20 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Making Of Mrs. Doubtfire

Few movies have the same level of zany humor, genuine heart, and profound emotion that the 1993 classic Mrs. Doubtfire does.

Now approaching its 25th anniversary, the film has long been revered as one of Robin Williams' best performances, both for his hilarious turn as the truly one of a kind nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire and for his work as the downtrodden and affable Daniel Hillard.

Mrs. Doubtfire finds Williams' newly divorced father struggling to stay close to his children and doing whatever it takes to ensure that he can see them each and every day - even if it means dressing as an elderly Scottish woman.

The movie offers a showcase of Williams' voice acting and impressions, with countless references and jokes having been added in during production all by Williams himself.

Mrs. Doubtfire also starred well known names in the industry, such as Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan, and served as a career launching point for future millennial icons Mara Wilson and Matthew Lawrence.

As beloved as the movie is, most fans would be quite surprised if they learned some of the decisions and antics that went on behind the scenes.

Here are the 20 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Making Of Mrs. Doubtfire.

20 Two or three cameras were kept on Robin Williams at all times

From the very beginning of his television and movie career, it's been said that Robin Williams was a real unpredictable talent, running around sets faster than cameras were used to moving and dropping references and impressions at the speed of light and sound.

Given all of the humor that the character of Mrs. Doubtfire required, as well as the brief moments when Daniel Hillard is allowed to unwind and get silly, it's no surprise at all to learn that during production of the movie, at least two or three cameras were kept trained on Williams at all times.

The director was so concerned about missing any potentially useful, ingenious material that Williams could come up with at any given moment that he determined it was necessary to have all cameras on Williams whenever possible.

Clearly this was well worth the effort.

19 Deleted scenes reveal that it was almost much more depressing

It's always interesting to see what scenes do and don't make the cut for a finished product once deleted scenes have been released.

Sometimes, things are cut for time. Other times, plots change and scenes no longer fit where they once did.

In some cases, scenes can totally change the overall tone of a work, and in the case of Mrs. Doutbfire, some recently uncovered deleted scenes show that the movie could have been far more depressing - and even traumatic - had these scenes been included.

One particular scene finds Daniel and Miranda engaging in an ugly fight downstairs once the truth about Mrs. Doubtfire has come out.

However, rather than show the fight, the camera pans slowly upstairs, showing the Hillard children sitting and eavesdropping in tears in their bedroom.

The children ultimately make their way down to the stairs as the fight gets even uglier, culminating in teary-eyed Lydia and Christopher telling their parents that they hate them.

18 Blake Lively nearly played the youngest Hillard daughter

Many of the heartwarming and upsetting moments in Mrs. Doubtfire are dependent upon the absolute undeniable cuteness of little Natalie Hillard, played by the future Matilda herself, Mara Wilson.

However, if the casting of the movie had gone a different way during the final round of auditions, the Hillard family could have had a very different look - and likely not as adorable of one either.

A very young Blake Lively reportedly made it to the final round of auditions for the role of the youngest Hillard daughter, but she was such a fan of Robin Williams that she was starstruck and totally blew the final audition.

It was for the better, however, because it's almost impossible to imagine that anyone could have been better for the adorable little Natalie than Wilson.

17 The studio fired the writer for not making Daniel and Miranda reunite

Hollywood has always favored the traditional happy ending of couples getting together in the end and raising their children in domestic bliss.

Mrs. Doubtfire has an ending that really challenges that convention - and apparently, that was originally a big problem for the production studio.

The production studio reportedly wanted Daniel and Miranda to reunite at the end of the movie, coming back together as a conventional family with their children all in one home.

So when the script included the couple remaining separate, but amicably raising their kids together, the studio reportedly fired the writer responsible.

However, when attempts at creating a more neat and tidy ending for the story failed, the writer was rehired and the movie's more emotionally meaningful ending was allowed to remain.

16 Lisa Jakub was expelled from school for taking time off to film the movie

Life isn't easy for child actors, especially when it comes to dealing with the trials and tribulations of getting an education and maintaining friendships.

Middle school and high school are already tough enough as it is without having to worry about missing large amounts of time in order to pursue your acting career.

For poor Lisa Jakub, who played eldest Hillard daughter Lydia, it turns out that her school wasn't at all happy with her having to take five months off to film Mrs. Doubtfire - and so, she was expelled.

Robin Williams wrote a letter himself trying to make the school reverse their decision and allow her to return.

However, the school didn't budge, no matter how much they were flattered by Williams' letter.

15 Robin Williams' son didn't recognize him when he was in full costume

The quality of a makeup job can really make or break a role. If the makeup is shoddy, there's no way that anyone could take it seriously, after all.

However, that was hardly the case for Mrs. Doubtfire. In fact, it's possible that Williams' makeup was too good.

According to reports, Williams' own young son, Zak, didn't recognize his father when he was in costume and makeup until he actually spoke to him directly.

The parallel with a key moment in the movie here is, of course, adorable and undeniable, as it's the moment when Daniel addresses his son with his own voice while dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire that truly changes the stakes of the film.

14 The iconic frosting scene wasn't unplanned

Undeniably one of the most hilarious moments in a mvoie full to the brim of them is when Daniel is forced to assume the role of Mrs. Doubtfire when he is visited by his social worker.

However, without his Mrs. Doubtfire mask available to him, he finds himself at a loss for what to do... until he finds a heavily frosted cake in the fridge that allows him to shove his face right in and pretend that the creamy frosting is, in fact, Mrs. Doubtfire's preferred skin treatment.

As Mrs. Doubtfire makes tea for the visiting social worker, a large blob of frosting slides off his face and right into the tea.

As it turns out, this moment was never meant to happen - but due to the temperatures on set at the time, the hilarious moment happened, and they just went with it.

13 Robin Williams made a purchase in an adult store in costume

We've already told you all about just how convincing the Mrs. Doubtfire costume and makeup could be. It was good enough to fool Williams' own child, and was so acclaimed that the work earned the team an Academy Award for Best Makeup.

However, early in the development process, Robin Williams wanted to test out the believability of the character for himself, and he did so through the most unconventional means imaginable.

Somehow, Williams decided it would be a great idea to test out the Mrs. Doubtfire persona in an adult themed store, while trying to buy some intimate objects.

The store clerk did wind up recognizing Williams after quite some time, but he managed to come away with a purchase in character all the same.

12 Williams ad-libbed a reference to another one of his hit movies

In one of the scenes with the most dramatic tension in the entire movie, Daniel has to hurriedly switch back and forth between attending a business dinner as himself and accompanying the Hillard family as Mrs. Doubtfire all at the same restaurant.

As a result of his many hurried quick changes, his Mrs. Doubtfire makeup and accessories begin to give way, including one particularly hilarious moment in which Mrs. Doubtfire's dentures fall out and into her glass.

What truly makes the moment, however, is a reference that Williams himself snuck in, as she says "carpe dentem - seize the teeth."

This moment is a callback to Williams' earlier movie, Dead Poets Society, in which his character encourages his students, "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."

11 The first sequel script was written by Bonnie Hunt

For years and years, a Mrs. Doubtfire sequel was something that the studio really wanted to produce. It was difficult to find the right story, however, given how unique and time sensitive the plot of the original movie is.

That didn't stop the scripts being written, though.

In fact, the first script had a household Hollywood name behind it.

In the early 2000s, actress and comedian Bonnie Hunt began developing a script for a followup to Mrs. Doubtfire.

Hunt, who is best known for her roles in Rain Man, Jumanji, and the Cheaper by the Dozen and Beethoven franchises, has also worked in writing for the screen, but mostly in the television world.

Ultimately, the script wasn't produced, but the level of interest in the project continued for years to come.

10 Mara Wilson refused to take part in a sequel

In 2013-2014, reports began to surface that a Mrs. Doubtfire sequel was finally in the works.

The rumored plot was that Daniel Hillard would once again assume the role of Mrs. Doubtfire in his attempts to get closer to his now adult and college aged daughters.

A script had reportedly been written, and Williams was attached to return.

However, one key player steadfastly refused to take part in any such sequel: Mara Wilson, who would have played a key role as Natalie's character sounds like she was meant to have a much larger part this time around.

However, Williams' tragic passing put an end to any talk of this project ever happening, so we'll never know what could have happened had the movie been forced to proceed with a totally different Natalie Hillard.

9 One iconic moment took over fifty takes to film

Filming a movie can be a time consuming process, especially when scenes require perfect timing and execution of stunts and props.

Mrs. Doubtfire is a relatively low action movie, but there is one uproarious scene that took an absurd amount of times to film.

The moment in which Daniel is trying to change and finds himself laughed at by some young boys in the window next door is already funny enough, but it's the following moment in which Daniel's Mrs. Doubtfire mask flies out the window and onto the street below that truly makes the moment as hilarious as it is.

Apparently, this single scene took over 50 attempts to film and land correctly, given the truly bizarre and one of a kind prop stunt that the moment required.

8 The author of the Mrs. Doubtfire novel wanted Warren Beatty for the role

In 1987, Anne Fine published the novel Alias Madame Doubtfire, which would serve as the plot inspiration for the 1993 movie.

While much of the novel's plot remained in tact in the film itself, a key difference exists in how Anne Fine perceived Mrs. Doubtfire versus how the character was cast.

According to Fine, the role should have been played by someone like Warren Beatty.

She had always imagined someone with the playboy charisma of Beatty being forced into the hilariously awkward role of the elderly female nanny, which would definitely have changed the way that the character of Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire came across in the movie.

By casting the endlessly affable Williams in the role instead, the film gave itself the opportunity to have an actor with childlike appeal and warmth, rather than masculine bravado.

7 Tim Allen was offered both Williams' and Brosnan's roles

In the 1990s, Tim Allen's popularity was skyrocketing. Home Improvement was wildly popular, The Santa Clause would start its own franchise with its release in 1994, and 1995's Toy Story all but cemented his celebrity status further by forever associating him with Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

In the early 1990s, however, Allen was offered two roles that could have dramatically altered his career.

Not only was Allen considered for the dual role of Daniel Hillard and Euphegenia Doubtfire, but he was also offered Pierce Brosnan's part as Stu Dunmeyer, Miranda's charming new boyfriend.

However, Allen had no interest in playing either of these roles, and thankfully, casting found actors who would prove themselves to be entirely perfect for their respective roles.

6 The project was once conceived of as a movie addition to Home Improvement

Hard as it may be to believe, it doesn't just stop at Tim Allen having been offered the leading male roles in the movie.

As bizarre as it sounds, Mrs. Doubtfire was once considered a possible story for a big screen version of the long-running hit sitcom Home Improvement.

The plot would have been essentially the same: Tim and Jill Taylor would have divorced, and Tool Man, desperate to see his sons in whatever way he could, would have assumed the persona of Mrs. Doubtfire.

However, Allen wasn't at all a fan of the idea, and so the movie never came to exist in that form.

This is, if you're asking us, definitely a big relief, as no one else but Robin Williams could ever have played this part so perfectly.

5 Euphegenia Doubtfire had a real life inspiration

Robin Williams was known for taking inspiration for his characters from all sources, but one source that may come as a surprise to fans is that Euphegenia Doubtfire was allegedly in part inspired by his own childhood nanny.

As soon as that information was made public, the hunt for the elderly woman, named Lolly, was endless.

She was eventually located in Michigan in a nursing home, and while reporters were crazy about the potential story, she truly couldn't have cared less.

Though Lolly may have felt that her influence on the role wasn't that significant, there's no denying that Euphegenia became an iconic character perhaps in large part to the impact she had on Williams' life.

4 The film was once the most aired movie on basic cable for an entire year

Ever have that feeling that a certain movie or TV show is always on TV? You're channel surfing, and no matter where you go, or what time of day it is, it seems like the same thing is just constantly airing.

In 2013, you very well may have had that experience with Mrs. Doubtfire.

According to Variety, Mrs. Doubtfire was the most replayed movie on all basic cable stations for the entire year.

Overall, it aired a whopping 66 times in the calendar year, which means it aired more than once per week on average.

Other films that ranked high on the list that year included The Shawshank Redemption, Ice Age, Juno, and Sleepless in Seattle.

3 Due to Williams' improvisations, an NC-17 version of the movie exists

We've already talked about just how much of a role Robin Williams' tendency to improvise played into the making of and eventual success of the movie.

However,  what you probably didn't know is that the sheer volume of his improvisation led to some vastly different cuts of the movie being produced, but ultimately not used.

According to reports, there were different versions of the movie corresponding to PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 ratings, based on which of Williams' ad-libs and tangents were included in the cut.

The movie was ultimately released in PG-13 form, due to some language and sexual innuendo.

However, it's hard to not wonder what on Earth could possibly have existed in those R and NC-17 versions to warrant such an extreme rating change when the rest of the movie is otherwise so wholesome.

2 The movie won an Academy Award for its makeup work

Based on the plot of Mrs. Doubtfire, you would think that changing in and out of the Euphegenia Doubtfire makeup and outfit would be something that could be accomplished in a simple trip to the ladies' room.

However, the truth behind the work that went into creating the iconic elderly Scottish woman look is a much different story.

Each day that Williams was in the Mrs. Doubtfire makeup, it took the team of artists four and a half hours to get him suited and painted up.

The process was so thoroug, and so convincing, that the team, consisting of makeup artists Ve Neill, Greg Cannom, and Yolanda Toussieng, would go on to win the 1994 Academy Award for Best Makeup.

1 The address used for the Hillard home is the real address of the exterior used for filming

It's not uncommon for movies and television shows to use exteriors of buildings and homes that are totally unrelated to the production otherwise.

Sets are almost always contained in studios, and in some cases, the exterior shots are filmed on studio as well.

For Mrs. Doubtfire, however, it turns out things were a whole lot more authentic.

The exterior of the house used for the Hillard family home in the movie was in fact a real house in San Francisco.

Further, the address of the home itself was, in fact, the address used for the Hillard home, despite all scenes inside of it having no resemblance at all to the interior of the house itself.

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Can you think of any other interesting facts behind the making of Mrs. Doubtfire? Let us know in the comments!

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