‘Mrs Doubtfire’ star Matthew Lawrence wants AI to bring Robin Williams’ voice back to screen
Matthew Lawrence, who starred as Robin Williams’ son in Mrs Doubtfire, has said he would “love” to use artificial intelligence to bring the comedy actor’s voice back to life.
Explaining his hopes to Entertainment Weekly at Comic-Con over the weekend, Lawrence said: “I would love — now, obviously, with the respect and with the OK from his family — but I would love to do something really special with his voice because I know for a generation, that voice is just so iconic.”
The actor added: “It’s not just the fact that I knew him and worked with him and so it’s in my head — it’s in everybody’s head. And it would be so cool.”
Lawrence noted that the idea of using Williams’ voice in an AI capacity came to him after watching an old advert in which the actor featured as a voiceover. “And it always stuck with me,” he stated, before continuing, “And then, during his passing, with the AI coming out, I’m like, ‘Man, he’s gotta be the voice of AI. He’s gotta be the voice in something.’ So yeah, I would love to do that.”
However, despite Lawrence flaunting his plans, it comes after Williams’ daughter, Zelda Williams, has previously criticised the use of her father’s voice in AI models in Hollywood. In 2023, during the writers’ strike, she said the concept was “disturbing”.
The actor’s daughter posted on Instagram at the time: “I’ve witnessed for YEARS how many people want to train these models to create/recreate actors who cannot consent, like Dad. This isn’t theoretical, it is very, very real.”
In the concept of Williams becoming an AI voice, he joins a line of stars whose likenesses are continuing to be used in entertainment, even after their deaths. This has become one of the most significant issues for Hollywood in recent times, with many actors protesting against its use, often without their knowledge or consent.
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