“Look at what we get to do”: Shawn Levy Reveals 1 Message Robin Williams Imparted to Him on His Last Film That Could Make Even a Grown Man Cry

Shawn Levy is currently riding high on the success of his MCU debut Deadpool & Wolverine. The filmmaker collaborated with Ryan Reynolds for the third consecutive time with the Marvel film, which has earned over $924 million at the box office. It is the highest-grossing film of Levy’s career.

Levy has helmed some popular films in the past few decades, with his most famous being the Night at the Museum franchise. The filmmaker mentioned one moment on the sets of the third film Secret of the Tomb, which was also actor Robin Williams’ final film, that impacted him.

Shawn Levy Recalled Robin Williams’ Exciting Words On The Set Of His Film

Shawn Levy’s Night at the Museum films starred Ben Stiller as a nightguard who finds that the exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History came alive at night due to a magical Egyptian tablet. The film series also starred Robin Williams, Steve Coogan, and Owen Wilson in important roles.

Williams played former President Theodore Roosevelt in the films and was perfect in his role as a wise and patriotic hero. The actor’s final film role before his tragic death in 2014 was Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, the third film in the franchise. Levy had returned to direct the film.

Shawn Levy mentioned to Esquire a moment he cherished the most from the films. He said,

We’re shooting at the British Museum and it is 3 AM. And I’m there with Ben Stiller and Robin Williams playing Teddy Roosevelt. We’re talking before a shot and we’re standing next to Rosetta Stone in one of the great museums of the world closed for us. And Robin looks around and says to me, ‘Hey, boss. Look what we get to do’.

The filmmaker mentioned how he admired the fact that Robin Williams, despite being in the industry for many years, still had an appreciation for the work they did.

Shawn Levy Revealed Robin Williams’ Struggle During Final Film

The world mourned when actor Robin Williams passed away in 2014. The Oscar-winning actor was known for his comedic and inspirational roles and always managed to cheer everyone around him. However, the actor seemed to be struggling mentally, which was later revealed to be a symptom of diffused Lewy Body Dementia (via The Guardian).

Director Shawn Levy, who helmed Williams’ final film Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, mentioned to The Independent that the crew noticed Williams not being his usual self and the struggles he was going through were evident. He said,

We saw that Robin was struggling in a way that he hadn’t before, to remember lines and to combine the right words with the performance…When Robin would call me at 10 at night, at two in the morning, at four in the morning, saying, ‘Is it usable? Is any of this usable? Do I suck? What’s going on?’ I would reassure him. I said, ‘You are still you. I know it. The world knows it. You just need to remember that.’

Levy mentioned that it was evident after a month of filming that something was going on with Williams. The actor’s makeup artist, Cheri Minns, also mentioned that he would end the day of filming crying in her arms.

Night at the Museum films are available to stream on Disney Plus.