Matthew Lawrence avoided drugs because of Robin Williams .
The 42-year-old actor starred alongside the late comedian - who took his own life back in 2014 after years of struggling with addiction and depression - in the 1993 hit 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and remembers how Robin would open up to him about his pain when the cameras were off.
He said: "He was the first adult who really let me in on his condition. Like, full-on let me in. 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."
Matthew starred as Christopher in 'Mrs. Doubtfire' which saw Robin take on the role of his out-of-work father who develops an alter-ego as an elderly woman in order to spend time with his children following a divorce and explained that the tragic star was "very serious" when it came to urging the then-teenager to stay away from drugs.
During his appearance at the first-ever '90s Con on Saturday (12.03.2022), he said: "'Don't ever 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."
Mara Wilson - who also starred alongside Robin in the classic comedy and would go on to achieve worldwide fame by taking on the title role in 'Matilda' a few years later - attended the event and claimed that Robin had a "massive influence" on her as a child actress.
She said: "Robin had a massive influence on me. 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."
