“Mrs. Doubtfire,” based on Anne Fine’s 1987 novel “Alias Madame Doubtfire,” became a classic almost immediately. The film earned over half a billion dollars and an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
1990s kids’ Mary Poppins. It’s one of the few comedies from that era that’s still funny.
Leslie Dixon and Randi Mayem Singer’s quick writing and Chris Columbus’ excellent direction make the film successful. A film’s success depends on its actors and actresses.
Fortunately, Columbus assembled a dream team with veterans like Sally Field and Robin Williams and up-and-comers like Mara Wilson, Lisa Jakub, and Matthew Lawrence. After 20 years, you may wonder what the cast is doing.
Robin Williams died 2017.
Williams’ first major television triumph was as the charming alien Mork in “Mork and Mindy,” a “Happy Days” spinoff. The young actor quickly became known for his comedic timing, physical range, and delivery of funny lines.
Williams had rare ease and star power. He played sad roles in 1987’s “Good Morning, Vietnam” and 1989’s “Dead Poets Society.”
Williams played Peter Banning in “Hook” (1991) and the Genie in “Aladdin” (1992) in family-friendly films in the 1990s.Williams played a loving father in “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993). After “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Williams starred in “Jumanji” (1995) and “Good Will Hunting” (1997), which earned him his only Academy Award.
Williams, 63, committed suicide on August 11, 2017. Many fans grieved at a monument outside the San Francisco mansion where “Mrs. Doubtfire” was filmed.
Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text HOME to 741741, or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health.
Award-winning actress Sally Field
Before playing Miranda Hillard’s loving mother in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Sally Field was a Hollywood legend. Fields played “Gidget” and “The Flying Nun” in the 1960s.
In her memoir, she wanted to shed these cartoonish identities even though they made her famous. She won her first Oscar for playing Norma Rae in the 1979 picture “Norma Rae.”
She won a Primetime Emmy for her role in “Sybil” in 1977. Field’s Miranda gave “Mrs. Doubtfire” depth and emotion.
Since “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Fields has starred in “Lincoln,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” and “Hello, My Name is Doris.” She also appeared on “ER” and “Brothers and Sisters,” receiving Emmys for both.Netflix’s “Little Evil” and “Dispatches from Nowhere” featured her.
Field has had a successful career since the 1960s. “In my late 50s, I learned to love myself in a manner that I hadn’t been able to before,” Field told Oprah Magazine in 2008. I care less about what others think now.
Pierce Brosnan played Bond.
Since “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Fields has starred in “Lincoln,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” and “Hello, My Name is Doris.” She also appeared on “ER” and “Brothers and Sisters,” receiving Emmys for both.Netflix’s “Little Evil” and “Dispatches from Nowhere” featured her.
Field has had a successful career since the 1960s. “In my late 50s, I learned to love myself in a manner that I hadn’t been able to before,” Field told Oprah Magazine in 2008. I care less about what others think now.
Pierce Brosnan played Bond.
The youngest actor in “Mrs. Doubtfire” was five-year-old Mara Wilson. Despite having no film or television credits, the performer controlled every scene she was in.
Wilson told NPR in 2016 that she had an excellent ear for speech since she spent a lot of time eavesdropping on her parents and three older brothers.
The ensemble actors became her friends fast. In 2018, she told Today, “I immediately felt like they were family.”
Wilson’s role in “Miracle on 34th Street” in 1994 is unforgettable. Natalie Wood charmed again in a 1947 role. In 1996’s “Matilda,” she played Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel’s precocious title character.
Wilson’s cheeky 2016 book “Where Am I Now?” Wilson worked in “Bojack Horseman” and “Big Hero 6: The Series” after college. Answer: Wilson. “Helluva Boss” features Wilson.
“I feel good about myself,” Wilson remarked of her life.
Lisa Jakub’s memoir on being a child actor
Peter Yate’s “Eleni” was Lisa Jakub’s acting debut aged seven. She then appeared in “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “Friday the 13th: The Series.” The Oscar-nominated “Rambling Rose” and Joe Dante’s 1950s B-movie homage “Matinee” featured Jakub. Jakub played teenage Lydia Hillard in “Mrs. Doubtfire” in 1993.
“The sequence in which Matt [Lawrence] and I find out that Mrs. Doubtfire is truly our father was so much joy to film,” Jakub stated in a 2018 Today interview about filming a famous scene. We loved doing that. She added that director Chris Columbus had first cast Mrs. Doubtfire as an actor rather as Robin Williams in costume during the audition process.
Jakub appeared in “Independence Day” and “George Lucas in Love” after “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Jakub has done well despite not acting since 2000. In 2015, she founded Blue Maia Health Community. “You Look Like That Girl: A Child Actor Stops Pretending and Finally Grows Up” was her memoir.
Boy Meets World’s Matthew Lawrence
At 4, Matthew Lawrence, the middle brother of Andrew and Joey Lawrence, started acting in movies. “Dynasty” starred him as Danny Carrington. Lawrence had appeared in “Gimmie a Break!” and “Trains, Planes, and Automobiles” before joining “Mrs. Doubtfire” as Chris Hillard. Hillard brought relatability and sensitivity to “Mrs. Doubtfire” like his younger co-stars.
After “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Lawrence starred in “Boy Meets World” and played a younger version of his brother Joey in “Blossom.” He returned as Jack Hunter in “Girl Meets World,” a spinoff of “Boy Meets World.”
In the same Today interview as his “Mrs. Doubtfire” co-stars, Lawrence said, “He grabbed and pinched me without the camera seeing him, and I gave this reaction, and everybody started dying with laughter.” He said the late actor gave him wise advice that he still follows.
Polly Holliday left acting.
In “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Polly Holliday played nosy neighbor Gloria. Holliday worked in entertainment before filming the legendary comedy. In 1974, Holliday starred in “All Over Town” on Broadway.
The witty waitress Flo’s motto was “Kiss my grits.” 90 “Alice” episodes featured Holliday. Her performance earned her first of four Primetime Emmy nominations. A 29-episode spin-off called “Flo” was made since Flo was so popular.
In Joe Dante and Chris Columbus’ 1984 cult film “Gremlins,” she played the delightfully malevolent Mrs. Deagle. Her best-known character is this one.
After “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the actress appeared in other notable films, including “The Parent Trap” in 1990 and “Home Improvement” as a series regular.
The 2000 Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame inducted her. Holliday retired from theater and film.