Being a child actor seems incredibly stressful. I feel a lot of sympathy towards them. Kids just simply aren't well adjusted enough to be able to take so much public perception. Their brains haven't even come close to fully developing yet. How could we possibly expect them to reasonably react to all the stresses and pressures of the world? In reality, they should be worrying about a math test, not what people are saying in tabloids. This is why it's important to have someone you can rely on for advice. Thankfully, Robin Williams was one of those actors, quick to look after kids trying to come up in the industry. He left one hell of an impression on one of his costars in particular.
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Recently, Matthew Lawrence spoke with Entertainment Weekly after his time on The Masked Singer. He's best known for his time on Boy Meets World and Mrs. Doubtfire with Robin Williams. The comedic actor is the father to Lawrence and two other kids in the film but has to disguise himself as a nanny to spend time with them. Williams apparently took that role to heart, serving as a mentor-like figure for Matthew. The young child actor received sage advice from him that still sticks with him today.
Robin Williams Gives Strong Advice to Matthew Lawrence on The Set of Mrs. Doubtfire
Lawrence learned from Williams to be truly compassionate for others and their issues. Moreover, he takes in the need to avoid judgment until experiencing things from their perspective. These are valuable lessons a kid needs to take in early to be a great person into their adulthood. It's these jewels Robin dropped for him, on top of his artistry, that still stick with him.
"He really quantified what it was to be a real artist for me in the sense that he was definitely, and I worked with some great people, and he was definitely the most brilliant artist I've ever worked with," Lawrence explains. "But on top of that, he had the compassion, he had the humility, and he also had these things that he struggled with."
Additionally, Robin emphasizes to Matthew to really avoid substance abuse, something that Williams himself struggled with in his life. Even at 12 years old, the Hook actor felt he had to instill his experience. "He really explained his life to me and really brought me in and taught me not just about in front of the camera, but a lot about the behind the camera as well, and how he felt that substances really further pushed his brain to not function properly," Lawrence recalls Robin saying.
"And he really opened up with me, and I'll never forget it. There were times he would just grab me and he'd be like, 'Don't put that stuff in your body. If I could go back and tell myself, this is why I'm telling you, don't put that stuff in your body."
