More than 30 years after filming Mrs. Doubtfire, Matthew Lawrence still carries the lessons Robin Williams passed on — including one that may have changed his life.
Reflecting on their time together, Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly that Williams, who played his father in the beloved 1993 film, became a deeply influential figure. “He really took an investment in me,” Lawrence said. “It wasn’t just acting — he taught me compassion, humility, and how to be a real artist.”
Williams, who was open about his struggles with substance abuse, didn’t shy away from sharing that part of his life with a young Lawrence. “There were times he’d just grab me and say, ‘Don’t put that stuff in your body,’” he recalled. “He told me, ‘If I could go back and tell myself, this is why I’m telling you — don’t do it.’”
Lawrence said that message stuck. As he grew up in the entertainment industry, he avoided drugs and credits Williams for helping steer him clear. “He really brought me in, not just to the world in front of the camera, but what was happening behind it, too,” he shared.
Williams died by suicide in 2014 at age 63, leaving behind a legacy that Lawrence says still resonates every day. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t hear his voice,” he said. “Sometimes I think about asking his family if I could use it, with AI, for something creative — that’s how present he still is to me.”
Williams’ impact, Lawrence says, was more than artistic — it was deeply personal. “He was the most brilliant artist I ever worked with,” he said. “But it was his heart that made him unforgettable.”
Source: Entertainment Weekly