Kirsten Dunst recalls working with Robin Williams on JUMANJI as “a very respectful, beautiful human being”

It’s been eleven years since we lost our beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams to suicide after his battle with Lewy body dementia. His legacy and incredible work lives on, entertaining generations of fans old and new. A young co-star of Williams recently had warm words to say about her time with the actor on the set of the 1995 film Jumanji.

Kirsten Dunstwho was nominated for an Oscar, an Emmy and four Golden Globes, in the film she played a young girl who gets sucked into the board game Jumanji and meets Williams’ character, an adult Alan Parrish, who has been stuck in the game since he was a child.

Dunst appeared The Drew Barrymore Show (via EW) this week, where she revealed that Williams made a deep impression on her and taught her then-13-year-old the proper way to treat a crew.

“It makes me so sad to think about him,” Dunst confessed about Williams, to which Barrymore responded, “I feel like he never went away, though, in a wonderful way.”

Dunst acknowledged that he was someone she looked up to as a young woman, saying, “He was just like… He left such an impression on me with his grace and the way he treated everyone,” she told Barrymore and his Roofman costar Channing Tatum. “And then on top of that, he gave me my first computer? And he was so generous with his spirit and everything.”

And in return he learned a lot from him. “Again, what a lesson for me to learn at such a young age how to treat a crew,” he remarked. “I mean, just a very respectful, beautiful human being.”

Although they never officially worked together, Barrymore spoke on her talk show about her experience with Williams while hosting Saturday night live at just 7 years old.

“I had the privilege of meeting him for the first time when I was 7 years old in 1982,” she explained to Williams’ daughter, Zelda, in 2024.”[E.T. director] Steven Spielberg brought him to do it Saturday night live that I was hosting… Still the youngest guest!”

However, Barrymore admitted that it wasn’t until she met Williams on set that nerves really kicked in. “I wasn’t nervous until your dad came, and then I got nervous,” she said. “He’s so wonderful and he’s put so much beauty into this world. And he means so much to people.”

Robin Williams remains one of the funniest people ever, and his films are as entertaining as ever. His absence is truly felt and we will miss him forever.