Sally Field recently looked back on an emotional experience during filming for ‘Mrs. Doubtfire‘ and revealed how Robin Williams immediately stepped in after learning that her father had died.
The actress shared how Williams showed incredible compassion during one of the hardest days of her life, and she still remembers it, even decades later.
Robin Williams Immediately Stepped In For Sally Field On The Set Of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’
In an interview with PEOPLE, Field reflected on the difficult day that unfolded while the cast filmed scenes for the beloved 1993 comedy in San Francisco. At the time, her father had already been seriously ill and was staying in a nursing home after suffering major health complications, including a massive stroke.
Field explained that she received another devastating update about her father while filming near the courthouse location used in the movie. Even after hearing the heartbreaking news, she returned to the set and attempted to continue working through the emotional scenes.
Williams quickly noticed that something was wrong and quietly pulled her aside during production. He gently asked, “Sally, are you all right?” Field first told him she was fine, but Williams continued checking on her because he sensed she was struggling emotionally. She then broke down crying and shared the devastating truth.
“My father just died, and I was the one to say, ‘Go ahead. Let him die,’” she recalled telling him. In an instant, Williams shut down production for the day. “And Robin turned around and said, ‘That’s it for the day, guys. We just wrapped here. We’re done for the day. Get a few shots of the kids and maybe one of Mrs. Doubtfire, but Ms. Field’s going home.‘”
Field Saw A Very Different Side Of Robin That Day
Field later revealed that Williams personally walked her out after ending filming early, and the actress never forgot the compassion he showed her during that painful day. “That was Robin,” she said while reflecting on the experience years later.
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The actress also revisited the incident during a 2024 Vanity Fair interview and explained that Williams’ actions showed people a different side of the beloved comedian and actor. According to Field, “He was very sensitive and intuitive.”
“I was of course beside myself. I came on the set trying with all my might to act,” she said while remembering the difficult experience. Field has continued speaking warmly about Williams in the years since his death in 2014.
During the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet, she admitted that she still misses him deeply and said he “should be growing old like me, for God’s sake.”
Thoughts about ‘Mrs. Doubtfire‘ still immediately remind her of Williams and the joy he brought to the set. “There isn’t a moment of it that’s not filled with my love and joy of being in his presence. He was everything he seemed to be: generous, loving, sweet, talented man. We all miss him.”
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