Matthew Lawrence says he’ll “never forget” the advice of his late co-star Robin Williams.
The former child actor was only 12 years old when he starred opposite Williams in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the 1993 classic about a family struggling with divorce. Lawrence, who played Williams’ son, told Entertainment Weekly on Thursday that they quietly bonded offscreen.
“He really explained his life to me and really brought me in and taught me not just about in front of the camera, but a lot about the behind the camera as well, and how he felt that substances really further pushed his brain to not function properly,” he told the outlet.
“And he really opened up with me, and I’ll never forget it,” Lawrence continued. “There were times he would just grab me, and he’d be like, ‘Don’t put that stuff in your body. If I could go back and tell myself, this is why I’m telling you, don’t put that stuff in your body.’”
Lawrence didn’t specify any further, but Williams had struggled with using substances like cocaine and alcohol.
The actor’s death in 2014 from suicide shocked the world, particularly children of divorce who knew the late 63-year-old as the determined dad from “Doubtfire.”
“He really quantified what it was to be a real artist for me,” Lawrence told EW, adding he “was definitely the most brilliant artist I’ve ever worked with. But on top of that, he had the compassion, he had the humility, and he also had these things that he struggled with.”
Dan Steinberg/Associated Press
An autopsy later revealed that Williams had been living with Lewy body disease, a form of dementia that affects areas of the brain involved in movement, memory and thinking.
Williams had openly discussed his substance struggles throughout his career and even shared past moments of relapsing with the world. In an interview with The Guardian in 2010, he recalled quitting alcohol in 1983, but starting again in 2003.
“I was in a small town where it’s not the edge of the world, but you can see it from there, and then I thought: drinking … maybe drinking will help,” he told the outlet. “Because I felt alone and afraid. It was that thing of working so much, and going fuck, maybe that will help.”
Williams added, “And it was the worst thing in the world.”
Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.
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