What Happened To The Girl Who Played Lydia In Mrs Doubtfire?

The 1993 release of "Mrs. Doubtfire" saw Fox catch lightning in a bottle. With its impressive cast of memorable characters, the film successfully captured both a compelling and comedic story, depicting a divorced man who disguises himself as a nanny to spend more time with his periodically estranged children. As the late Robin Williams was a primary highlight of the film, the supporting roles of his on-screen kids, Chris, Lydia, and Natalie, were just as significant. However, what's most notable after the 32-year milestone is the growth of each of the child actors. From Matthew Lawrence, who played Chris, solidifying his acting success as a former cast member on "Boy Meets World," to Mara Wilson, who played Natalie, transitioning to more behind-the-scenes work, it was clear just how prominent their stints were. But what about Lydia?

While it's easy to assume that the once-popular child star, Lisa Jakub, completely vanished from the public eye, this isn't entirely the case. Some "Mrs. Doubtfire" fans may not be privy to the number of achievements she's been able to fulfill since her departure from the cult-classic film, but Jakub is still finding notable success, albeit away from Hollywood. Whether it be starting her own non-profit organization, using her online presence to promote mental wellness, or becoming a well-renowned author, Jakub has been more than fortunate in a laundry list of ventures. To learn more about her whereabouts and current projects, here is everything Lisa Jakub has been up to since she portrayed Lydia in "Mrs. Doubtfire."

The '90s proved to be an eventful decade for Lisa Jakub. With her most notable role in "Mrs. Doubtfire" taking shape in 1993, 14-year-old Jakub continued to act well after the film's release. While most of these would be, in her words, per a Reddit AmA in 2014, "a bunch of cheesy made-for-television movies that mostly just aired in Denmark," her next major role was a 1996 sci-fi movie that starred a budding Will Smith, Randy Quaid, Jeff Goldblum, and former "Days of Our Lives" actor, Vivica A. Fox.

The movie was "Independence Day," in which she played Alicia Casse, the teenage daughter of Vietnam veteran Russell Casse Ironically enough, her involvement in the infamous "I don't want to die a virgin" scene was one of the biggest memories she had of snagging the role (via Hollywood Reporter). "I remember being in my dining room and auditioning for an alien movie and having my mom play a boy asking me if I wanted to die a virgin, and thinking I had an incredibly strange job," Jakub stated. 

Nonetheless, Jakub still looked back on this role with fondness. So much so, she took to Instagram every year on Independence Day to celebrate the holiday and take a trip down memory lane with her fans. "29 years ago," she wrote in July, with a screenshot of her in "Independence Day." "Still really damn worried about what's out there."

Despite her success, Lisa Jakub had her personal gripes about the acting industry. Sure, her career saw her work alongside the likes of Robin Williams in his prime and the star of "The Nanny," Fran Drescher, in "The Beautician and the Beast." However, as a child actor who started working at the early age of 4, Jakub found that she wasn't fully passionate about acting once she grew up. 

During a 2021 interview with Brian and Chris from Dork Daily, Jakub stated that this discovery caused her to retire in her twenties, describing her life as a working actor as inauthentic. "I wasn't passionate about being an actor. ... I was like 21, 22, and really felt like I was living somebody else's dream," she said. "Everybody kept telling me how lucky I was and how this was just like the best life available, but I didn't feel successful. I didn't feel happy. I didn't feel like I was doing what I was meant to be doing."

Alongside a longstanding battle with anxiety and depression, Jakub sought fulfillment in her life that acting couldn't provide. This was still the case in the years that followed. When asked about a potential acting return in a 2018 video on her YouTube channel, Jakub firmly denounced the possibility, stating, "I cannot imagine under what circumstances I would want to go back to being an actor." 

Despite Lisa Jakub's gradual exit from the acting industry, she was fond of the life she had known since she was 4, due to once-in-a-lifetime experiences on set and the people she met. After all, it was through acting that she got to meet Hollywood theater manager Jeremy Jones, who, initially, was a friend. As she described in her personal blog in 2014, she started dating Jones after five years of platonic bonding and a lengthy career of "making out with her co-stars in her trailer." When illustrating their earlier days as a fresh couple, Jakub recalled a trip to Italy as a full-circle moment for the two. 

While showcasing her short film, "Day After Day," at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001, the two made their way to Italy. In awe of the country's inherent romance, Jones suggested they should have their wedding there if they were to get married. Fast forward to 2005, and the two would return to Italy for their intimate wedding. In June, Jakub took to Instagram to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this occasion with her life partner. "20 years ago today, we were in Italy with 25 of our favorite people, so I could marry my ex-boyfriend's roommate. And what an incredible 20 years it's been," she wrote. "Thank you for this adventure, J. Let's do more of this, please."

After departing from the acting industry, Lisa Jakub dedicated a ton of time to self-discovery. She relocated to Virginia and attended college, where her new identity began to grow, outside of the shadows of her former self. In addition to this, Jakub found solace in writing, which seemingly prompted her to start her own personal blog in 2013, allowing fans to gain insight into various aspects of her life. 

One blog post covered her first time being requested as a public speaker to share her experience in the entertainment industry with a group of high school students. "My knee-jerk reaction to this request was, 'No.' It was '(expletive), no, actually. I can't do that," she wrote. "I'm not good at public speaking and I would be nervous and uncool, and I'd just have to be ... you know ... my authentic self."

Despite her initial disdain for public speaking, this venture eventually became a newfound passion of hers. As a keynote speaker, Jakub made her rounds holding presentations at numerous events about her unique journey as an actor and her longstanding history with mental health, to help attendees find their own authentic path. This endeavor followed her well into 2020 when she appeared at a Common House Speaking Event, and 2024, when she joined the American Program Bureau (APB) as one of its keynote speakers.

Writing became a strong outlet for Lisa Jakub as she rebuilt her life away from acting. This transition wasn't easy, and it came with many assumptions regarding her reasoning for doing so. Her departure was more than just not wanting to become a cautionary tale for other child actors, which came to light in her memoir "You Look Like That Girl" in 2015. According to her interview with Martini Productions that year, she thought many could identify with her story. "I think, probably, a lot of people can relate to that idea of maybe feeling like they're doing something out of momentum, they're doing something because they've been doing it for a really long time, but maybe it's not what they really want to do with the rest of their life, and that can be a very exciting and very scary moment," she explained. 

Her vulnerability was met with exceptional praise, which kick-started a prolific writing career. She found similar success with her 2017 book, "Not Just Me: Anxiety, Depression, and Learning to Embrace Your Weird," which centered on her hidden struggles with mental health. In her 2017 interview with Deborah Kalb, Jakub shared that she wrote the book in hopes of connecting with others facing similar issues. "So many people are struggling silently ... There is no need for shame, and I hope that with 'Not Just Me,' I'm doing something to help ditch the stigma around these common issues," she expressed.

Among the several things we've noticed about "Mrs. Doubtfire" as adults, its impact has remained clear. As with all things nostalgic, fans were awaiting a reunion of sorts or a sequel of the beloved cast members. Luckily, this came to fruition in 2018 when Lisa Jakub reunited with Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson, and Pierce Brosnan for an exclusive interview with Today, celebrating the film's 25th anniversary. During the interview with Gadi Schwartz, the cast discussed the significance of the film and shared personal memories of their time on set. 

Their appreciation for their late co-star, Robin Williams, was apparent as each of them unveiled the impact he had on their lives. While most people were privy to Mara Wilson's relationship with Williams before his passing, Jakub spoke about his attempt to use his influence to prevent her from being kicked out of high school at 14 due to her filming obligations, which goes to show just how strong each of their bonds was. "This was a really special movie for a lot of reasons, and the bond, I think, was something that really came through," she explained. Jakub, Lawrence, and Wilson publicly reconnected again for the first annual '90s Con in 2022, and on Lawrence's "Brotherly Love Podcast" in 2024.

After leaving Hollywood, Lisa Jakub became a huge advocate for changing the stigma around mental health. By sharing her personal journey at seminars and in online blogs, Jakub found solace in using her story to uplift anyone who's struggled with anxiety and depression. One of the ways she began to do so was through her YouTube channel, where she frequently speaks candidly about mental health. She eventually transformed her channel into a hub for potential practices that could be beneficial for one's mental health, such as meditation and yoga. 

In fact, these became practices she swore by as early as 2017. At the time, she uploaded a glimpse into a home yoga session with her dog, Olive, with the title, "I think we should start teaching online classes." Indeed, within the next few years, she uploaded a plethora of guided yoga sessions for her subscribers to use for their own mindfulness routines. The same can be said for meditation, as the practice has since become a major topic on her YouTube channel. Along with sharing meditation tips, she uploaded guided meditations as early as 2020, focusing on specific topics such as practicing forgiveness, appreciating self-worth, and overall empowerment.

For Lisa Jakub, a lot of inspiration came on the backend of her second book, "Not Just Me: Anxiety, Depression, and Learning to Embrace Your Weird." As public speaking became an evident avenue for her to explore, she found it necessary to speak on her mental health struggles and how these challenges should lead to empowerment instead of disdain. This caused her to adopt the phrase "embrace your weird," which, according to her 2019 interview with WMRA Public Radio, was a mantra she uses to remind herself and others that their uniqueness is their superpower. Not only did this become a lifelong motto for Jakub, but it also became the title of her 2018 podcast.

Similar to her YouTube channel, Jakub's podcast discussed all things related to mental health. After explaining her backstory as a child actor on the first episode of "Embrace Your Weird," Jakub's vulnerability came through as she covered a wide array of mental health topics like perfectionism, performance anxiety, and the harsh effects of overworking ourselves. She'd oftentimes bring on multiple guests, ranging from her husband, Jeremy Jones, to Air Force veterans, to share their unique stories regarding mental health. The podcast proved to be a success for the better part of three years. However, with the last upload being in 2021, it seems that Jakub has since put aside her podcasting career for other notable ventures.

In addition to writing, Lisa Jakub adopted a passion for public speaking. While her initial stint saw her speak to high school students about her history as a child actor, her career proved more fruitful as she was introduced to people from other walks of life who struggled with anxiety and depression in a similar way she did. In her speaker sizzle reel for APB Speakers in 2024, Jakub described meeting veterans who faced mental challenges in their day-to-day. According to the former "Mrs. Doubtfire" actor, this ultimately flipped a lightbulb in her head. "One day in 2016, I was invited to come and speak to a group of military veterans," she said. "I found another group of people that really missed the camaraderie of their old jobs, and I knew I had found my purpose. I help people feel less alone."

Alongside Blue Mala — an online organization she founded in 2021 that serves as a hub for all things related to mental health — Jakub honed in on this specific community with Mission Flexible in 2022. According to the website, the mission is to provide veterans with mental wellness practices and resources to support their overall well-being. Similar to Jakub's YouTube channel, the organization offers various retreats for veterans to thrive in a well-suited community, using mindfulness methods like meditation, therapeutic writing, and yoga to help with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and most notably, post-traumatic stress. 

Since leaving the acting industry, Lisa Jakub has led a life that prioritizes both her physical and mental health. This includes her personal choice to stop drinking, which ultimately led to an alcohol-free lifestyle. In what she described as "an unexpected turn of events" in a blog post on Substack, she also decided to start running, which she noted is an activity her body isn't naturally talented at. Nonetheless, the former child actor has always had an affinity for attending running events, as she's close to many people who enjoy this hobby. 

Her personal journey as a runner initially consisted of utilizing the Zombie Apocalypse method — or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) — where she sprints full out for 30 seconds, walks for 2 minutes, then repeats for 20 minutes. While running was seemingly just an extra step in her fitness routine that proved to be beneficial, Jakub took to Instagram in September 2025 to share an incredible milestone with her followers. "My first running event!" she wrote alongside a photo of her running. "4 miles with 1,600-plus badass women. What an incredible day. "I've only been running for a couple of months, but it's an important experience to be a beginner at something. I'm learning so much! ... Thank you to everyone who encouraged me, advised me, and reassured me that it doesn't matter how slow I am, I'm still a runner!"