Robin Williams’ Mrs. Doubtfire is streaming on Hulu, and a ranking gives fans another reason to revisit it. Collider placed the 1993 hit ninth among its 10 most rewatchable comedy movies, praising Williams’ mix of warmth and humor.
Meanwhile, Hulu lists Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan alongside Williams, with Chris Columbus directing the PG-13 film.
Robin Williams needed four cameras to catch his surprises
Behind those familiar laughs, Williams often left the script behind after giving Columbus several takes as written. Then, he tried fresh lines and ideas, keeping his fellow actors guessing.
As a result, Columbus used four cameras to follow the action and capture the cast’s reactions. He explained the approach during a 2023 Business Insider interview marking the film’s 30th anniversary.
“It got to the point that I had to shoot the entire movie with four cameras to keep up with him.”
In fact, Columbus said the production shot almost two million feet of film. Sometimes, the cameras ran out while Williams kept finding new ways to play a scene.
Mrs. Doubtfire’s makeup changed Robin Williams’ filming schedule
However, the comic freedom came with a tough daily routine. Williams spent roughly four and a half to five hours in makeup, according to Columbus.
Because he started getting ready at 3 a.m., the crew could begin filming at 8 a.m. To ease that strain, Columbus avoided shooting Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire on back-to-back days.
Instead, he filmed the actor as Daniel the following day. Yet the voice took far less work: Columbus recalled that Williams found it in about 10 minutes.
Beyond the jokes, each return visit offers a chance to notice Williams’ timing, quick changes and fellow actors’ faces.
