Matthew Lawrence is opening up about an invaluable piece of advice Robin Williams gave him while they were filming "Mrs. Doubtfire" together.
The 42-year-old actor appeared at the first annual ’90s Con over the weekend when he recalled his experience working alongside Williams on the 1993 comedy. It was during this time that the Oscar winner cautioned Lawrence to "stay away" from drugs.
"He was the first adult who really let me in on his condition. Like, full-on let me in," Lawrence said, according to the New York Post.
He continued, "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."
Williams then shared advice with Lawrence that was based upon his own experiences: "Don’t ever do drugs. Especially cocaine," he told the emerging child star at the time.
"[Williams] was very serious," Lawrence said. "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."
Williams died in 2014 at the age of 63 after committing suicide. His son, Zak, later admitted that there were similarities between his and his father’s struggles with addiction and mental health. Williams previously acknowledged having an issue with substance abuse. Zak has also confessed to having a drug and alcohol dependency and believes it could be genetic.
"There's a generational issue going on. I've experienced mental health issues my entire life," he said during an appearance on Prince Harry and Oprah's new Apple TV+ docuseries, "The Me You Can't See," according to Daily Mail.
"The weird thing for me is I would use uppers, cocaine, and the like to calm down. I talked to my dad about it, he was similar," Zak said. "He would use uppers as a way of focusing, relaxing. [When] we began to have a deeper, more profound understanding of one another is when he decided to stop drinking, which is around the time that I first realized I had a problem."
Zak also previously opened up about Williams' mental health during an appearance on "The Dr. Oz Show," saying that he knew his father was in a dark place.
"I was acutely aware of my dad's struggles with depression, it manifested in addiction at times, and he took great lengths to support his well-being and mental health, especially when he was challenged. It was something that was a daily consideration for him," he said, according to People.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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