Sally Field reveals act of kindness by Robin Williams during ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ filming
Robin Williams was well-known for his kind nature, following his death in 2014 many co-stars and famous friends of the actor have come forward with heartwarming tales about his generosity. Most recently, Sally Field, who appeared alongside him in Mrs Doubtfire, has opened up about how Williams helped her when her father died.
Williams played the titular character in the 1993 family-friendly comedy. After his character divorces his wife, he pretends to be an old, British, female housekeeper so that he can spend everyday with his children. Field plays his ex-wife, who seems to have outgrown her husband.
The film was a huge success, earning Williams further points as one of America’s most beloved actors. It remains one of his most popular movies, full of loveable performances and humour.
Yet, during filming, Field suffered a great family tragedy. While she intended to keep on shooting, not wanting to disrupt the movie, Williams soon figured out that something wasn’t quite right with the actor and came to her aid.
Talking to Vanity Fair, Field said, “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.”
She continued, “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.’”
After finding out the news, she was naturally devastated, noting, “I was of course beside myself.” Yet, it didn’t take long until her plans to compose herself and carry on as normal were sussed out by Williams.
Field explained, “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?’”
In the end, Williams made sure that Field was well taken care of. “He made it happen,” Field recalled. “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.”
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