Robin Williams played the alien Mork in the sitcom Mork & Mindy, first appearing in Happy Days.
Williams debuted as Mork in a 1978 episode of Happy Days titled “My Favorite Orkan.” The character was an extraterrestrial from the planet Ork who arrived on Earth and behaved in an eccentric, improvisational style. The performance made Williams an immediate television sensation.
ABC quickly developed Mork & Mindy as a spin-off. The sitcom premiered in 1978 and co-starred Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell, the human character who befriends Mork. Williams’s comic energy and improvised delivery became the show’s defining feature.
Mork’s signature greeting, “Nanoo Nanoo,” became closely associated with Williams and the role. Although Williams later became famous for dramatic film performances, Mork & Mindy remains one of the clearest examples of his early breakthrough as a screen comedian.