Sally Field Recalls What 'Sensitive & Intuitive' Robin Williams Noticed While Filming 'Mrs. Doubtfire' That Showed His True Heart
Fans won't be surprised to learn of the actor's kindness to Field.
Jaguar PS | Shutterstock Many fans fondly remember Robin Williams for his comedic and acting talents. Now, someone who knew him personally is sharing how she remembers him for his big heart.
Actress Sally Field shared a never-before-heard story about her former co-star, Robin Williams.
To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Hollywood legend Robin Williams' death, Vanity Fair spoke with more than 20 of his co-stars, collaborators, and friends to get a sense of who Williams truly was.
One of those co-stars was Sally Field, who played his ex-wife, Miranda Hillard, in “Mrs. Doubtfire.”
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The film, directed by Chris Columbus, was released in 1993 and was a huge success. Variety reported it was “the second highest-grossing film of the year.”
Although "Mrs. Doubtfire" has become a beloved movie classic, this is the first time Field is sharing one of the most touching moments from the set that happened when the cameras weren't rolling.
“I never shared this story before,” Field began.
“I was in the camper outside of the courtroom where we were shooting the divorce scene,” Field said of the film. “My father had a stroke a couple of years before, and was in a nursing facility.”
It was on that day that Field got the dreaded call no one wants to receive, regarding their loved one.
“I got a phone call from the doctor saying my father had passed, a massive stroke,” she shared. “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 of the emotional moment.
She continued, “I was, of course, beside myself. I came on the set trying to act with all my might. I wasn’t crying.”
Still, one of her co-stars could tell something was wrong.
“Robin came over, pulled me out of the set, and asked, ‘Are you okay?’” she recounted.
Field’s first instinct was to pretend everything was fine. “Yes, why?” she responded.
“I don’t know, just thought [I’d ask] that,” Williams told her.
At that point, she felt comfortable sharing the truth with him.
“No, I’m not, Robin,” she said. “My father just passed.”
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Williams jumped into action immediately. “We need to get you out here right now,” he said.
Williams was able to convince the crew to work a bit differently so he could make good on his promise.
“And he made it happen — they shot around me the rest of the day,” Field recalled. “I could go back to my house, call my brother, and make arrangements.”
She concluded, “It’s a side of Robin that people rarely knew: He was very sensitive and intuitive.”
Field’s remembrance is even more touching given the anniversary we are approaching.
History reported that Williams died by suicide on August 11, 2014, at 63 years old. As Vanity Fair noted, we are just days from the 10-year anniversary.
According to CNN, an autopsy that followed Williams’ death showed that he was suffering from Lewy body dementia at the time he passed.
His wife, Susan Schnieder Williams, said that he had been previously misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Schneider Williams, who now works to raise awareness for Lewy body dementia, said her husband experienced horrible anxiety and paranoia leading up to his death.
“Robin is and will always be a larger-than-life spirit who was inside the body of a normal man with a human brain. He just happened to be that one in six who is affected by brain disease,” she said in a 2016 editorial.
Now, Williams is remembered for his incredible career. Spanning almost four decades, Williams was a beloved member of the casts of many movies that have stood the test of time. He was a one-time Oscar winner and three-time nominee.
Through the stories of those who knew him best, Williams is also remembered as a kind mind who truly cared, not just on-screen but in real life as well.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.