1990s family films don’t come any more iconic than Mrs. Doubtfireand it turns out just one photo of the three kids from the beloved Robin Williams movie can leave our hearts melting like a snow cone in Phoenix.
31 years on from the Chris Columbus production’s release, actors Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson, and Lisa Jakub reunited for a nostalgic episode of Lawrence’s Brotherly Love podcastwhich he co-hosts with his equally famous brothers, Joey and Andrew Lawrence.
Wilson — who once played tiny Natalie at the age of just five — shared the heartwarming pics on Instagram, revealing that — in a wild coincidence — she had just visited San Francisco, where Mrs. Doubtfire was shot and set, days before hanging with her “Doubtfire siblings.”
Jakub shared the same photos, remarking in her caption that Wilson and Lawrence “still feel like my siblings” even after 30 years.
The Doubtfire siblings seem to make a habit of reuniting every few years. The trio previously got together to mark the film’s 25th anniversary in 2018though on that occasion they were joined by co-star Pierce Brosnan. That occasion resulted in the gang naturally reminiscing on the brilliance of the magnificent and much-missed Robin Williams, who passed away by suicide in 2014, so no doubt there will be more touching discussion of Williams on this upcoming episode of Brotherly Love.
As you pick up the broken pieces of your mind after realizing that Mrs. Doubtfire was over 30 years ago, let’s take a moment to catch up on the Hillard family kids and see what they’ve been up to since 1993.
Matthew Lawrence
Outside of playing Daniel Hillard’s soccer-mad son Chris in Mrs. DoubtfireLawrence — now 44 — is probably most recognizable for his role as Jack Hunter on Boys Meets World (1997-2000), a part he reprised for an episode of sequel series Girl Meets World in 2015. He also got to star with siblings Joey and Andrew in the two-season sitcom Brotherly Love (1995-97), from which the Lawrence boys’ podcast gets its name.
Lawrence made headlines in April 2023 when he revealed in an episode of said podcast that he had been sexually harassed by the unknown director of an unspecified Marvel movie. “A very prominent Oscar award-winning director who showed up in his robe, asked me to take my clothes off, and said he needed to take Polaroids of me, and that if I did X, Y, and Z, I would be the next Marvel character,” Lawrence shockingly explained, admitting that his agent fired him when he refused to comply.
Lawrence married dancer Cheryl Burke in 2019, but the couple had divorced by 2022. Later that same year, Lawrence started dating singer Chili, of R&B group TLC fame.
Mara Wilson
As one of the biggest child stars of the ’90s bar none, Mara Wilson no doubt could’ve easily parlayed her early success in life into a never-ending Hollywood career, but the actress ultimately decided to move away from the industry during her teen years and is now a writer. Her memoir, Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Famewas published in 2016.
Wilson has been very open about her struggles with her mental health over the years, including her experiences with depression, anxiety, and OCD, and has collaborated with teen-focused mental health charity Project UROK. In recent years, after a 12-year break, Wilson has made a light return to acting, providing voicework for such animated shows as Helluva Boss, Bojack Horsemanand Big Hero 6: The Series.
“Film acting is not very fun,” Wilson admitted to The Nostalgia Critic when explaining why she quit acting. “Doing the same thing over and over again until, in the director’s eyes, you ‘get it right’, does not allow for very much creative freedom. The best times I had on film sets were the times the director let me express myself, but those were rare.”
Add Jakub
The post-Doubtfire life of Lisa Jakub — who portrayed the Hillards’ eldest child, Lydia — ironically mirrors that of her on-screen sister pretty closely. Like Wilson, Jakub also left Hollywood behind a few years after the film’s release. In 2001, Jakub — who also memorably appeared in 1996’s Independence Day — married theater manager Jeremy Jones and moved to Virginia. She hasn’t acted since, but as with Wilson has transitioned into becoming a writer. Now 45, Jakub maintains a wellness and meditation website named BlueMala and, is it just me, or does she look uncannily like her movie mother, Sally Field?
Even though they’ve gone down their own paths in life, it’s touching to know that the Doubtfire siblings remain close and, to paraphrase the hip, old granny herself, they have a family in their heart forever. Robin would be proud.