Who is Robin Williams’ director-actress daughter, Zelda Williams? The 34-year-old made her directorial debut with Lisa Frankenstein, starring Riverdale’s Cole Sprouse, and has called out AI technology
Robin Williams’ 34-year-old daughter Zelda Williams just made her feature directorial debut with the new horror-comedy flick Lisa Frankenstein, releasing tomorrow.
Set in the 1980s, the production merges dark humour with queer themes, and features Kathryn Newton and Riverdale’s Cole Sprouse.
Here’s what we know about Robin Williams’ only daughter – and how she’s continuing her father’s legacy in film.
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When was Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda born?
Zelda was born on July 31, 1989.
Her parents are Robin Williams and Marsha Garces Williams, who were married from 1989 to 2010. Zelda has two brothers: Cody Alan Williams, who was born in 1991, and Zachary, who Robin welcomed with his first wife Valerie Velardi in 1983.
Was Zelda Williams named after Zelda, the video game character?
When Robin announced the birth of his daughter, many fans were wondering where her name came from. The Good Will Hunting actor addressed the speculation during an ad campaign with Nintendo in 2011, per People.
“A lot of people come up and ask if she’s named after F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife,” Robin said. “No, it’s Zelda for The Legend of Zelda.”
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She is following in her parents’ footsteps
Zelda, who was known for being very close with her father and often made public appearances with him, has pursued the same career path as her parents. Her mum, Marsha, is a film producer.
Before making her directorial debut this year, she had already appeared in a string of films and TV shows. Growing up on set with her family sparked her interest in a Hollywood career.
“I was fascinated by it early,” Zelda told Entertainment Tonight. “When you’re that young, I don’t think you grasp that it’s a job, really; just like a fun thing you go and visit.”
She’s starred in Girl in the Box, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the TV series) and Jane the Virgin.
She has opened up about her father’s tragic death
Sadly, Zelda lost her father on August 11, 2014, after he died by suicide – two weeks after her 25th birthday.
She told People how she leaned on her friends for support in the tough aftermath following his death. “I did have those friends who were lovely and I really appreciate when they were like, ‘Come on! Let’s go to Disneyland!’ and I was like, ‘No, not today. Having a panic attack today,’” she said. “But the ones who would show up and brought groceries, sat down with me and just wanted to be there, those people made a huge difference.”
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Now, she regularly speaks out about mental health awareness. In 2015, she took to Instagram in a now-deleted post. “And for those suffering from depression, I know how dark and endless that tunnel can feel, but if happiness seems impossible to find, please hold on to the possibility of hope, faint though it may be,” she wrote.
She’s called out the “disturbing” use of AI technology
Williams has given her opinion on the rise of AI technology, as it’s something that has impacted her too.
She continued, “These recreations are, at their very best, a poor facsimile of greater people, but at their worst, a horrendous Frankensteinian monster, cobbled together from the worst bits of everything this industry is, instead of what it should stand for.”
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
- Robin Williams’ 34-year-old daughter Zelda Williams just made her feature directorial debut with the new horror-comedy film Lisa Frankenstein – but what else does she do for work?
- She’s starred in several films and TV shows as an actress, is open about mental health awareness, and has spoken up about the difficulties she faced in losing her late, great comedian father