During a recent episode of The Graham Norton Show, actress Sally Fields opened up about her experience working with the late Robin Williams on the film Mother’s Day. Fields, who starred alongside Williams in the movie, discussed how she tried her best to keep up with his spontaneous and comedic nature on set.
When asked if she knew that the film was based on a true story, Fields admitted that she initially thought it was purely fictional due to its absurdity. However, she later discovered that the events portrayed in the film were indeed based on real-life occurrences. Fields went on to mention that there was plenty of existing footage of the real-life character she portrayed, Tanya, but not much of her mother. Despite not having much material to reference for accuracy, Fields explained that it was liberating for her to create the character based on the stories and interviews she heard from Tanya and her husband, Jeff Gul.
Fields also shared an interesting behind-the-scenes tidbit about the film. She revealed that the bird on her shoulder in one of the scenes was an actual detail from Tanya’s life. The decision to include the bird and other specific elements in the film’s portrayal of Tanya was based on real-life footage and documentation that the filmmakers had access to.
During the conversation, Fields praised her co-star, Emily Blunt, who is also her real-life partner. Fields admitted that she was initially nervous about working with Blunt, as she had never seen her work on set before. However, she quickly realized that their collaboration was the greatest one of her career. Fields described Blunt’s acting as mesmerizing and said that it changed the atmosphere in the room when she performed.
The conversation then took a lighthearted turn when Fields shared a comical anecdote about her recent birthday celebration with her family. She revealed that the waiter mistakenly brought the birthday cake to her father instead of her, but due to the English-like politeness of her family, nobody corrected the error. The entire evening turned into a celebration for her father, leaving Fields in amusement over the awkward situation.
Fields also briefly spoke about her past film, Mrs. Doubtfire, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. She reminisced about the unique filming process for the movie, where they shot fewer pages per day and gave Williams the freedom to improvise and play around with the scenes. Fields confessed that it was a challenge for her to keep up with Williams’ spontaneity but exhilarating at the same time.
Overall, Fields’ appearance on The Graham Norton Show provided insight into her experiences working with Robin Williams and her journey in portraying real-life characters. Her anecdotes and humor made for an entertaining and lively interview that captivated both the audience and viewers at home.
