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Photos of Robin Williams in Ballard

Posted by Geeky Swedes on July 31st, 2008

Update: Following up on several tips, I grabbed the camera like a Ballard paparazzi and discovered Robin Williams and a film crew shooting along 34th Ave. near 65th Street. In fact, I nearly ran into Williams when I first arrived.

He had just finished up one scene when this dog decided to jump up on him.

Then he grabbed a french fry from these guys and headed back to his trailer.

A little later, he emerged with his game face on for the next scene.

He sat inside this old car on a trailer, rigged with multiple cameras. The weather, appropriately Seattle. That’s about the time the executive producer asked me (nicely) to put away the camera or leave.

Also on set, Daryl Sabara, who plays Williams’ son.

Film crews also shot out front of a house on 64th Street. Trailers lined 34th Ave for two blocks. Neighbors walked by and observed all the action.

These enterprising neighbor kids were selling snacks and drinks for the crew.

Williams is in his 14th day of a 25 day shoot in Seattle for the upcoming movie, The World’s Greatest Dad. Crews have been in Wallingford until today, when they moved to Sunset Hill for a single day of shooting — the first extended shoot outdoors. We’re told tomorrow they’re headed to Green Lake, and then later to the Alexis Hotel. (All photos copyright My Ballard.)

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  • Spaghettio
    Thanks for the tip! I will be sure to avoid this area for traffic jams...
  • mel
    I was driving through Wallingford yesterday around 4:30 and saw people hanging over the deck at the Wallingford Pizza House with their camera phones in hand. I had to look twice, but yes, it really was Robin Williams standing in front of the Guild 45th Theatre. Tried to capture it with my camera phone but my zoom is no good.
  • Suthii
    A comedy about suicide! They should film in on the Aurora Ave Bridge.
  • silver
    Nice shooting Geeks! It's weird to see him right there - you know, around the corner!

    Thanks for covering the neighborhood!
  • I ran into the filming as I was heading home today. Stopped and chatted a bit, sounds like they'll be there until midnight, a crew person said. Nice people, lots of the crew were chatting with us locals asking for local Ballard hangouts etc. Some of my neighbors are bitching about filming until midnight, one said "They'll keep my kids up!" and really now, I don't see that that would happen. They're not noisy, they're not blowing things up, such picky neighbors. :) Have fun with it! Let your kids stay up late and learn about movie making! :)
  • ivy
    It will be fun to see this movie. I recently re-watched both 'The Fabulous Baker Boys' and 'Singles' just to enjoy the Seattle backround from the 80's & 90's.
  • Bobcat is filming with him. I'm pretty sure that was him in the pony tail.
  • kiki
    What great pictures! Thanks Geeky Swedes!
  • I'm not sure the can tell you to "put your camera way, or leave". Nicely or not. You were on a public street, I presume. And as such one has a right to take anybody's picture they want. Thanks for posting.
  • Ryan
    We think they filmed one night in on of our fave Wallingford restaurants, The Rusty Pelican. Last weekend, the Pelican had a sign up about closing early one afternoon for movie filming.

    Ivy, I also loved watching the few Seattle background bits in "Say Anything." The best was when they use a shot driving by Westlake Mall and call it Bellevue Square.
  • Keith
    Ron is definitely right. No one has a right to tell you to put your camera away.

    Except the government, of course! You know, terrorism and all... taking pictures means you're planning something!
  • J. from Wallingford
    They can tell you, but you're not obliged to comply.
  • Geeky Swedes
    Yep, I could've held my ground, but I had already taken plenty of photos.

    They can, by the way, suddenly make it a closed set, even on public land, and push us back a couple blocks. Plenty of SPD officers were parked around, and it wouldn't take long for them to make it happen. But everyone was very nice, chatting with the neighbors, and trying to keep disruptions at a minimum.

    By the way, one crewmember told me that she was at the film shoot at Pike Place market a few months ago, and everyone was held way back and told not even to make eye contact with the actor (what's his name). Now that's ridiculous.
  • Steve Shay
    Keith // Aug 1, 2008 at 10:01 am

    Ron is definitely right. No one has a right to tell you to put your camera away.

    Except the government, of course! You know, terrorism and all… taking pictures means you’re planning something.
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    I have been a photographer for 25 years and "the government" has never told me to put my camera away...except once, when I entered AREA 51. (Insert Twilight Zone theme song)
  • info hound
    any new shoot areas anyone knows of for this week?
    Also does anyone know where to go to be extras for the upcoming movies coming to town?
    thanks
  • i am bad at english but i am trying

    i am not pretty...i am not smart but someday

    i really wanted to meet robin williams

    maybe impossible i live in seoul s.korea

    i am a korean female 22 years old fan

    i had a dreams

    humor makes happy for people

    i respect of him

    cause he made us happy

    thanks to robin williams

    genius of comedy my best actor/comedian

    movies humanity humanism humanist

    robin williams cheer up

    his movies was my life's hope

    god bless you robin

    take care

    thanks for reading me

    from korean fan jinny...

    smile kimchi ^ ^ robin williams
  • Craig
    They're at the Alexis hotel shooting today. A couple of big film equipment trucks are parked in the alley.
  • Lizzie
    ISPY Robin
    Yesterday, Monday August 4th at 6:55pm, Robin Williams was on the sidewalk of 3rd & Spring in full scene pretending to look at pamplets/maps/something off a totally fake rack that is normally never there. The camera was three feet from his face, so who knows what part of the backdrop of Seattle we'll all see.
  • Lizzie
    Oh and Heads-up: Steve Shay, Keith and Ron!

    While government (Amendment Rights) can't make you put your camera away - anyone can certainly ask you to put it away out of respect for whatever reason they feel. Whether you have to do it, is up to A) you are capable of respecting someone else's wishes even when they don't agree with your opinions B) can comprehend that they have legal protection for their work staff and zoned areas and could legally have you escorted away to a set distance. Obviously, you could still take photos from there if you get a zoom. But then you just look like another jack-ass photographer that is incapable of respecting another person wishes. Which you could all be since you all sounded like idiots about the situation.
  • rusticmother
    8/9/8 - we spotted Robin (driving) leaving a parking garage near the Seattle Waterfront; we were leaving at the same time and asked for his autograph, to which he kindly obliged, if we had a paper and pen, which we did! Very short but very nice encounter with him.
  • ahb
    People running blogs about Ballard going by the name of Geeky Swedes should show more respect for a Volvo 244 than calling it an "old car". Though I guess one could make the argument that in Ballard car = Volvo, just like Coke = soft drink in the south.
  • Sophie
    They've been filming at my apartment complex all week. It's called Woodland Pointe in North Seattle. However, they're in the process of packing it up now.
    The assistant director was going to let me get some autographs when they finished filming, but I accidently fell asleep and woke up as his van was pulling out...:(
    Anyone know where they've been staying?
  • amber
    my cousins in this movie his name is andrew record.
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