The Truth About Sally Field's Relationship With Robin Williams
Movie fans may remember the hilarious '90s film, "Mrs. Doubtfire" which starred Robin Williams and Sally Field. The two played battling exes who share three kids together, and when Williams' character is told he can only see his kids once a week, he hatches up a plan to pretend to be an elderly British nanny. In an old interview with Entertainment Tonight, Williams shared that he went through different iterations of his accent, drawing inspiration from Julia Child on a few drinks until he settled into a softer, grandmotherly voice.
In an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show," Field revealed that Williams was given the majority of the day to film his scenes and work his comedic magic. "It was insane and it was a lot of fun because I was trying to keep up with him and play the straight man," the "Forrest Gump" actor shared, adding that Williams would suggest to her, "How about if [you] crawl in the window this time." Although Field laughed at the memory of William's outlandish proposal, he was unable to make her do so while filming, and it was one thing that frustrated him about his co-star.
Robin Williams couldn't make Sally Field break character
The late Robin Williams, who tragically passed away in 2014, was one of the funniest character actors and he undoubtedly caused a lot of laughter on the set of "Mrs. Doubtfire." Sally Field told Yahoo! Entertainment that during Williams' many improvisations, he would do his best to make her laugh. While the rest of the cast broke character because they couldn't keep a straight face, she acted unimpressed. "It would drive him crazy that he couldn't break me up in the scene. I just went, 'I'm a professional, Robin ... Just keep going. If you do it, I promise you, I won't laugh,' And I never did," she recalled. Field went on to say it was Pierce Brosnan who finally made her break character when he made a fart sound. "And I fell down laughing. I mean, that was it. ... Robin would say that it drove him nuts that he couldn't do that. He couldn't make me laugh," she recalled.
When asked what it was like working with Williams, Field stated on "The Steam Room" podcast, "He was the sweetest, most exhausting soul that ever lived." She joked about his "endless energy" and how he wanted to keep doing another take of "Mrs. Doubtfire." Field added, "He was so much fun, though. He was a remarkable soul." The "80 for Brady" star will forever be connected to Williams through the 1993 film and shared just how much she missed her former co-star.
Sally Field wishes Robin Williams was still here
During the 2023 SAG Awards, Sally Field went down memory lane on her time working with Robin Williams for "Mrs. Doubtfire," per People. She stated, "There isn't a moment of it that's not filled with my love and joy at being in his presence. I mean, Robin was Robin. He was everything he seemed to be: a generous, loving, sweet, geniusly talented man." Field shared, "We all miss him. He should be growing old like me, for God's sakes. I hate it that he isn't here."
Field revealed on "The Howard Stern Show" that she and Williams became close while filming together and hung out after they were done for the day. However, she admitted that after the movie wrapped, everyone resumed their daily lives and didn't stay in contact as much. "It sort of breaks your heart," she declared. Field added, "It's always there. If you saw all those people right now, you'd be instantly back there."