A new anecdote behind the scenes of the iconic comedy Potato forever underlines the generosity of the remembered actor Robin Williams. Lisa Jakubwho played eldest daughter Lydia Hillard in the film, recently shared how the famous artist intervened on her behalf during a difficult personal time related to her studies.
This story was one of the highlights shared by Jakub on the “Brotherly Love” podcast, where he met with other actors from the 1993 film, such as Mara Wilson and Matthew Lawrence.
According to Lisa, she was trying to keep up with her education while cultivating a career as a teenage actress. The filming of Potato forever, which took four months, involved additional effort in which he reached an agreement with his school in Canada. Although she was physically absent from the classrooms, she had attempted to keep up with her studies by sending and receiving assignments by mail in a “pre-internet” system.
“We had been filming for a couple of months and my school in Canada sent me a note saying: ‘This doesn’t work anymore. Do not come back.”, Jakub told his colleagues. “I was devastated”.
For the actress, going to school had a particular meaning. She explains that it “broke her heart” because “you know, I had this life that was very unusual and that was the only normal thing.”
Robin Williams, seeing the emotional impact that this situation had on his daughter in fiction, decided to act. She wrote a letter to the high school principal in an attempt to get them to reconsider her stance. In the letter, Williams stressed the importance of supporting Jakub as he strives to balance his acting career with his education.
“Robin saw that I was sad and wrote to my school”Jakub recalled. Despite this gesture, the school authority did not reverse the decision. “This director received the letter, framed it, put it in the office and didn’t ask me to come back… Incredible!” he concluded.
This wasn’t the only time Williams extended a helping hand to the young actors on set. Lawrence also shared that Robin helped her with a letter of recommendation for the University of Southern California, further highlighting Williams’ selfless character beyond her on-screen role.
Potato forever (Mrs Doubtfire), released in 1993, quickly became a cinematic classic by telling the story of Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams), an unemployed voice actor who, after a difficult divorce, finds a peculiar way to be close to his children: by becoming the British nanny Mrs. Doubtfire.
The film shined for its witty script and excellent performances, especially that of Williams, who managed to capture the emotional and comic complexity of the character. Through laughter and emotional moments, the film presents themes such as family, the impact of divorce on children and the struggle to maintain parenthood in the face of legal and personal adversity.
Mrs Doubtfire Not only did it mark a cultural milestone in the 1990s, but it also established itself as a box office success, grossing $441 million worldwide and ranking as the second highest-grossing film of the year. It was a success in connecting its plot with the public of different generations.
Additionally, the film was awarded the Oscar for Best Makeup in 1994 for Williams’ physical transformation and the behind-the-scenes work to bring his fictional alter ego to life.
