Robin Williams' Kindness: "Mrs. Doubtfire" Co-star Reveals Touching Support During Family Tragedy

In a touching tribute ahead of the 10th anniversary of Robin Williams' passing, actress Sally Field has shared a previously untold story about the legendary actor's compassionate support during a deeply personal time in her life. While filming the iconic 1993 comedy "Mrs. Doubtfire", Field received the devastating news of her father's passing.

"I was in the caravan outside the courtroom where we were shooting the divorce scene," Field recalled in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. "My father had suffered a stroke a couple of years earlier and was in a nursing home. I got a call from the doctor saying he'd passed away, a massive stroke."

Field, who played Williams' soon-to-be-ex-wife in the film, described the raw emotion of the moment, stating she simply instructed hospital staff to "say goodbye" to her father, who had expressed a wish not to be kept alive by a respirator.

"I was, of course, beside myself," she shared. "I went back to the set trying my best to act, but I wasn't crying. Robin came over, pulled me aside, and asked, 'Are you alright?'"

Williams' response was immediate and full of empathy. "He said, 'Oh my God, we need to get you out of here right now,'" Field recounted. "And he made it happen - they stopped filming for the rest of the day. I could go back home, call my brother, and make arrangements. It's a side of Robin that people rarely saw - he was very sensitive and intuitive."

Field's experience highlights the genuine kindness and understanding that Williams offered, even amidst the bustling set of a major film production. This anecdote paints a portrait of a man beyond the comedic persona, revealing his deep compassion and ability to connect with others on a personal level.

Field went on to praise Williams' unique ability to create a dynamic on-screen, stating, "It was my job to just react to whatever he did, as a real person would. I loved that feeling of being on your toes. You couldn't really tell what 'Mrs. Doubtfire' was going to be like on the page. It became its own living thing primarily because of him."

This sentiment was echoed by Mara Wilson, who played Williams' youngest daughter in the film, in a separate interview with Vanity Fair. Wilson also recalled Williams' thoughtful nature, particularly after the passing of her own mother.

"People are always surprised when I tell them that Robin could be very quiet," she said. "When I was nine, we did a table read for 'What Dreams May Come', shortly after my mother had passed. He came up to me and gently asked how I was doing and how my family was, but he didn't bring up anything that could have been painful. He was just incredibly kind."

Wilson also described Williams' playful nature on the set of "Mrs. Doubtfire", recounting a hilarious instance where he used his hands to create two distinct personalities, each arguing with the other.

"He used to make his hands talk and argue with each other: ‘I don’t like you! You smell like poop!’ ‘Hey, there’s no toilet paper at my house!’ Which is the funniest thing ever to a five-year-old," she shared. "There’s actually a bit in ‘Friend Like Me’ [from ‘Aladdin'] where The Genie’s hands do a little backup singing and scatting behind him. The animators must have gotten that idea from him - they looked and sounded exactly like the talking hands he’d used to make me laugh. I think he just *got

kids."

The stories shared by Field, Wilson, and Lisa Jakub, who played the eldest daughter in "Mrs. Doubtfire", paint a picture of Robin Williams that extends far beyond his comedic talents. They highlight his genuine empathy, his sensitivity towards the struggles of others, and his ability to connect with people on a deeply human level. While his comedic genius will forever be celebrated, these stories remind us of the profound impact his kindness had on those who knew him, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and understanding.