17 Mar – Former child actor Matthew Lawrence recently credited the late actor Robin Williams as the one who helped him to stay away from drugs. The actor recently spoke about the beloved comedian during an appearance of the first-ever '90s Con, saying that Williams was the first adult to let him in on his condition when they were working on the hit 1993 movie, "Mrs. Doubtfire". "I mean, as bright as he was on camera - I would go visit him in his trailer to talk to him - it was painful for him. It's really painful for him. He didn't hide it. He talked to me about it," said the now 42-year-old.
Lawrence recalled Williams telling him not to do drugs, especially cocaine. "He was very serious. He was like, 'You know when you come to my trailer and you see me like that?' He's like, 'That's the reason why. And now I'm fighting for the rest of my life because I spent 10 years doing something very stupid every day. Do not do it.' I stayed away from it because of him." At the same event, the actor also stated that Williams was the person who helped him land a part in the said movie, after the studio had wanted someone else for the role of Chris Hillard. "He very secretly reached behind my back and pinched me so hard," said Lawrence, imitating the sound he made at the time. "The studio started bawling and wept. I got the role because of that little moment over the other boy. It was all Robin Williams. 'I know what I'm going to do to get this kid this job.' Thank you, Rob."
Lawrence was not the only child star that Williams helped to stay away from drugs, as his co-star Mara Wilson, who played little Natalie, also shared a similar story. "He, during filming, would talk to me a lot about his issues with mental health and addiction. And I have had a lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression. So, we had those conversations," she said. Williams passed away in 2014 after taking his own life. He was 63.