We know Robin Williams for being one of the greatest actors around. While Williams had a lot of unforgettable roles in movies, he made a lasting impression on those with the privilege of knowing him in many positive ways. On the set of one of 20th Century Fox’s best movies Mrs. Doubtfire, Sally Field shares the sweet way her talented co-star supported her after her father passed away.
On the 10th anniversary of Robin Williams’ passing, many friends and colleagues spoke to Vanity Fair about how the Oscar-winning actor would go out of his way to make anyone laugh. However, Williams was also there for those who needed comfort like Sally Field whose life was hit with tragedy on the set of one of Field's best films Mrs. Doubtfire.
I never shared this story before. I was in the camper outside of the courtroom where we were shooting the divorce scene. My father had a stroke a couple of years before, and was in a nursing facility. I got a phone call from the doctor saying my father had passed, a massive stroke. He asked if I wanted them to put him on the resuscitator. I said ‘No, he did not want that. Just let him go. And please lean down and say, ‘Sally says goodbye.’ I was of course beside myself.
It’s a heartbreaking story to find out about your father’s passing while you’re shooting a movie. I can’t even imagine what that must feel like. The comedy-drama film already had her character going through a marriage break-up we’re still not over and other depressing scenes from the movie that were ultimately deleted, dealing with a real-life tragedy on top of filming hard scenes must have been a lot to handle.
While Robin Williams and Sally Field were co-stars on Mrs. Doubtfire, they still had a powerful bond even when the cameras were off. As the Hook actor was able to see the clear pain of Field before knowing what it was, he found a sweet way to provide support for her when she needed it:
I came on the set trying with all my might to act. I wasn’t crying. Robin came over, pulled me out of the set, and asked, ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Yes, why?’ ‘I don’t know, just thought [I’d ask] that.’ ‘No, I’m not, Robin. My father just passed.’ ‘Oh my God, we need to get you out here right now.’ And he made it happen—they shot around me the rest of the day. I could go back to my house, call my brother, and make arrangements. It’s a side of Robin that people rarely knew: He was very sensitive and intuitive.
It does my own heart good to hear stories of compassion about a man known to incite laughter in his audience. That care and goodness was present in Robin Williams through a lot of people he got to know. He helped Sharon Osbourne, ready to give up chemo, get through her treatment by coming to her house and making her laugh which motivated her to return to treatment. Williams also helped Steven Spielberg continue with the Holocaust film Schindler’s List by doing a standup routine for him over the phone. The Good Will Hunting actor truly had a gift for brightening the day for those going through dark times.
When Sally Field was hit with the personal tragedy of losing her father while working on Mrs. Doubtfire, Robin Williams arranged it so Field could go home and make arrangements for her father. The Emmy Award-winning actor clearly had a profound impact on those lucky enough to know him, providing to a person anything they needed to help them get through a hard day. You can see the two stars in Mrs. Doubtfire available with a Hulu subscription and/or a Disney+ subscription.
