Howard the Duck voice actor Chip Zien has talked about why Robin Williams quit the movie within days.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Zien explained that the actor was frustrated at having to match his performance to the movement of Howard's mouth (or bill). Since no actor had been cast for Howard during filming, puppeteers on set read his lines – which meant the bill moved with their more straightforward delivery, compared to Williams' famous style of zany improvisation.
"What I was told was by the third day, Robin said, 'I can’t do this. It is insane. I can't get the rhythm of this. I am being confined. I am being handcuffed in order to match the flapping duck's bill,'" Zien recalled.
Of course, Williams stepping away meant that Zien could take the role instead. "So, on Memorial Day 1985, I got a call from my agent who said, 'You have to get right to the airport! Robin Williams just quit and you're now Howard the Duck. You need to get there tonight. There is a ticket waiting for you at the counter.' I was incredibly excited," he told THR.
Howard the Duck was released back in '86 and executive produced by George Lucas. Though the film was much-maligned at the time, poorly reviewed and a box office dud, it's become something of a cult classic today – and Howard has experienced a bit of a renaissance himself, joining the MCU (voiced by Seth Green) and appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and even the once-highest grossing movie of all time, Avengers: Endgame. He's also set to feature in the upcoming animated series What If…?, and Green says the duck will be meeting Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa.
