Matthew Lawerence wants to resurrect Robin Williams' voice with AI
Lawrence, 45, told Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend that he wants his 'Mrs. Doubtfire' co-star — who died by suicide at age 63 in 2014 — to become the new 'voice of AI.'
'I would love — now, obviously, with the respect and with the okay from his family — but I would love to do something really special with his voice because I know for a generation, that voice is just so iconic,' Lawrence said.
Advertisement
9 Matthew Lawrence, Rozonda 'Chili' Thomas at San Diego Comic-Con on July 26.
WireImage
9 Robin Williams at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2006.
Getty Images
'It's not just the fact that I knew him and worked with him and so it's in my head — it's in everybody's head,' the actor added. 'And it would be so cool.'
Advertisement
The idea, according to Lawrence, recently came to him when he was watching an old television commercial with Williams' voice.
9 Robin Williams, Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson, Lisa Jakub in 'Mrs. Doubtfire.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
'It's kinda like this very contemporary, modern, almost sort of foreshadowing of what's going on commercial that he did, where he did this computerized voiceover,' Lawrence explained. 'And it always stuck with me.'
'And then, 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,'' the 'Boy Meets World' star continued. 'So yeah, I would love to do that.'
Advertisement
9 Matthew Lawrence, Robin Williams in 'Mrs. Doubtfire.'
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Lawrence added that there's endless possibilities with using Williams' voice as AI, including for navigation on cellphones.
'It would be Robin!' Lawrence happily stated. 'It would be so cool. I'm telling you.'
9 Robin Williams in a promotional portrait for the Search for the Cause campaign in 2005.
Getty Images
Advertisement
During the SAG-AFTRA strike in Oct. 2023, Williams' daughter, Zelda Williams, put out a statement slamming the use of AI to recreate the late comedian.
'I am not an impartial voice in SAG's fight against AI,' Zelda, 35, wrote on social media. 'I've witnessed for YEARS how many people want to train these models to create/recreate actors who cannot consent, like Dad.'
9 Zelda and Robin Williams at the 'Happy Feet Two' premiere in 2011.
Getty Images
'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 own feelings,' Zelda continued. 'Living actors deserve a chance to create characters with their choices, to voice cartoons, to put their HUMAN effort and time into the pursuit of performance.'
Lawrence was a preteen when he played Williams' son, Chris Hillard, in 1993's 'Mrs. Doubtfire.'
At the first annual '90s Con in 2022, Lawrence recalled how Williams — who struggled with substance abuse before his death — warned him to 'stay away' from drugs while they were shooting the film together.
9 Matthew Lawrence, Lisa Jakub, Robin Williams, Mara Wilson, Sally Field in 'Mrs. Doubtfire.'
20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection
'[Williams] was very serious. He was like, 'You know when you come to my trailer and you see me like that?'' Lawrence shared. '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.'
Advertisement
9 Andrew Lawrence, Joey Lawrence, and Matthew Lawrence at Comic-Con 2025.
Getty Images
9 Robin Williams speaks at the 24th Annual American Cinematheque Award.
WireImage
In April, Lawrence told EW that the 'Jumaji' star also gave him two important life lessons: the 'type of compassion you need to have for people' and how you 'don't judge until you walk in someone else's shoes.'
'He really quantified what it was to be a real artist for me in the sense that he was definitely,' Lawrence said, 'and I worked with some great people, and he was definitely the most brilliant artist I've ever worked with.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Dennis Quaid, 71, gives rare insight into 39-year age gap with wife Laura Savoie, 32
Dennis Quaid's relationship isn't so far from heaven. 'My life is paradise,' Quaid, 71, told Fox News Digital when asked what he loves most about his wife, Laura Savoie, 34. 'Every day is paradise with her. It really is.' 'It's the closest relationship I've ever had with anybody,' the 'Parent Trap' actor went on. 'Every day is paradise. What can I tell you? I don't know why God had waited so long to bring her, for her to come along, but [I'm] really glad he brought her into my life, or I walked into hers.' Advertisement The couple, who have a 39-year age gap, tied the knot in a Santa Barbara, California, ceremony in 2020. They first met in 2019 while at a business event and got engaged in Hawaii that year. Quaid told Extra at the time that the proposal 'happened on the very northernmost point of Oahu, at Turtle Bay.' 8 Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie pose together at a Loretta Lynn event in Nashville on Oct. 30, 2022. Getty Images for CMT Advertisement 8 Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie attend the red carpet of the Filming Italy 2023. Getty Images 'It was kind of spontaneous. It was very much a surprise,' the 'Reagan' vet continued. 'I had the ring in my pocket… It has been kind of a month-and-a-half plan… I wanted it to be private.' Quaid added that Savoie was 'actually taking a selfie of us, and I put the ring in front and said, 'Will you marry me?'' After their wedding, the star couldn't help but gush over his special day. Advertisement 8 Dennis Quaid, recipient of the Cinema Icon Award, and Laura Savoie Quaid attend the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards. Getty Images 'It was beautiful,' Quaid told People about their nuptials. 'Just looking into her eyes, she was the most stunning bride.' 'I just love who she is as a person,' he went on. 'Her character, her intelligence, of course, her beauty. And her point of view of the world.' Savoie, for her part, echoed her husband's sentiments, stating, '[I have] never met someone who is so in love with life. It's like nothing can bring him down. Just getting to do life with someone who lives that way is inspiring for me. It changes my perspective and it brings so much joy to every day.' Advertisement 8 Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie attend CASH FEST. Getty Images for YouTube 8 Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie Quaid attend the Los Angeles Premiere of 'Reagan' at TCL Chinese Theatre on August 20, 2024. Getty Images And just last year, Quaid made it clear he doesn't notice the age difference between the pair. 'I haven't spoken out about the age difference of my wife,' he said to Fox News Digital. 'Other people have. But…I really don't think about it. She's got so much going on that, you know, I just don't notice it. She's just, she's the light of my life.' 'I wasn't looking for it, and she came along, and it's God put us together.' 8 Dennis Quaid and Kimberly Buffington in LA on April 11, 2006. Getty Images Following Quaid's 2019 engagement to the Texas McCombs School of Business alum, he admitted to The Guardian that the chatter around their age difference was 'really a laugh.' 'I didn't go out looking for an age gap or someone really younger than me. I met her at a business event and then the relationship developed,' he expressed. 'You have no control over who you fall in love with. I don't fall in love easy. But I can't let what a few people think control all that. I've been married three times and this is the final one, I know it is. I feel like I have a real partner in life.' Advertisement Quaid was previously married to actress P.J. Soles from 1978 to 1983. He then tied the knot with Meg Ryan in 1991. The exes welcomed son Jack, 33, before splitting in 2001. 8 Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid attend the premiere of Quaid's film 'Savior' on October 27, 1998. Getty Images 8 Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. Getty Images In 2004, Quaid married real estate broker Kimberly Buffington. They welcomed twins Thomas and Zoe, 17, in 2007. Advertisement The pair divorced in 2018. In July 2023, Quaid opened up about fatherhood, telling People he is a 'dorky dad.' 'I love being a dad. I really do. I think I'm a good dad,' he said. 'It turned out so far so good. Jack really turned out well. I'm really proud of him, and Thomas and Zoe too.'
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Horror Movie ‘Weapons' Earns Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
Topline 'Weapons,' a new horror movie opening in theaters next week, earned a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from its first reviews, after the movie's eerie marketing campaign—including a video of more than two hours of surveillance footage—went viral online. "Weapons," from director Zach Cregger, opens in theaters next week. (Photo by Alberto E. ...for CinemaCon) Getty Images for CinemaCon Key Facts 'Weapons' has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on its first 11 reviews, meaning all critics so far have given the movie a positive review. 'Weapons,' which opens in theaters Aug. 8, is a horror film about an entire classroom full of children vanishing in the middle of the night, except for one, according to distributor Warner Bros. The movie was written and directed by Zach Cregger, who previously wrote and directed the horror movie 'Barbarian' (2022), which was also well-received and has a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 'Weapons' stars Josh Brolin as the father of one of the missing children and Julia Garner as the children's teacher. Deadline projected 'Weapons' could earn $25 million or more in its opening weekend, a solid start for an original horror movie. What Are Critics Saying About 'weapons?' Lyvie Scott, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic for Inverse, said 'Weapons' is 'haunting and cerebral as it is almost cartoonishly funny,' praising the movie's balance of 'gory shocks' and 'visceral physical comedy.' Chris Evangelista, a critic for the horror movie website SlashFilm, said the film 'taps into very modern fears without laying it on too thick,' stating the movie portrays paranoia and fear parents may feel after watching cable news. Evangelista called 'Weapons' 'one of the best horror movies of the year' and said Cregger is 'one of the most exciting voices in the genre right now.' In a five-star review for the horror publication Dread Central, critic Josh Korngut praised the cast performances and called the movie 'near-perfect,' calling it 'shocking, original, and grotesquely funny all at once.' Some critics, including Rotten Tomatoes-approved Matt Neglia, felt the movie lost steam at the end, stating Cregger 'missed an opportunity to tell a story that is more emotionally rich and relatable' and opted for a 'facile solution.' How Did The 'weapons' Marketing Go Viral? 'Weapons' garnered attention in the spring for a marketing campaign some movie publications compared to that of the 'Blair Witch Project' for its use of found footage and its realistic portrayal of the marketing materials. Warner Bros. published a video of surveillance footage on YouTube, titled '2025_░_░_06: which portrays children running through town in the middle of the night. The video is exactly two hours and 17 minutes long, similar to the time the children disappear in the movie: 2:17 a.m. The studio also published an online website, which is fashioned like a local news outlet and contains news articles about the children who disappear from town in the film. Surprising Fact The bidding war to secure the rights to 'Weapons' was reportedly intense, with multiple production companies making offers. New Line Cinema, a production company owned by Warner Bros., won the auction in January 2023 after making a $38 million offer, with Cregger earning $10 million and the ability to decide the final cut, a deal the Hollywood Reporter called 'unprecedented' for a filmmaker who had only directed one movie before. Other companies that made bids include Universal Pictures and Monkeypaw Productions, the production company owned by horror director-producer Jordan Peele. Deadline reported Peele parted ways with his management shortly after losing the auction. Further Reading Summer Box Office Opening Forecasts For 'Fantastic Four', 'Weapons', 'Freakier Friday' & More (Deadline) New Line Wins Intense Auction for 'Weapons,' the New Movie From 'Barbarian' Filmmaker Zach Cregger (Hollywood Reporter)
Engadget
2 hours ago
- Engadget
Mario Paint comes to Nintendo Switch Online and, yes, it has mouse controls
I've been wondering for a while what the killer app for Joy-Con mouse controls on the Nintendo Switch 2 might be. Sure, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is fine as a tech demo (one that should have been a pack-in rather than costing $10) and Drag x Drive looks pretty interesting. Civilization VII has its fans as well. But the best use case for the feature yet could be a 33-year-old game that just hit Nintendo Switch Online. That's right, the all-time SNES classic Mario Paint just joined the service. The game only works with mouse controls, but original Switch users won't be left out here, as they have the option to plug a compatible USB mouse into the console's dock and create some art that way. Mario Paint allows you to color in existing designs (of, say, Mario and Yoshi) or fill the segments with patterns. You'll be able to create original art and animations too. There's also a mini-game in which you can test your mouse-pointing accuracy by swatting bugs. Perhaps most importantly for many Mario Paint fans, the music creator is present. A few Mario Paint tracks have joined the library in the Nintendo Music app as well. But that's not all. The Nintendo Switch Online SNES app now offers control remapping, which is a welcome accessibility update.
