesmaids, recently revealed that Robin Williams ruined his early chances at a stand-up career.

Consistently making comedy films and TV shows, Feig commented on how different his life could have been if it wasn’t for the late Williams sabotaging his career.

Feig attempted breaking into the Hollywood scene when Williams, Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld were all dominating.

In sharing this story, Feig claimed that the Good Will Hunting actor wanted to perform unscheduled sets which would cut in his own set time.

During a podcast with Jesse Tyler Ferguson from Modern Family, Feig revealed: “I got sabotaged by Robin Williams a couple of times when I finally got to be a performer at The Improv.”

He shared how often after Williams’ set people would leave, meaning his now shorter set didn’t have much of an audience.

“I still wasn’t one of the main guys so I’d have a later spot,” he said.

“I remember like, once it was my time to get up, there was a full audience and I was so excited and they come up like, ‘Oh, Robin just wants to get up and do a quick set first’ and I’m like, ‘cool’.”

“He did an hour and he finished and everybody left except for one woman who was waiting for her husband to come back from the bathroom.”

The 62-year-old also shared how there wasn’t much he could do about it at the time, saying that these places and these people were worth the hassle.

“You were so held hostage, if you will, by The Improv and The Comedy Store because those were the… that’s the place.”

“That’s where you’re going to get discovered, that’s where you’re going to be a big shot so you had to do anything to stay in their good graces, to impress them.”

Feig left stand-up not only for those reasons but also because he found no joy in it anymore. Now his net worth is $35 million from directing.

In 2014 Williams committed suicide at age 63, however, he is constantly remembered for his beautiful kindness and touching work in films and television.