Sally Field says Robin Williams ‘wasn’t funny’ to her during ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ filming
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sally Field recently reflected on filming the 1993 comedy 'Mrs Doubtfire', revealing that she did not find her co-star Robin Williams funny while they were working together on set.
During an appearance on the Thursday, May 8, episode of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', she recalled how Williams frequently improvised on the set in an effort to make her laugh, while cast and crew members around them often broke into laughter at his antics.
Sally Field recalls Robin Williams trying to make her laugh on ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ set
During the interview, Field recalled how Williams constantly experimented with jokes and improvisations to make her laugh on the set while cameras were rolling, saying, “Because I would never laugh, ever,” before adding, “And everybody else was laughing and carrying on.”
She further recalled that Williams took great pride in making scene partners laugh through improvisation and grew increasingly frustrated when repeated efforts to make her break character failed to get a reaction, "It drove him mad, actually, It wasn’t funny. It just wasn’t funny.”
Field later added, “Robin was always trying something different to make me laugh. It was so unfunny. I can’t begin to tell you. And then Pierce, wonderful Pierce Brosnan, we were sitting at a table at the restaurant, and he made a fart noise on his arm. And I was gone. That was it.”
'Mrs Doubtfire' remains one of the defining comedy films of the early 1990s and a standout title in Williams’ film career, following struggling actor and divorced father Daniel Hillard as he disguises himself as a British nanny to stay close to his children while living in the home of former wife Miranda Hilliard, portrayed by Field, while Brosnan played Miranda’s love interest, Stu.
Williams was found dead at his home in California in August 2014 at the age of 63, with the Tiburon coroner’s office determining the cause of death as asphyxiation. Some of Williams’ most recognized works include 'Popeye', 'Good Morning, Vietnam', 'Jumanji', 'Dead Poets Society', and 'Aladdin'.
Robin Williams comforted Sally Field after her father’s death
Field also recently recalled how Williams quietly supported her during the filming of 'Mrs Doubtfire' after she learned that her father had died. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Field revealed that he arranged for production changes so she could leave the set and spend time with family while handling funeral arrangements.
She explained that filming was underway for the courtroom divorce scene when a doctor from the nursing facility caring for her father called to inform her that he had suffered a fatal stroke. “I never shared this story before,” Field said.
She continued, “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. 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.”
Field said she attempted to continue working despite the emotional moment, but Williams quickly sensed that something was wrong. “I was of course beside myself,” Field continued. “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?”
After learning about the death of her father, he immediately stepped in to help. According to her, Williams responded, “Oh my God, we need to get you out here right now, and he made it happen — 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.”
