Gotta see about a girl! In the midst of filming Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb earlier this year, the late, great Robin Williams helped a teen costar go after his heart’s desire.
The Good Will Hunting actor, who took his own life at the age of 63 this past August, came to the aid of his Night at the Museum collaborator Skyler Gisondo during filming. Gisondo, 18, was working on the fantasy-adventure film while also attempting to maintain a normal life as a high school teenager. Naturally, he needed a date to the prom, and enlisted none other than Williams and Night at the Museum star Ben Stiller to help him ask a special lady.
The three stars teamed up to record a video “prom-posal” for Gisondo, who previously acted in movies like The Amazing Spider-Man, The Three Stooges, and Four Christmases. The clip opens with the actors on the set of the third Museum film, as the star addresses his desired date, a young woman named Hillari Levine, or “Hill.”
“Hey Hill… I have a question to ask you, but I’m going to need a little help from my friends,” he says to his lucky lady in the video. Gisondo is then joined by Stiller and Williams, who riff on their teenage costar, making jokes about what a catch he is and telling the high school student to say “yes” to prom with Gisondo.
The proposal was seemingly well-received, as Levine tweeted at the time, “AH! going to prom with the best guy out there! @SkylerGisondo knows how to put a smile on my face thank you @robinwilliams & @RedHourBen!”
Gisondo later added that Stiller gave the couple a gift for the big dance, tweeting, “Just found out Ben Stiller is going to hook @hillarilevine and I up with a limo for prom night. #Casual @RedHourBen is the ultimate homie.”
The rising star spoke to The Hollywood Reporter this week about the experience, saying the two comedy heavyweights were enthusiastic about helping him out.
“All morning, Robin was pitching more ideas,” he told THR of the planning for the video recording. “He was saying ‘Can I say this? Would it be appropriate to say this?’ You’re Robin Williams. You can say whatever you want!”
A little late, but: Great date, great people, great night, great vibes. Awesome prom with @hillarilevine pic.twitter.com/f7wWpS2XkD
— Skyler Gisondo (@SkylerGisondo) June 3, 2014
“It turned into this three-minute, ridiculous thing,” Gisondo added. “A prom-posal. I realized that was the most awesome three minutes of my life and I’ve accepted it will go downhill from there.”
Gisondo also looked back — with love and gratitude — on his late costar.
“Robin was this bottomless reservoir of kindness and hilarity,” Gisondo said. “It was [just] so special to work so closely with this guy [whose] movies I’ve grown up with and watch his preparedness and his kindness.”
He tweeted at the time of Williams’ passing, writing, “One of the most wonderful people Ive been privileged to meet. A bottomless reservoir of kindness, humility, and hilarity. RIP #RobinWilliams.”
Watch Williams and Stiller help Gisondo get the girl in the video above.
