Matthew Lawrence says Sally Field became a second mother on Mrs. Doubtfire

Matthew Lawrence has described Sally Field as “another mother figure” from his time making Mrs. Doubtfire as a 12-year-old.

Lawrence made the remarks in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, reported by Variety on 11 October 2026. He was speaking about the bond formed on the 1993 family comedy more than three decades after filming.

The film follows Daniel, played by Robin Williams, a father who disguises himself as a Scottish nanny to spend time with his three children and show his estranged wife Miranda, played by Field, that he has matured, according to the same report. Lawrence played the son of Field’s and Williams’ characters. His on-screen sisters were played by Lisa Jakub and Mara Wilson, while Pierce Brosnan played Miranda’s boyfriend.

“We really became a family unit on that set,” Lawrence said of working with Field, Williams and Brosnan. He said the cast spent time getting to know each other before rehearsals began. Field, he said, “kind of really became another mother figure” during that period.

He was 12. That age can be tricky on a film set, caught between childhood and an adult workplace.

Lawrence said the three adult stars got the balance right. They neither talked down to him as a child nor overexposed him to the adult world, he said.

Lawrence has returned to that period in other work. He published the graphic novel The Lawrence Brothers Detective Agency with his brothers, which includes a tribute to Field and Williams.

The Mrs. Doubtfire cast has stayed in touch with audiences, too. Jakub, Lawrence and Wilson reunited 30 years after the film’s release, as reported by Decider. Lawrence also shared memories of Williams and the film during a panel at 90s Con 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida, according to People, and reunited with several costars at a panel in Los Angeles on 29 May 2026.

What makes this stand out is the emphasis on preparation. For fans, this means the off-screen friendship was built before the cameras rolled, not after the film became a hit.