In speaking with IndieWire, Gilliam talked about his own presence being used to “sweeten the pot,” as it were, but also returns to the notion that Williams required a performer who could balance him well. This, Gilliam revealed, was important not just to prevent “The Fisher King” from becoming a “bum comedy,” but vital to keeping him on his best behavior; Gilliam knew his tendency to goof around on set with someone as funny and energetic as Williams could potentially foul up production. 

“Working with him … I think the real reason they hired me, was that I was the bait to lure Robin in. We just worked together on ‘Munchausen.’ I was the honey trap. That was easy. Robin was right there for the get-go. To me then the biggest thing was to make sure Robin and I didn’t float off into the ether there. We just could wind each other up brilliantly and just get extremely silly. Jeff was the anchor, that’s why Jeff was so important; he became the anchor to keep the whole film, Robin, myself grounded.”

“The Fisher King” was ultimately nominated for five Academy Awards, with Mercedes Ruehl winning Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anne Napolitano. Gilliam’s filmography is loaded with spasms of fitful chaos, and his films are notorious for horrendous production troubles. “The Fisher King” seemed to nail the correct alchemy, allowing both director and actors to play well together. 

“The Fisher King” is currently available to watch on HBO Max, Cinemax Go, and DirecTV.