Where Are They Now? A Look Back at Mrs. Doubtfire–20 Years Later

The pre-pubescent trio who played the spawn of Robin Williams & Sally Field were Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence and Mara Wilson. These three actors were randomly placed to screen test together during their initial auditions and the director liked their chemistry so much, they were all eventually cast. During filming, the kids bonded with one another and with Lisa being an only child, she thought of Mara like her little sister, remaining close with her even after filming commenced.

Lisa starred as Lydia, the feisty oldest child of the Hillard family. The Canadian/American actress did an excellent job playing the despondent tween who visibly had the most difficulty dealing with her parent's separation.

After Mrs. Doubtfire, Lisa appeared in a number of films including the blockbuster Independence Day, the critically acclaimed Matinee and George Lucas In Love, where she played Marion, the inspiration of Princess Leia. Today, Lisa is retired from the movie business and resides in Virginia with her husband. She's dedicated her life to her love of writing and profound respect for a well-told story. In addition to being a contributing writer for numerous online websites including The Huffington Post, she's presently editing her first book, a memoir about growing up in the film business and making the decision to leave in search of some peace. You can catch up with Lisa on her blog - www.LisaJakub.net.

Matthew played Chris, the middle child and only son of the Hillard family. At 11 years old, Matthew was already a veteran in the business starring in the popular sitcom Gimme A Break with his older brother Joey and playing Steve Martin's son in the film Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

After Mrs. Doubtfire, Matthew reunited with his brother Joey to star alongside him and their younger brother Andy in the TV show Brotherly Love. He followed that up by becoming a regular on the popular sitcom Boy Meets World for its final 4 seasons. After Boy Meets World concluded, the teen heartthrob enrolled at the University of Southern California where he studied Biology. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Matthew has been away from the spotlight as of late, but did recently reunite with his Boy Meets World cast mates earlier this year. We heard he may even make an appearance on the show’s new spin-off, Girl Meets World on the Disney Channel. Time will tell…

Mara Wilson shined in her on-screen debut starring as the Hillard's youngest daughter. At only 5 years old, Mara beat out hundreds of prospective youngsters, including a young Blake Lively, to land the role of Natalie. During Mara’s audition with Robin Williams, casting director Janet Hirshenson recalls that at one point Mara was standing there holding her sides and Robin jokingly said, “You can’t really read those, can you?” Mara then read them out loud perfectly and everyone in the room looked at each other with wide eyes and open mouths. They knew then and there that they had found their Natalie!

After Mrs. Doubtfire, Mara went on to star in countless films including Matildaand the remake of the holiday favorite, Miracle on 34th Street, before eventually heading off to study at NYU. Mara currently resides in New York and this talented lady is quickly making a name for herself as an accomplished writer. In addition to being a popular online blogger, she is working on a couple adult novels and recently completed her first Off Broadway play called "Sheeple". We know Mrs. Doubtfire would definitely be proud. Mara is active on Twitter and Facebook and you can catch up with her on her blog – www.MaraWilsonWritesStuff.com

Robin Williams gave a brilliant performance as both Daniel Hillard and Mrs. Doubtfire. It took about 4 ½ hours everyday to transform Robin Williams into the loveable nanny. The character was actually first performed by Robin at a show Andy Kaufman did at Carnegie Hall in the early 80’s, where he pretended to be Kaufman's grandmother. Fun fact: During filming, Robin actually decided to test out the believability of the character by walking into an adult bookstore to make a purchase, all while dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire. He was able to do so without being recognized.

After Mrs. Doubtfire, Robin continued to flex his acting muscles in many comedic and dramatic films such as The Birdcage, One Hour Photo and Good Will Hunting, in which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Most recently, Robin was seen alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar on the CBS show, The Crazy Ones.Sadly, Williams unexpectedly passed away in 2014.

Sally Field always dreamed of working with Robin Williams, so when the opportunity of playing his wife/ex-wife Miranda in Mrs. Doubtfire came along, she welcomed it with open arms. Even though Sally is a veteran actress and has worked with some of the best actors in Hollywood, she claims that she has never worked with anyone as funny and energetic as Robin Williams. Sally is no stranger to giving comedic performances herself and it was definitely reflected in Mrs. Doubtfire, as her portrayal of Miranda gave Robin a run for his money.

Today, Sally still remains one of the most sought out actresses in Hollywood. After Mrs. Doubtfire, she went on to play Tom Hanks’ mother in the classic film Forrest Gump and most recently scored an Academy Award nomination for playing Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. As long as Sally continues performing, we will continue to “really like” her.

Years before appearing on the silver screen as Agent 007, Pierce Brosnan co-starred in Mrs. Doubtfire as Miranda’s love interest, Stuart Dunmire. Stuart’s charming demeanor, dashing good looks and deep pockets infatuated Miranda and the kids, ultimately leading to Daniel’s bouts of (hilarious) jealousy.

After Mrs. Doubtfire, Pierce went on to portray the iconic character James Bond in Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough. He continues to appear in films today, most recently starring in the Simon Pegg film, The World’s End. In 2014, he will be seen alongside Selma Hayek and Jessica Alba in the upcoming comedy How To Make Love Like An Englishman.

After Harvey Fierstein saw Robin Williams imitate him on Comic Relief, he knew he wanted to work with the comedian someday. So when he heard that they were casting for Robin’s flamboyant brother in Mrs. Doubtfire, he aggressively lobbied for and booked the role of Uncle Frank. His small but memorable role as Mrs. Doubtfire’s “creator” left a lasting impression in viewer’s minds.

After Mrs. Doubtfire, Harvey continued to appear in supporting roles in numerous films and television shows, before returning to his true love, the stage. In 2011, he starred as Tevye in the Broadway production of Fiddler On The Roof and then joined the Broadway cast of La Cage aux Folles, ironically enough playing the same character Robin Williams portrayed in the film version, The Birdcage. Harvey actually wrote the book for La Cage aux Folles, as well as the 2013 musical Kinky Boots, which took home the Tony for Best Musical this past June.

Will there ever be a Mrs. Doubtfire sequel? Well, in 2003, there were serious plans for one, which actually made it into pre-production, but unfortunately never came to fruition. The story involved Robin Williams returning as Mrs. Doubtfire and moving close to his daughter's college to keep an eye on her. I know we’d love to see Robin re-visit this role….so keep your fingers crossed that this project is gets another look in the future.