Eric Roberts Reveals Robin Williams Pranked Julia Roberts During Her First Trip To New York By Doing THIS
Eric Roberts, well known for his role in Runaway Train, told a funny story about Robin Williams pranking his sister, Julia Roberts, on her first visit to New York. In his new memoir, Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, Eric reveals the surprising moment that left Julia stunned and laughing.
The story took place at Cafe Central, a famous New York cafe frequented by celebrities such as Cher, Al Pacino, and Andy Warhol. Eric Roberts planned a clever prank to impress his younger sister, who was visiting him in the city. He enlisted the help of his famous friend, Robin Williams, who was most known at the time for his part in Mork and Mindy.
Eric recalled telling Robin that his sister would be in town this week, and they had to freak her out for him. Williams quickly agreed, stating, “Yeah, no problem. Okay.”
When the day arrived, Julia and Eric were sitting at a table eating hamburgers. That is when Williams made his move. He walked over, looked at her, opened the door, grabbed her hamburger, and bolted out. Julia caught off guard, yelled, “Was that Robin Williams?!”
Eric laughed and simply replied, “I think it was, honey.” Julia’s reaction was priceless: “He took my hamburger!” Eric Roberts called this prank as a classic Robin Williams move. He said that was Robin being Mork because he was already in that hit show Mork and Mindy, which was tailor-made for his antic spirit.
Williams was known for his spontaneous and energetic personality, and this prank perfectly captured that aspect of him. Eric stated that he was thrilled to have wowed his sister in such an unforgettable manner.
Years later, Julia Roberts and Robin Williams starred together in Steven Spielberg’s Hook in 1991, with Williams playing Peter Pan and Julia playing Tinker Bell.
Beyond the prank, Eric Roberts’ memoir reveals more about his friendship with Robin Williams. The two actors were friends, and Williams regularly advised Eric. He wrote that Robin was constantly giving advice. He also wrote that Williams was a little arrogant about his intelligence.
One memorable piece of advice came when Williams told Eric that he needed to fight against his arrogant appearance. “You look arrogant, dude. People think you are,” Williams said.
“I know you’re not, but people think you are, man, and you gotta fight against that.” Eric agreed with Williams but noted that the perception was hard to shake, despite his true personality.
