Here’s the damning letter Robin Williams wrote to his Mrs Doubtfire co-star's principal after they expelled her

Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by szekeres81
image for Here’s the damning letter Robin Williams wrote to his Mrs Doubtfire co-star's principal after they expelled her

If there's one aspect to Robin Williams's personality that has come up time and time again in the floods of tributes that have poured in for him since his death, it is his bigheartedness.

Putting in calls to the Schindler's List cast and crew in character as the Genie from Aladdin and visiting sex shops dressed as Mrs Doubtfire, Williams was always trying to make people's day and cheer them up with his unique brand of humour.

Following his death, co-star Lisa Jakub (Lydia Hillard) has opened up about the time he was able to help her out, explaining in a blog post how Williams wrote to her principal after her school kicked her out just for taking a few months off to film Mrs Doubtfire and refused to have her back.

In the letter Lisa passed on to The Independent below, Williams scolds the school for its stance on the matter, evoking the world view of his character Sean in Good Will Hunting as he insists that "a student of her calibre and talent should be encouraged to go out in the world and learn through her work."

"She should also be encouraged to return to the classroom when she's done to share those experiences and motivate her classmates to soar to their own higher achievements," he adds.

Williams' pleas were ultimately unsuccessful, with the school not taking her back (though the letter was framed and hung in the principal's office, annoyingly), but the kindness Williams showed Lisa had a profound effect on her.

Robin Williams: A career in pictures 30 show all Robin Williams: A career in pictures 1/30 Robin Williams 1980: Robin Williams in the world-famous Mork and Mindy series that launched his career. Rex 2/30 Robin Williams 1984: Williams in 'Moscow On The Hudson'. The actor earned his first Golden Globe nomination for his turn as a Russian circus performer in this 1984 hit. 3/30 Robin Williams 1987: Williams in the critically acclaimed 'Good Morning, Vietnam'. Williams ad-libbed all the radio broadcast scenes from this 1987 film about a radio DJ sent to Vietnam to entertain the US troops serving out there. Rex Features 4/30 Robin Williams 1989: Robin Williams appeared with Robert Sean Leonard and Josh Charles in 'Dead Poets Society' as English teacher John Keating - or the “slightly more daring O Captain, My Captain”. Touchstone Pictures 5/30 Robin Williams 1990: Williams and Robert De Niro in Awakenings, an emotional film that saw Williams portray a British neurologist who administered a drug to catatonic patients that briefly awoke them from decades of catatonia. 6/30 Robin Williams 1991: Williams appeared as an adult Peter Pan forced to return to Neverland to rescue his children in 'Hook'. The film received mixed reviews but proved popular at the box office. 7/30 Robin Williams 1992: Williams in 'Toys'. The film followed a military general after he inherits a toy factory and decides to produce war toys. 8/30 Robin Williams 1993: Williams appeared in one of his best-loved roles in Mrs Doubtfire, where he played an actor disguising himself as a female housekeeper in order to spend more time with his children. 9/30 Robin Williams 1995: Williams appeared as man released from a board game after being trapped for decades inside it in the blockbuster 'Jumanji'. 10/30 Robin Williams 1996: Williams starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in 'Jack', a film about a young boy who ages four times faster than other children. 11/30 Robin Williams 1997: Williams appeared alongside Matt Damon in 'Good Will Hunting', a film that won him an Oscar for his portrayal of psychologist Sean Maguire. As he accepted his award, a touched Williams warned the audience: "Oh man, this might be the one time I’m speechless". Miramax Pictures 12/30 Robin Williams 1997: The box-office hit Flubber saw Williams take the role of Professor Philip Brainard, who creates the unstoppable green goo Flubber in his bid to produce a new energy source. 13/30 Robin Williams 1998: Williams gave a poignant turn as Dr Hunter 'Patch' Adams, an unqualified doctor who treats patients with laughter in 'Patch Adams' . 14/30 Robin Williams 1998: Williams stars alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr in 'What Dreams May Come', a film that follows American physician Chris Nielsen's journey through the afterlife after he is killed in a car crash. 15/30 Robin Williams 1999: Robin Williams, Bob Balaban (left), and Armin Mueller-Stahl star in the movie 'Jakob the Liar' about a Jewish shopkeeper who uses his imagination to engender hope throughout a Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1944. Rex 16/30 Robin Williams 1999: American Science Fiction drama 'Bicentennial Man' followed an android (Williams) as he experiences emotions and becomes more human 17/30 Robin Williams 2002: Williams took a more sinister role as reclusive crime writer and murderer Walter Finch in 'Insomnia'. 18/30 Robin Williams 2002: Williams undertook an unsettling, psychopathic role in One Hour Photo, where he played a photo lab technician obsessed with a family who frequented the store. 19/30 Robin Williams 2002: Williams starred alongside Danny DeVito in 'Death to Smoochy', a film about a corrupt children's television host disgraced by an FBI sting. 20/30 Robin Williams 2005: Robin Williams stars in 'The Big White', a film about a financially struggling travel agent trying to make a bogus life insurance claim in order to pay for his wife's Tourette treatment. 21/30 Robin Williams 2006: Williams and Ben Stiller star in 'Night at the Museum'. Williams will appear in upcoming film "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," playing the statue of Teddy Roosevelt who comes to life at night. 22/30 Robin Williams 2006: Robin Williams, Jeff Daniels and Cheryl Hines star in roadtrip comedy 'R.V.', which followed the tribulations of a dysfunctional family. 23/30 Robin Williams 2006: Williams took the leading role in the political comedy drama 'Man of the Year' about a comedian who decides to run for President and finds himself mistakenly elected. 24/30 Robin Williams 2007: Robin Williams and Freddie Highmore in 'August Rush', where Williams played a homeless musician who teaches children living on the streets music and employs them as performers. 25/30 Robin Williams 2007: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore and John Krasinski starred in 'License to Wed'. Williams played a reverend who places a couple through a series of tests to see if they should marry in his church. The rom-com was poorly received by critics. 26/30 Robin Williams 2010: Robin Williams and John Travolta star in 'Old Dogs', a comedy that sees two friends and owners of a sports marketing firm struggle to deal with seven-year-old twins placed in their care. The film was nominated for four Golden Raspberry Awards. 27/30 Robin Williams 2013: Susan Sarandon, Robert De Niro and Robin Williams star in The Big Wedding 28/30 Robin Williams 2013: Williams starred as President Eisenhower in Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'. 29/30 Robin Williams 2014: Robin Williams with his Mork and Mindy co-star Pam Dawber in The Crazy Ones series. It was axed after one season. 30/30 Robin Williams 2014: Rob Williams stars in 'The Angriest Man in Brooklyn', the story of a bad-tempered man mistakenly told he has 90 minutes to live. 1/30 Robin Williams 1980: Robin Williams in the world-famous Mork and Mindy series that launched his career. Rex 2/30 Robin Williams 1984: Williams in 'Moscow On The Hudson'. The actor earned his first Golden Globe nomination for his turn as a Russian circus performer in this 1984 hit. 3/30 Robin Williams 1987: Williams in the critically acclaimed 'Good Morning, Vietnam'. Williams ad-libbed all the radio broadcast scenes from this 1987 film about a radio DJ sent to Vietnam to entertain the US troops serving out there. Rex Features 4/30 Robin Williams 1989: Robin Williams appeared with Robert Sean Leonard and Josh Charles in 'Dead Poets Society' as English teacher John Keating - or the “slightly more daring O Captain, My Captain”. Touchstone Pictures 5/30 Robin Williams 1990: Williams and Robert De Niro in Awakenings, an emotional film that saw Williams portray a British neurologist who administered a drug to catatonic patients that briefly awoke them from decades of catatonia. 6/30 Robin Williams 1991: Williams appeared as an adult Peter Pan forced to return to Neverland to rescue his children in 'Hook'. The film received mixed reviews but proved popular at the box office. 7/30 Robin Williams 1992: Williams in 'Toys'. The film followed a military general after he inherits a toy factory and decides to produce war toys. 8/30 Robin Williams 1993: Williams appeared in one of his best-loved roles in Mrs Doubtfire, where he played an actor disguising himself as a female housekeeper in order to spend more time with his children. 9/30 Robin Williams 1995: Williams appeared as man released from a board game after being trapped for decades inside it in the blockbuster 'Jumanji'. 10/30 Robin Williams 1996: Williams starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in 'Jack', a film about a young boy who ages four times faster than other children. 11/30 Robin Williams 1997: Williams appeared alongside Matt Damon in 'Good Will Hunting', a film that won him an Oscar for his portrayal of psychologist Sean Maguire. As he accepted his award, a touched Williams warned the audience: "Oh man, this might be the one time I’m speechless". Miramax Pictures 12/30 Robin Williams 1997: The box-office hit Flubber saw Williams take the role of Professor Philip Brainard, who creates the unstoppable green goo Flubber in his bid to produce a new energy source. 13/30 Robin Williams 1998: Williams gave a poignant turn as Dr Hunter 'Patch' Adams, an unqualified doctor who treats patients with laughter in 'Patch Adams' . 14/30 Robin Williams 1998: Williams stars alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr in 'What Dreams May Come', a film that follows American physician Chris Nielsen's journey through the afterlife after he is killed in a car crash. 15/30 Robin Williams 1999: Robin Williams, Bob Balaban (left), and Armin Mueller-Stahl star in the movie 'Jakob the Liar' about a Jewish shopkeeper who uses his imagination to engender hope throughout a Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1944. Rex 16/30 Robin Williams 1999: American Science Fiction drama 'Bicentennial Man' followed an android (Williams) as he experiences emotions and becomes more human 17/30 Robin Williams 2002: Williams took a more sinister role as reclusive crime writer and murderer Walter Finch in 'Insomnia'. 18/30 Robin Williams 2002: Williams undertook an unsettling, psychopathic role in One Hour Photo, where he played a photo lab technician obsessed with a family who frequented the store. 19/30 Robin Williams 2002: Williams starred alongside Danny DeVito in 'Death to Smoochy', a film about a corrupt children's television host disgraced by an FBI sting. 20/30 Robin Williams 2005: Robin Williams stars in 'The Big White', a film about a financially struggling travel agent trying to make a bogus life insurance claim in order to pay for his wife's Tourette treatment. 21/30 Robin Williams 2006: Williams and Ben Stiller star in 'Night at the Museum'. Williams will appear in upcoming film "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," playing the statue of Teddy Roosevelt who comes to life at night. 22/30 Robin Williams 2006: Robin Williams, Jeff Daniels and Cheryl Hines star in roadtrip comedy 'R.V.', which followed the tribulations of a dysfunctional family. 23/30 Robin Williams 2006: Williams took the leading role in the political comedy drama 'Man of the Year' about a comedian who decides to run for President and finds himself mistakenly elected. 24/30 Robin Williams 2007: Robin Williams and Freddie Highmore in 'August Rush', where Williams played a homeless musician who teaches children living on the streets music and employs them as performers. 25/30 Robin Williams 2007: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore and John Krasinski starred in 'License to Wed'. Williams played a reverend who places a couple through a series of tests to see if they should marry in his church. The rom-com was poorly received by critics. 26/30 Robin Williams 2010: Robin Williams and John Travolta star in 'Old Dogs', a comedy that sees two friends and owners of a sports marketing firm struggle to deal with seven-year-old twins placed in their care. The film was nominated for four Golden Raspberry Awards. 27/30 Robin Williams 2013: Susan Sarandon, Robert De Niro and Robin Williams star in The Big Wedding 28/30 Robin Williams 2013: Williams starred as President Eisenhower in Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'. 29/30 Robin Williams 2014: Robin Williams with his Mork and Mindy co-star Pam Dawber in The Crazy Ones series. It was axed after one season. 30/30 Robin Williams 2014: Rob Williams stars in 'The Angriest Man in Brooklyn', the story of a bad-tempered man mistakenly told he has 90 minutes to live.

"Even though I had not spoken with Robin in a very long time, I always assumed there would be some future opportunity to tell him that his letter changed my life," she lamented.

"It taught me that you stand up for the things that matter. And even if your attempts fail, you tried. You told the truth. You took care of your friends. You fought back."

VictorBlimpmuscle on August 13rd, 2018 at 20:27 UTC »

A couple years ago, I posted in r/movies about how Lisa Jakub, the actress who played the daughter, writes a blog and posted a tribute to Robin Williams on the day he died in which she recounted the story of him writing the letter for her, and how much that gesture meant to her. Lisa Jakub herself then showed up and responded to my post to give a bit more context to the story.

szekeres81 on August 13rd, 2018 at 17:25 UTC »

The letter reads:

Dear Mr. (blanked out)

I have spent three months working on 'Mrs Doubtfire' with Lisa Jakub. I have found Lisa to be bright, inquisitive, and an eager to learn young lady. She is charming, and a delight.

A student of her caliber and talent should be encouraged to go out in the world and learn through her work. She should also be encouraged to return to the classroom when she's done to share those experiences and motivate her classmates to soar to their own higher achievements. Lisa also should not be denied the social learning experiences that come with High School and being a teenager.

I respectfully request that you reconsider your policy and allow Lisa the opportunity to work and attend school. She is an asset to any classroom.

Best Regards, Robin Williams

iceynyo on August 13rd, 2018 at 17:23 UTC »

And that's why they always sent self-destructing messages in Mission Impossible... otherwise some jerk who chose not to accept the mission would flaunt it around as proof someone thought they were qualified for a secret mission.