Bonnie Hunt Reflects on Her ‘Lifelong Friendship’ With Robin Williams

Bonnie Hunt will never forget the memories she made working on Jumanji with a very special costar.

“That movie turned into my lifelong friendship with Robin Williams,” Hunt, 63, exclusively shared with Us Weekly at the Red One New York premiere on Monday, November 11. “My dear, dear close friend. I miss him terribly. I’m so glad that we did that movie together, but more importantly, that we stayed in each other’s lives every day from that moment on.”

Hunt and Williams starred in the 1995 family adventure film based on the children’s picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. Jumanji became a box office hit and sparked sequels and an animated TV series.

As the film continues to make positive memories for families 30 years after its release, Hunt can’t help but recall the moments she shared with Williams on and offscreen.

“I’m an oncology nurse — that’s what I did before I was in show business, and I still work and volunteer,” she explained to Us. “In all the years I’ve been volunteering in the cancer departments, Robin never said no — never once — to me asking, ‘Can you call this patient?’ Or, ‘Will you surprise this patient?’ Every time, he said, ‘Absolutely,’ and he brought a lot of joy, very healing humor.”

Williams died by suicide in August 2014 at the age of 63. Before his death, the actor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease with early symptoms starting in 2013.

According to his autopsy, Williams had diffuse Lewy bodies, which contributed to the severity of his depression and anxiety.

If Hollywood were to create another Jumanji sequel (another installment starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in the works), Hunt said she would be open to learning more but it “depends on the script, always!”

For now, the former Bonnie Hunt Show host is excited to celebrate the release of her new holiday movie, Red One. In the action comedy, which is about saving Christmas after Santa Claus is kidnapped, Hunt plays a modern-day Mrs. Claus.

While watching movies is always part of Hunt’s holidays, there’s another family tradition the actress loves.

“We celebrate the fact that we’re all together having a good time, and then all of a sudden, everything changes when you hear the phrase, ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’” Hunt teased. “It’s a family tradition.”

Red One is in theaters everywhere on Friday, November 15.

With reporting by Antonio Ferme