Mara Wilson Openly Grieves Robin Williams' Death: 'We're All His Godamned Kids, Too'

Known for her roles as Matilda and Susan in "Miracle On 34th Street," and, maybe most notably over the last week, Robin Williams' 5-year-old daughter Natalie in "Mrs. Doubtfire," Mara Wilson took to her blog yesterday to openly grieve the death of her co-star and friend who died on August 11 after committing suicide.

Wilson, now 27, remained far from social media since learning of Williams' death last week, but wrote a wonderful tribute on her blog, describing him in the way his fans have come to know him: hilarious, kind, versatile in talent.

But she also described a Williams the public may not have seen:

Robin was so on so much of the time that I was surprised to hear my mother describe him as "shy." "When he talks to you," she told her friends, "he'll be looking down at his shoes the whole time." I figured he must have been different with grown-ups. I wouldn't see that side of him myself until a few years later, when I was invited to be part of a table read of What Dreams May Come. He came alive in the reading, and had us all laughing at lunch, but my strongest impression came when we saw each other for the first time that day. Robin crossed to me from across the room, got down to my level, and whispered "Hi, how are you?" He asked how my family was doing, how school was, never raising his voice and only sometimes making eye contact. He seemed so vulnerable. "So this is what Mom meant," I thought. It was as if I was seeing him for the first time. He was a person now.

Wilson writes her regret of scoffing at the idea of a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire:

I had thought maybe the next time I saw Robin I would explain myself to him, let him know that I had loved working with him but didn't feel like we could do it again, and that being in major studio films again meant a level of scrutiny I didn't think I could deal with. I wanted to apologize and know he understood. It hurts to know I can't.

You can read Wilson's full blog post here. She ends her tribute with a memory - one of the best lines she had in Mrs. Doubtfire.