Why Sally Field Didn’t Find Robin Williams Funny on Mrs. Doubtfire

Countless peers of Robin Williams have shared stories about the lengths the actor would go to make those around him laugh. While most gave in to his light-hearted antics, his Mrs. Doubtfire co-star Sally Field was one of the few who never bit. Field, who is currently in the limelight for headlining Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures, shed light on this anecdote with Williams during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

According to Sally Field, the Good Will Hunting star went to great lengths to make her laugh during their time working on the iconic comedy-drama, but to no avail, as she admitted she never found his antics particularly funny.

Sally Field Confessed to Driving Robin Williams Mad

Despite Robin Williams’ persistent attempts to make Field crack a smile, she never reciprocated. And when asked by Stephen Colbert whether she was simply too professional for his antics, Field quipped that she just didn’t find them funny, even though everyone else around her was laughing.

Field further recalled that her refusal to break eventually drove Williams mad, and when she finally did crack, it came courtesy of a fart joke from co-star Pierce Brosnan, as she recounted, “He made a fart noise on his arm. And I was gone. That was it.” This eventually prompted Williams to say, “That’s all it took?”

She told Colbert:

Everyone would laugh but me. It drove him mad, actually, because I would never laugh, ever. It just wasn’t funny. Robin was always trying something different to make me laugh. It was so unfunny, I can’t begin to tell you.

Even though Robin Williams’ brand of comedy may not have been her cup of tea on the set of Mrs. Doubtfire, like many of his co-stars, Sally Field has also spoken highly of the actor’s kindness, and recently recalled a particularly heartwarming gesture from him.

Robin Williams Halted Mrs. Doubtfire So Sally Field Could Grieve

During her tenure in the iconic comedy, Field received a call from her father’s doctor, who broke the gut-wrenching news that her father’s brain was not functioning, and the Oscar winner was given the option to choose if she wanted to keep his heart going.

Field ultimately chose to let him go, and although she initially intended to suppress her grief and continue filming for the rest of the day, Robin Williams quickly noticed something was wrong and asked if she was okay. After she eventually broke down and shared the devastating news with him, Williams didn’t hesitate to call off production for the day, allowing her to take the rest of the time off to grieve (via People).

Robin turned around and said, ‘That’s it for the day guys. We just wrapped here. We’re done for the day … Mrs. Fields is going home. That was Robin.

Her experience with Robin Williams perfectly underscores the kind of person he was, and even years after his loss, the actor’s absence continues to be deeply felt around the world.

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Mrs. Doubtfire is available to stream on Disney+ (USA).