"He wanted them to rethink" — Lisa Jakub says Robin Williams wrote a letter to her school principal for expelling her during Mrs. Doubtfire filming

Lisa Jakub, who played the eldest daughter, Lydia Hillard, in the beloved 1993 comedy Mrs. Doubtfire, recently shared a heartwarming story about her late co-star Robin Williams. Jakub recalled a time during filming when she faced an unexpected challenge – expulsion from her high school.

Known for his kindness and generosity, Williams didn't hesitate to intervene upon learning about the situation. Believing the school's decision was unfair, he took action. He penned a letter to Jakub's school administration, advocating for her and urging them to recognize the unique opportunity she had.

Jakub recounted her experience on a recent episode of the Brotherly Love podcast, where she joined her former co-stars Mara Wilson and Matthew Lawrence, and said:

"The amazing thing was Robin saw that I was upset — he asked me what was going on. He wrote a letter to my principal saying that he wanted them to rethink this decision and that I was just trying to pursue my education and career at the same time, and could they please support me in this."

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Robin Williams advocated for the young actress' education

Filming Mrs. Doubtfire presented a unique challenge for Jakub, who was a Canadian high school student at the time. She explained that while attending school back home, she planned to keep up with her studies by mailing assignments back and forth. Initially, this arrangement seemed to work, but a few months into filming, the school abruptly expelled her.

"I got thrown out of high school on 'Doubtfire,'" she said.

She added:

"We were a couple of months into filming, and my school in Canada sent a note saying: ‘This isn’t working for us anymore, don’t come back.’ Yeah, 9th grade. I was devastated. It was just so heartbreaking, because I had this life that was very unusual, and that was the one normal thing."

While this news was devastating for Jakub, Robin Williams' kindness shone through in this challenging moment. Witnessing Jakub's distress and recognizing the value of both her education and the unique opportunity she had with Mrs. Doubtfire, Williams wrote a letter to her school's principal, advocating for her.

Though Lisa Jakub deeply appreciated Robin Williams' efforts, they were ultimately unsuccessful as she was not asked to come back.

"The principal got the letter, framed the letter, put it up in the office, and didn't ask me to come back," she said.

Adding to the testament of Williams' generosity, Matthew Lawrence, Jakub's co-star, revealed during the Brotherly Love podcast that Williams also wrote him a letter of recommendation for the University of Southern California.

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A Glimpse into Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire is helmed by Chris Columbus, with Jakub, Lawrence, and Wilson playing a trio of siblings. The plot centers on Robin Williams' character, a father desperate to maintain a connection with his children after a custody battle. He soon disguises himself as a housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire to stay close to the children.

The film won the hearts of many and stood out for its touching and humorous storyline.