A tragic phone call shook Sally Field on the set of Mrs. Doubtfire — Robin Williams’ response still moves her

It has been more than ten years since Robin Williams' death, but his former co-stars still have only good things to say about him. Actress Sally Field, who has worked with the Oscar-winning actor twice, has also fondly remembered him on several occasions. On May 7, 2026, in a conversation with PEOPLE, Field reminisced about working with Williams about 33 years ago while shooting for "Mrs. Doubtfire" in San Francisco. The "Steel Magnolias" star was stuck in the middle of a packed schedule when she received a phone call from her father's nursing home in Santa Monica, informing her of his passing. Devastated, Field walked back to the set, determined to resume the shoot. But one look at her, and Williams knew something was off. In fact, what he did upon hearing of her loss still lives rent-free in Field's heart.

'Sally says goodbye'

Field was about to shoot the pivotal 'divorce scene' from the movie when she learned that her father had suffered a massive heart stroke. The doctors told her that her dad was quite critical and asked whether she wanted life support for him. "I said, 'No,' but please lean down, and tell him that Sally says goodbye," the actress recalled. Field dropped the call and returned to the sets, determined to resume the shoot. "I went out onto the set, and I'm like, 'Oh my God.' We hadn't been that close, but he was still my father. And I was responsible for him," she recalled.

Guilty for being away

Field was already drowning in the guilt of not being by her father’s side in his final days, and what made it worse was the plot they were shooting that day. The courtroom scene showed children being taken away from Daniel (Williams), and its emotions hit Field to the core. She could immediately relate to the feelings of a "divorced child," and each passing minute on the sets was becoming unbearable for her. Meanwhile, Williams noticed that Fields' mood had changed and asked her what was wrong. She did not mean to share the sad news, but overwhelmed with emotion, she started to cry. Upon hearing of her loss, the "Dead Poets Society" actor turned to the crew and told them to wrap up for the day. "You can get a few shots at the kids and maybe one of Mrs. Doubtfire, but Ms. Field's going home," he said, and helped Fields walk out of the sets. 

Robin Williams: A true gem

Williams was not only kind to his co-stars but also to random strangers. A person shared a story (as shared by Independent) months before the actor passed. He wrote about how Williams brought a smile to his parents' faces on an extremely difficult day. The Redditor's dad's parents had just passed away, and the grieving family entered a donut shop at 2:30 a.m. Williams was in the shop too, eating and drinking coffee, the Redditor shared. "I couldn’t tell you what they laughed about, but I remember seeing my parents laugh and smile for the first time in weeks. My dad remembered that so fondly. He always said it was exactly what he had needed at that time and that he appreciated the way Robin Williams went about it."

A magic bike for Conan

Similarly, on a podcast, TV host and comedian Conan O'Brien also recounted how Williams reached out to him following his abrupt 2010 ouster from "The Tonight Show." The late actor not only called O'Brien to ask about his whereabouts but also gifted him a custom-made bike. "You’re going to be fine; you’re going to be great," Williams assured while the "Vanilla Sky" actor kept thinking about how he got his number, according to The Express Tribune. 

Meanwhile, the comment section was flooded with heartfelt messages and stories of the late actor's kindness. For instance, @ford_wardrobe wrote, "Hearing stories like this makes me want to be more like him." Similarly, @strongbrenda said, "We are in the business of 'being human.' It is so important to remember our humanity in the midst of the work of being human. And Robin did that for you. How gorgeous."

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