Robin Williams wrote to school after Mrs Doubtfire actor was expelled for making film

Virgin Radio

7 May 2024, 07:56

One of Robin Williams’ Mrs Doubtfire co-stars has spoken about how the comedy icon tried to help prevent her from getting kicked out of school.

The 1993 comedy classic followed newly-divorced father (Williams), who disguised himself as an elderly British female housekeeper in order to trick his ex-wife Miranda (played by Sally Field) into hiring him to take care of their children. 

Lisa Jakub - who played Lydia Hillard, the 14-year-old daughter of Williams’ character - has revealed that she was told by her Canadian high school that she was no longer welcome to attend because she took time off to appear in the film. She said that, upon hearing about it, Williams tried to help by writing a letter to the principal.

Jakub spoke about the late superstar’s gesture while appearing on the Brotherly Love podcast. “I got thrown out of high school on Doubtfire,” she explained. “I’m Canadian. I was attending high school in Canada, then I left for four months to film the movie. We were going to set up this system, pre-internet, where I’d mail my schoolwork back and forth to the school. We did that for a while.”

She continued: “We were a couple of months into filming, and my school in Canada sent a note saying: ‘This isn’t working for us anymore, don’t come back.’ Yeah, 9th grade. I was devastated. It was just so heartbreaking, because I had this life that was very unusual, and that was the one normal thing… The amazing thing was Robin saw that I was upset. He asked me what was going on.” 

The actor, now 45, then explained how Williams’ - who sadly died in 2014 at the age of 63 - tried to sort things out. “He wrote a letter to my principal saying that he wanted them to rethink this decision, and that I was just trying to pursue my education and career at the same time, and could they please support me in this.”

And regarding whether it did the trick, she said: “The principal got the letter, framed the letter, put it up in the office, and didn’t ask me to come back. Amazing!”

Jakub was joined on the Brotherly Love podcast by her Mrs Doubtfire co stars, Matthew Lawrence (who played 12-year-old Christopher Hillard, and Mara Wilson (who played 5-year-old Natalie Hillard).

The trio shared a very wholesome photo on social media of the three of them. Have a look at the lovely photo here.