‘Doubtfire’ siblings reunite, remember Robin Williams
The three child actors from the 1993 comedy blockbuster “Mrs. Doubtfire” reunited this week for the first time in more than 30 years to share their memories of making the beloved Robin Williams film.
Mara Wilson and Lisa Jakub joined their former co-star Matthew Lawrence and his brother Joey Lawrence on their “Brotherly Love Podcast,” to discuss everything from memorable behind-thescenes moments to the joys and challenges of acting alongside Williams, known for his wild improvisation.
“You go on set with Robin and it’s like, who the f— knows what’s going to happen now?” Jakub recalled of the late Bay Area star’s freewheeling acting technique.
San Francisco director Chris Columbus revealed last year that Williams’ improvisation led to nearly “2 million feet of film” being shot. The former child stars confirmed that Williams would often make up his lines, doing take after take until the cameras ran out of film.
“You had to be really present,” Jakub said. “We’re on set and I’m like, ‘I am so lost but, you know, we’re just going to go with it because he’s Robin and you can trust him.’ ”
Matthew Lawrence concurred.
“That is very true. He was one of the best at going off the book and creating his own stuff. To be in front of the camera with him was quite the experience,” he said. “If you weren’t present and you weren’t ready for any kind of curveball, you were going to get thrown off.”
The film, based on Anne Fine’s 1987 book “Madame Doubtfire,” was set in San Francisco and showcased Williams at the peak of his popularity. He played Daniel Hillard, an out-of-work actor and divorced father who disguises himself as an elderly female housekeeper to spend time with his three children, Lydia (Jakub), Chris (Matthew Lawrence) and Natalie (Wilson).
“I think I was lucky that a lot of the jokes went over my head,” said Wilson, who was just 6 years old when she landed the role. “Otherwise I would have been laughing the whole time.”
When Williams unexpectedly took his own life in 2014 at his Marin County home at age 63, fans gathered at the “Mrs. Doubtfire” house in Pacific Heights to pay their respects. Wilson mentioned that she visited the house the day before recording the podcast and noted that the current owners had recently changed the facade due to the high volume of visitors.
“People were still taking pictures of it,” she told her castmates.
Jakub said that Wilson and Lawrence “still feel like my siblings,” even after more than three decades after filming “Mrs Doubtfire.” The movie was a massive hit, earning more than $440 million worldwide and ranking as the second most popular theatrical release of 1993, just behind “Jurassic Park.”
“I feel like I got the best start possible in film,” Wilson said of working with Williams and Columbus, who has described “Mrs. Doubtfire” as “a love letter to San Francisco.”
Joey Lawrence praised the enduring power of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which remains a classic, largely due to its realistic depiction of divorce and single fatherhood.
He called it “one of the best family comedies ever” and said, “It’s incredible how much it has meant to people and generations.”
The film was recently adapted to the stage as a musical comedy, with a production set to run July 2-28 at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre.