Greater than three a long time after “Mrs. Doubtfire” first hit theaters, one in every of its stars is dreaming up a daring solution to honor the film’s late and legendary lead Robin Williams.
Matthew Lawrence, who played one in every of the Hillard children within the beloved 1993 comedy, revealed during a recent Comic-Con appearance that he’d like to see Robin Williams’ iconic voice brought back to life through artificial intelligence, with full support from the late actor’s family, after all.
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Matthew Lawrence Wants To Use A.I. To Honor Robin Williams In A Modern Tribute
“I’d love, now, obviously, with the respect and with the okay from his family, but I’d like to do something really special along with his voice because I do know for a generation, that voice is just so iconic,” Lawrence shared in an interview with Entertainment Weekly while promoting his latest graphic novel project, “The Lawrence Brothers Detective Agency.”
Lawrence was just 12 years old when he starred alongside Robin Williams in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the heartwarming hit about a faithful dad who transforms right into a Scottish nanny to remain near his kids following a divorce. Now 45, the actor says those memories, and Williams’ voice, have stuck with him ever since.
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Williams died by suicide in 2014 at age 63, forsaking a legacy crammed with laughter, heart, and unforgettable characters. For Lawrence, the loss still resonates deeply.
“It is not just the incontrovertible fact that I knew him and worked with him and so it’s in my head. It’s in everybody’s head. And it might be so cool,” Lawrence said.
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‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Star Says Williams’ Old Ad Sparked Vision For A.I. Resurrection
The thought to revive Robin Williams’ voice through A.I. got here to Lawrence after rewatching an old business the Oscar-winning actor had starred in years ago.
“It’s kinda like this very contemporary, modern, almost kind of foreshadowing of what is going on on business that he did, where he did this computerized voiceover, and it at all times stuck with me,” he explained.
“After which, during his passing, with the AI coming out, I’m like, ‘Man, he’s gotta be the voice of A.I. He’s gotta be the voice in something.’ So yeah, I’d love to do this.”
Nevertheless, not everyone in Williams’ family shares the identical sentiment.
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Zelda Williams Slams Use Of A.I. To Recreate Her Father
In 2023, the comedian’s daughter, Zelda Williams, publicly opposed using artificial intelligence to recreate her father’s voice, expressing deep concerns over consent and ethics.
“I’m not an impartial voice in SAG’s fight against AI. I’ve witnessed for YEARS how many individuals need to train these models to create/re-create actors who cannot consent, like Dad,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories on the time. “This isn’t theoretical, it is vitally very real. I’ve already heard AI used to get his ‘voice’ to say whatever people want and while I find it personally disturbing, the ramifications go far beyond my very own feelings.”
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Robin Williams’ Son Honors His Legacy With Emotional Birthday Tribute
These latest comments about using artificial intelligence to revive Robin Williams come just days after the late actor’s son, Zak Williams, shared a moving tribute on what would have been his father’s 74th birthday.
In a heartfelt Instagram post on July 21, Zak reflected on the emotional toll this time of yr brings.
“Today would have been my dad’s 74th birthday,” he wrote. “Yearly, this season arrives with gravity. In only sixty days, we go through Father’s Day, his birthday, and the anniversary of his death. It’s a young and sophisticated stretch of time. One which asks quite a lot of the guts.”
He continued, “For me, grief isn’t linear. It loops and echoes. It softens, then crescendos. But alongside it lives a legacy, the type built not from fame or recognition, but from generosity and relentless kindness.”
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Robin Williams’ Tragic Death Still Reverberates A Decade Later
Robin Williams tragically died by suicide in August 2014 on the age of 63, forsaking an everlasting legacy of laughter, heart, and unforgettable characters.
His passing shocked fans world wide and sparked conversations about mental health, because it was later revealed the beloved actor had been battling a rare brain disease called Lewy body dementia, misdiagnosed on the time as Parkinson’s.
Within the years since his death, tributes have poured in from colleagues, fans, and relations alike, all in search of to preserve the spirit of a person who brought joy to thousands and thousands. But for those closest to him, preserving his memory also means protecting his identity, especially in a digital age where technology is blurring the lines between legacy and replication.