31/05/2026
Lisa Jakub was only 15 years old when she landed a role in the beloved film Mrs. Doubtfire. To balance school and acting, she temporarily left her Canadian high school and arranged to complete her coursework by mail while spending several months filming. In the early 1990s, long before online classes and email submissions, assignments were physically mailed back and forth between the set and the school.
Partway through production, however, the arrangement fell apart. According to Jakub, the school informed her that it would no longer support the setup and told her she could not return. The decision left the teenage actress devastated. When her co-star Robin Williams noticed something was wrong, he asked her about it. After hearing her story, Williams reportedly wrote a personal letter to the school's principal asking them to reconsider and support a young student who was trying to pursue both her education and a professional opportunity.
The principal reportedly appreciated the gesture enough to frame the letter, but the school's decision remained unchanged. Despite that setback, Jakub continued moving forward. She later gained admission to University of Virginia without a traditional high school diploma. When Williams learned of her acceptance, he wrote another letter on her behalf, this time recommending her for college.
The story resurfaced in 2024 when members of the Mrs. Doubtfire child cast reunited and reflected on their experiences more than three decades after the film's release. For many fans, the most memorable part was not the school dispute itself, but Williams' willingness to step in and support a young colleague. It became another example of the kindness and generosity for which he remains remembered long after his passing. ❤️🎬