Why Morgan Fairchild Ignored Her Agents And Took A Low-Paying Job On A Hit Sitcom

When you're choosing your next television project, sometimes you just have to trust your gut and ignore what your agent says. That's what Morgan Fairchild once did after she found out she would get to work with the late Robin Williams on the whimsical '70s TV series "Mork & Mindy."

Produced by "Laverne & Shirley" creator Garry Marshall, ABC's "Mork & Mindy" was a runaway sci-fi sitcom hit that skyrocketed a then-unknown Williams to superstardom. The series — which was a "Happy Days" spin-off — followed Mork (Williams), an eccentric extraterrestrial sent from the planet Ork to observe human behavior, who lands in Boulder, Colorado, and moves in with a free-spirited earthling named Mindy McConnell, played by Pam Dawber. Amid the cosmic chaos, Fairchild dropped in for a three-episode stint during the show's first season as Susan Taylor, Mindy's stuck-up high school frenemy.

During an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, the "Dallas" alum recalled a phone call where her agent tried to deter her from an offer to guest star on a mysterious project that Marshall had "under wraps." "He doesn't want to give you a contract, and you'll only be recurring, and he only wants to pay you top-of-show, and you're making so much more money than that. Now we just think you should turn it down," Fairchild told the outlet. Fairchild, however, had other ideas. "I said, 'Well, what's the name of the show?' And he said, 'Mork & Mindy,' and I said, 'That's Robin Williams' show,' and he said, 'Who's Robin Williams?'" She continued, holding firm on her decision, "I said, 'Robin Williams is a genius. Don't tell Garry [but] I'd work for free to work with Robin Williams. I'll take the show.'"

As to why Williams' involvement compelled Fairchild to sign the dotted line so quickly, it's because she had already witnessed the birth of Mork from Ork. After guest-starring on "Happy Days" in 1977, she frequently visited the Paramount lot. One day, Henry Winkler urged her to watch a particular guest star do his thing. That ended up being Williams' debut as Mork on the "Happy Days" episode "My Favorite Orkan." When the episode wrapped, Fairchild recalled to Entertainment Weekly: "I stayed all afternoon just to tell this guy he's a genius."

Fast-forward to her first "Mork & Mindy" episode, "Mork's Seduction," Fairchild noticed that Williams' wild comedic style altered how rehearsals ran under director Howie Storm. "Robin just goes, and everybody just stands back and watches Robin go," she explained. Rather than standing back, Fairchild let loose and spouted out unscripted banter right along with him during their scene. "Robin throws something out, and I throw something out, and he looks at me in shock ... and we're going back and forth," she recalled. "And, finally, he grabs me by the waist and, like, pushes me in the air and says, 'Mama, you're one of me.'"

While her time on "Mork & Mindy" was brief, looking back, her affection for the late icon remains as strong as ever. "Robin was a great guy to work with, and every great thing you ever heard about Robin Williams is true," Fairchild said. "Just kindest, gentle spirit, wonderful guy."