Robin Williams Had a Surprising Connection to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie

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Did you realize that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shared an unofficial crossover with a particular cartoon Genie? It might surprise you to learn that Robin Williams, though not often associated with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, had a modest yet influential link to the franchise. Contrary to what one may think, Robin Williams was a self-proclaimed geek at heart. The comedian is well-known for naming his daughter Zelda after the famous Nintendo video game series and even collaborated with her on numerous commercials for the brand. Moreover, he was a passionate collector of comic books, including those featuring the Turtles.

Robin Williams assisted Judith Hoag in her preparation for the role of April O’Neil in the initial live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film by using comic books. At that time, Hoag was almost done filming Cadillac Man with Williams when she got the script for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Initially finding the title odd, Hoag changed her mind after reading a script that she described as “very sweet.” This convinced her to take on the movie role.

Last year, Hoag admitted on the “Magical Rewind” podcast that she would often depart from the set of “Cadillac Man” in New York early every Friday to travel to North Carolina for pre-production work on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. Over time, her co-star became aware of Judith’s regular weekly routine.

As I hurriedly moved away one day, Robin, with a curious glint in his eye, asked me, “Where on earth are you dashing off to?” This is what Hoag recounted to Magical Rewind. To Hoag’s surprise, when she hesitantly shared the peculiar title of the other film I was involved with, Williams reacted with a baffled “Huh?” Thinking that everyone, including Williams, was taken aback by the unusual name, I tried to justify my decision to be part of this quirky project.

As a devoted fan, I was reminded that this series is known as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” However, don’t let the title fool you; this storyline is incredibly heartwarming.

Unaware of it, the actress thought Robin’s response was disbelief. However, it was actually delight, as the actor was a fan of the project and found it hard to believe it was becoming a film.

I’ve got every single comic book related to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” I enthusiastically shared with Hoag, not realizing that was the specific version he had been briefed to focus on.

In a conversation at the Niagara Falls Comic Con, the actress shared that Todd Langdon was instructed by the original movie’s writer to not watch the animated series but instead read the comic books. The reasoning being that they were creating a film based on the comics.

Hoag claims that once Williams realized her weekend destination, he worked diligently to send her home from the set as soon as Friday allowed. This prompted the actress to immerse herself wholeheartedly into her role as the TMNT’s most human ally, a part she is still recognized for today, even though she didn’t reprise it in the two subsequent live-action sequels.

In 2015 at the Tulsa Comic Expo, she expressed that it’s unlikely the first thing mentioned in her obituary would be April O’Neil, a sentiment her co-star Robin Williams (Cadillac Man, Aladdin 1992) might have related to.

Robin’s support for his co-star wasn’t just about letting her leave early or loaning comics. According to Hoag, Williams even went as far as arranging for his family to travel to Los Angeles for the 1990 premiere of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. This gesture, as the actress recalls, was incredibly meaningful to her.

Regrettably, you can’t stream “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” at the moment, but you can purchase or rent it from Amazon Prime Video, as well as other popular digital entertainment platforms.

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2025-05-04 01:10