Jamie Costa may not be a household name, but the actor has amazingly placed himself in pole position with fans if Hollywood ever makes a biopic about the late Robin Williams.
On Monday, Costa posted a video to his YouTube channel, in which he plays Williams in 1982, at the height of his “Mork & Mindy” fame.
In the five-minute scene, Costa, who physically resembles the late comedian, delivers a brilliantly nuanced impression of Williams preparing for a scene, riffing on various improv lines before taping an episode of the hit 1970s sitcom.
His comedic brilliance is broken when co-star Pam Dawber (played by Sarah Murphree) enters his dressing room to share some terrible news: John Belushi was found dead in a bungalow at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont (the “Animal House” star died at age 33 of a drug overdose).
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At first, Williams is in disbelief, insisting it was impossible because he was with Belushi last night (on the night of his fatal overdose, Belushi had partied with a group of celebrities that included Williams and Robert De Niro).
In the scene, Costa portrays Williams running through a full gamut of emotions, ultimately pulling himself together and re-entering Mork mode before heading back to the set to get some laughs.
The clip, which has garnered more than 2.1 million views since being posted on Monday, got people raving on Twitter, with many calling for Costa to play Williams in the inevitable biopic.
Jamie Costa will sell you on how much he needs to be in a Robin Williams biopic with this footage: https://t.co/NQlFKe9iEk pic.twitter.com/psu8rVludm
— Matthew Rettenmund (@mattrett) October 12, 2021
How unreal is this Robin Williams impersonation? Jamie Costa is this guys name. Give him the award now!!!
I had to double take. WOW. pic.twitter.com/lXp1xi6RGt
— Crafty (@HomeoftheHiSox) October 12, 2021
I am at a loss of words of how extraordinary this is.
Jamie Costa encapsulates the essence of Robin Williams so perfectly that this "fan footage" for a proposed biopic is a clear sign this truly needs to happen.https://t.co/EI14YqRhvf
— Edward Hong (@CinnabonMonster) October 12, 2021
This is incredible! Jamie Costa is an actor/comedian who gained notoriety a few years back for his uncanny impression of #RobinWilliams. He‘a since teamed up w/ others to create this "test footage" as a pitch for a potential full-length movie. https://t.co/b8FSvijgXN
— Scott Nevins (@ScottNevins) October 12, 2021
Damnit, now I want a Robin Williams biopic! https://t.co/q9f1MnKVvo pic.twitter.com/YAdAMtkyvM
— Andrew Ducker (@andrewducker) October 12, 2021
Absolutely blown away by this! To capture a person's true essence so beautifully in 5 minutes. AMAZING. https://t.co/ZXtoE2thRd#Robin #robinwilliams
— Attack on Show (@attackonshow) October 12, 2021
BLOWN AWAY by #JamieCosta in this 'test' footage. WE NEED A BIOPIC STAT! https://t.co/AaLM2FAQis #robinwilliams #morkandmindy
— Scary Spooker (@TerenceRCooper) October 12, 2021
Wow. Just. Wow. I’ve seen his work for years, way back in those primordial Vine days. Jamie Costa is one of the best impressionists EVER. We need a biopic and Jamie Costa needs to be Robin. ROBIN Test Footage Scene https://t.co/uArSoRL782 #jamiecosta #robinwilliams
— Michael K Wheeler (@Michael47493967) October 12, 2021