‘He was very open with what he struggled with.’ Mrs. Doubtfire actress on working with Robin Williams.

Starring the late Robin Williams, 1993 family-friendly film Mrs. Doubtfire has a special place in many people’s hearts.

The plot follows Daniel Hillard (Williams) who is saddened because he barely gets to see his children since his divorce. So in true ’90s fashion, his solution is to dress up as an old British lady and convince his ex-wife to hire him on as the nanny. That way he’ll be able to spend time with his children and watch over his family without them being the wiser.

It’s been 30 years since Mrs. Doubtfire hit theatres and on its anniversary, former child actress Lisa Jakub – who played the older sister in the family – spoke to Today Extra in a rare interview about her memories of the late actor from her time on set.

Jakub was only 14 years old when she was cast as Lydia. In the role, she had the opportunity to work with the likes of Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, and her fellow child actors Mara Wilson and Matthew Lawrence, which left a lasting impression on her.

“The cast members, we bonded so instantly,” Jakub spoke fondly of her time on Mrs. Doubtfire, “Matt and Mara felt like siblings from the beginning, and Robin and Sally were so amazing to us, so it did feel special at the time. Maybe that’s why 30 years later we are still talking about it.”

Jakub went on to feature in films such as Independence Day alongside Will Smith, The Beautician and The Beast, A Walk On The Moon, and Picture Perfect, among others, but she stands by that Mrs. Doubtfire was a really special film to work on.

“It was such an incredible set to be on, I had been working as an actor since I was four, so I was pretty versed on what it was like to be on set, but there was something really special about that shoot,” she said.

“It is shocking to me that people still watch it and relate to it and all I can credit it to was Robin. He was brilliant and hilarious and timeless, and I think the credit goes to him.”

Jakub opened up to the interviewers about what an inspiration the star was to her and the influence he had behind her current career as a mental health activist.

“I have struggled with anxiety and depression my entire life and Robin was very open with me with what he struggled with, and that’s a big reason why I do what I do today,” she said.

Jakub has released a book It’s Not Just Me, about her experience living with depression and anxiety and also hosts a podcast Embrace Your Weird that covers the same and more. The child star runs workshops, is a yoga instructor and runs a non-for-profit, Mission Flexible, to help veterans with their mental health through meditation and mindfulness.

“I work in the space of mental wellness and I help other people who are struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety and panic, and it is rooted in the fact that [Williams] was so open with me and was one of the first people that showed me that I didn’t have to do this alone,” she said.

Image: 20th Century Fox

Williams built a career off the backs of making people laugh, however he also struggled publicly with his own mental health and addiction issues.

Early in his career, he had a cocaine habit but quit alcohol and drugs after the death of his friend and fellow comedian John Belushi and the birth of his own son.

Williams stayed sober for 20 years before beginning to drink again in 2003, it once again got out of control and he had to check back into rehab in 2009 and then again in 2014.

According to Behavioural Health, addiction and mental illness often go hand in hand; with drugs and alcohol potentially triggering mental disorders whilst mental illness can lead people towards the use of drugs and alcohol as way to self medicate. This is especially true with anxiety and depression.

Williams’ publicist has said that the actor suffered from severe depression and bipolar disorder until his death.

In 2014, Robin Williams was found dead in his home. Immediately, the world, knowing his history, assumed his death was caused by the depression that plagued him.

However, Williams’ wife Susan spoke to People Magazine stating, “It was not depression that killed Robin… Depression was one of let’s call it 50 symptoms, and it was a small one.”

Williams experienced anxiety attacks, muscle rigidity, stiffness, and confusion, and his depression and paranoia had come back triple-fold despite his eight years of sobriety.

The actor was misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three months before he died and his mental abilities had begun to severely decline.

“If Robin was lucky, he would’ve had maybe three years left,” Susan spoke to ABC’s Good Morning America. “And they would’ve been hard years.”

After his death, the autopsy results revealed that Williams had a debilitating brain disease called Lewy body dementia, and which had probably been the cause of his death by suicide.

“Robin was very aware that he was losing his mind and there was nothing he could do about it,” Susan admitted in the interview.

Yet, almost 10 years after his death, Williams’ legacy lives on.