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Lisa Jakub and her Mrs. Doubtfire costars Mara Wilson and Matthew Lawrence attended an event at the Burbank Marriott Airport in Los Angeles on May 29, 2026
During the panel, Jakub recalled being kicked out of school at age 14 while filming the iconic comedy
She also revealed the thoughtful step her on-screen father, Robin Williams, took in an effort to help her return to school
Lisa Jakub recently looked back on one of the most memorable experiences of her early career — and one of the most meaningful acts of kindness she received while making Mrs. Doubtfire.
On May 29, 2026, during a reunion panel for the 1993 comedy, the former child star who played Lydia Hillard, the eldest daughter of Robin Williams’ character in the film, recalled a difficult moment away from the set and the unexpected support she received from her famous costar.
“Robin was the kind of person that if he saw that any one of us was upset or not okay, he would check on us,” Jakub told the audience.
Lisa Jakub, Robin Williams, Mara Wilson, and Matthew Lawrence in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’
Credit: 20th Century Fox/Blue Wolf/Kobal/Shutterstock
Directed by Chris Columbus, Mrs. Doubtfire became a major hit, starring Williams alongside Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson and Jakub.
While audiences remember the film for its humor and heart, Jakub revealed that balancing the job and school during production was not always easy. Reflecting on that period, she explained that her high school in Canada struggled to accommodate her schedule.
“At a certain point, it became too much work for the teachers at my high school,” Jakub shared. “They were not used to child actors.”
The situation eventually escalated when the school effectively told her not to return.
“They sent a letter back with my schoolwork saying, ‘This was fun, but don’t come back to school. This is too much work for our teachers,’” Jakub recalled. “I was very upset about this. Being kicked out of school when you’re 14 years old is a little bit upsetting.”
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Mara Wilson, Robin Williams, Matthew Lawrence, and Lisa Jakub in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’
Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock
On set, Williams quickly noticed something was wrong with Jakub and reached out. According to the now-47-year-old actress, she told him what had happened, and he responded in a way she has never forgotten.
“He wrote a letter to my principal, which I still have,” she revealed. “It was an incredibly kind, lovely letter saying, ‘Lisa is just trying to pursue her career and get her education at the same time, so can you please support her in that?’ ”
And although the letter did not convince the school to readmit her, Jakub said that was never the point. “That story is not about the fact that it didn’t work. It’s a story about how kind Robin was,” she emphasized.
For Jakub, the memory remains a lasting example of who Williams was behind the scenes. “He really kind of went out of his way for me, which he did for all of us in various ways,” Jakub said.
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