The 1993 movie “Mrs. Doubtfire” was based on the 1987 novel “Madame Doubtfire” by author Anne Fine, sometimes known as “Alias Madame Doubtfire,” and it became a cherished classic almost immediately. The movie received the Academy Award for Best Makeup and nearly half a billion dollars in box office revenue.
The “Mary Poppins” of the 1990s for young people. More significantly, it’s one of the few comedies from that time period that still feels amusing and current today.
The film succeeds for various reasons, including Leslie Dixon and Randi Mayem Singer’s snappy writing and Chris Columbus’ superb direction. A successful film depends on the talent in front of the camera and the equally talented cast who bring the plot to life.
Fortunately, Columbus put together a dream squad that included seasoned performers like Sally Field and Robin Williams as well as up-and-comers like Mara Wilson, Lisa Jakub, and Matthew Lawrence. You might be curious about what the cast is doing now that the popular comedy that warmed our collective childhoods was released more than 20 years ago.
Robin Williams died in 2017
Williams’ breakthrough performance as the endearing alien Mork in “Mork and Mindy,” a “Happy Days” spinoff, helped him achieve his first major success on the small screen. The young actor rapidly distinguished himself for his comedic timing, physical range, and delivery of humorous lines.
Williams also possessed a natural ease and star magnetism that is uncommon. In 1987’s “Good Morning, Vietnam,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, and 1989’s “Dead Poets Society,” the actor ventured into more tragic parts.
Williams began to include family-friendly movies in his portfolio in the 1990s, such as Peter Banning in “Hook” (1991) and his now-iconic performance as the Genie in “Aladdin” (1992).In the 1993 film “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Williams gave a charming, upbeat, and sympathetic portrayal of a father who will do anything to be close to his kids. Following the success of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Williams starred in a string of noteworthy movies like “Jumanji” (1995) and “Good Will Hunting” (1997), which brought him his lone Academy Award.
Williams tragically committed suicide on August 11, 2017, when he was 63. A memorial was erected outside the San Francisco home where “Mrs. Doubtfire” was filmed at the time as a way for many admirers to express their sorrow.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please get in touch with the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Sally Field has racked up acting awards
Before being chosen to play the devoted mother of Miranda Hillard in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Sally Field had already solidified her status as a Hollywood legend. Fields appeared on shows including “Gidget” and was best known for playing the lead sister in “The Flying Nun” during the 1960s.
According to her memoir, she yearned to eliminate these cartoonish identities even if they kept her in the spotlight. She achieved her goal by securing outstanding roles, such as Norma Rae in the 1979 film “Norma Rae,” which earned her the first of her two Academy Awards.
She also received a Primetime Emmy for her performance as the title character in the 1977 television film “Sybil.” In “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Field’s portrayal of Miranda added warmth, heart, and an emotional core to the occasionally absurd comedy.
Fields have had a busy acting career since “Mrs. Doubtfire,” appearing in “Lincoln” (2012) as Mary Todd Lincoln, which earned her an Oscar nomination, as well as high-profile blockbusters like “The Amazing Spider-Man” and indie darlings like “Hello, My Name is Doris.” She has also maintained a hectic schedule on television, winning Emmys for her lead part in “Brothers and Sisters” and a guest appearance on “ER.”She recently appeared in “Little Evil” on Netflix and the television program “Dispatches from Nowhere.”
Since her debut in the early 1960s, Field has enjoyed a distinguished career, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Field reminisced on her life in a 2008 interview with Oprah Magazine, saying, “In my late 50s, I learned to love myself in a manner that I hadn’t been able to before. I’ve noticed that I’m less concerned about what other people think now.
Pierce Brosnan took up the mantle of James Bond
In “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the dapper Irish actor Pierce Brosnan played the new boyfriend, Stu, and, like Robin Williams and Sally Field, he was a seasoned pro before shooting. Before the comedy, Brosnan was known for playing Remington Steele in the 1982–1987 television series “Remington Steele”.
The actor received the opportunity of a lifetime when “Mrs. Doubtfire” became a blockbuster hit when he was cast as the sophisticated, martini-sipping superspy James Bond in 1995’s “GoldenEye.” He would reprise his role as James Bond in three more movies: “Die Another Day” (2002), “The World is Not Enough” (1999), and “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997).
Additionally, he has appeared in cult classics like Tim Burton’s “Mars Attacks!” and even provided the voice of a fictional version of himself in a memorable “The Simpsons” episode. Pierce exhibited his versatility by playing the lead role in the musical films “Mamma Mia” and “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” He recently appeared in the funny Netflix comedy “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” and the Hulu original movie “False Positive.”
It doesn’t seem like Brosnan is planning to retire any time soon. According to his IMDb page, he has an incredible five films in pre-production right now.
Mara Wilson is a writer and working actor
Mara Wilson, who was only five years old at the time of filming, was the youngest cast member in “Mrs. Doubtfire.” There was no doubting the actor controlled every scene she was in, despite the fact that she had no prior film or television credits to her name.
In a 2016 interview with NPR, Wilson discussed what casting directors found appealing about her, saying, “I think I had a good ear for dialogue from a young age — and I think that was probably because I spent a lot of time eavesdropping on my parents and my three older brothers.”
She quickly became close with the other actors in the ensemble. She commented on her fellow cast members during a touching “Mrs. Doubtfire” reunion for Today in 2018 and said, “I immediately felt like they were family.”
Wilson’s films after “Mrs. Doubtfire” are immensely memorable, including her big part in the 1994 adaptation of “Miracle on 34th Street.” In a character that Natalie Wood first played in 1947, her natural ease and charm once more helped win over hearts. She portrayed the precocious Matilda in the 1996 film “Matilda,” which was adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel of the same name
In 2016, Wilson published a book with the cheeky title “Where Am I Now?” Wilson attended college and continues to work in Hollywood in live-action and voice roles such as “Bojack Horseman” and “Big Hero 6: The Series.” Wilson is the answer to that question. Wilson is now heard in the deliciously strange adult cartoon series “Helluva Boss.”
Wilson said of her life: “I feel good about myself, and I feel like I’m sort of in control of my own story and life.”
Lisa Jakub also wrote a memoir about being a child actor
At the age of seven, Lisa Jakub made her acting debut in Peter Yate’s “Eleni.” After that, she appeared on television in programs like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “Friday the 13th: The Series.” Jakub played prominent parts in movies, including the Oscar-nominated “Rambling Rose” and Joe Dante’s ode to 1950s B-movies, “Matinee.” Jakub was cast as teenage Lydia Hillard in “Mrs. Doubtfire” in 1993.
When asked about filming a now-famous scene in the “Mrs. Doubtfire” cast interview for Today in 2018, Jakub said, “The sequence in which Matt [Lawrence] and I find out that Mrs. Doubtfire is truly our father was so much joy to film. We had so much fun doing that. She continued by stating that, in a case of art mimicking truth, director Chris Columbus had initially introduced Mrs. Doubtfire during the audition process as an actual actor rather than Robin Williams in costume.
After “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Jakub starred in the classic 1990 movie “Independence Day,” and in 1999, he also had a significant role in the critically acclaimed short film “George Lucas in Love.” Jakub has been doing excellent work even if she hasn’t acted since 2000. She also established a health community called Blue Maia in 2015. Her memoir was titled “You Look Like That Girl: A Child Actor Stops Pretending and Finally Grows Up,” and she also wrote it.
Matthew Lawrence starred in Boy Meets World
The middle brother of Andrew and Joey Lawrence, Matthew Lawrence, began his career as a movie actor at the age of 4. He played Danny Carrington in the 1984 TV drama “Dynasty.” When Lawrence arrived on the “Mrs. Doubtfire” set to play Chris Hillard, he had already made numerous television appearances, including “Gimmie a Break!” and movies like “Trains, Planes, and Automobiles” and “Tales from the Darkside: The Movie.” Like his youthful co-stars, Hillard added a sense of relatability and sensitivity to “Mrs. Doubtfire.”
Lawrence continued acting after “Mrs. Doubtfire” was over, securing a regular part on the popular TV show “Boy Meets World,” and even portraying a younger version of his brother Joey Lawrence in the film “Blossom.” He recently appeared in “Girl Meets World,” a spinoff of “Boy Meets World,” reprising his role as Jack Hunter.
Lawrence credited Robin Williams for helping him land the role of Chris in the same Today interview with his other “Mrs. Doubtfire” cast members, saying, “He grabbed and pinched me without the camera seeing him, and I gave this reaction, and everybody started dying with laughter.” He continued by saying that the late actor had given him wise counsel that has remained with him today.
Polly Holliday has retired from acting
Despite having a minor part, Polly Holliday played nosy neighbor Gloria in “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Long before the shooting of the iconic comedy started, Holliday was employed in the entertainment industry. As the lead in the Broadway production of “All Over Town” in 1974, Holliday received the opportunity of a lifetime.
The catchphrase of the wisecracking waitress Flo was “Kiss my grits.” 90 episodes of Holliday’s role in the popular TV show “Alice” were produced. She would receive her first of four Primetime Emmy nominations for her performance. Since Flo was so well-liked, a short-lived spin-off dubbed “Flo” and consisting of just 29 episodes was created.
She portrayed the brilliantly evil Mrs. Deagle in the 1984 cult classic “Gremlins,” directed by Joe Dante and scripted by the future “Mrs. Doubtfire” director Chris Columbus. This character is possibly her best-known outside of Flo.
Following her role in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the actress went on to star in a number of noteworthy films, including the 1990 adaptation of “The Parent Trap” and as a series regular on the popular comedy “Home Improvement.”
She was admitted into the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame in the year 2000. After a great career, Holliday is currently retired from theater and cinema.
