Lisa Jakub


Lisa Jakub is a Canadian writer, yoga teacher, and former actress. She is best known for her role as Lydia Hillard in the comedy-drama film Mrs. Doubtfire.

Early life and education

Jakub was born on December 27, 1978, in Toronto, Ontario. She is of Slovak and Welsh and Scottish descent. She attended multiple schools in her early life, including Hillfield Strathallan College.
Jakub graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Sociology in 2010.

Acting

Jakub's first role was as Katis' Granddaughter in the 1985 film Eleni. She appeared in comedy-drama film Mrs. Doubtfire alongside Mara Wilson, Sally Field, Matthew Lawrence, and Robin Williams. The film grossed $441.3 million on a $25 million budget, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1993 worldwide. Though the film received mixed reviews, it was placed 67th in the American Film Institute's "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs" list and 40th on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies of All Time." When Jakub received the part of Lydia in Mrs. Doubtfire, her high school expelled her for accruing too many absences. Robin Williams wrote a letter to Jakub's high school, pleading with them to re-admit Jakub but this was unsuccessful.
She played Sandra in Matinee, appeared in A Pig's Tale and Independence Day, The Beautician and the Beast, and played the "inspiration" for Princess Leia in the short film George Lucas in Love. She starred in Picture Perfect, and portrayed a bordello worker in the American Old West in Painted Angels.

Personal life

After retiring from acting in 2001 at the age of 22, Jakub moved to Virginia and married longtime partner, a former Hollywood theater manager, Jeremy Jones in 2005. She has publicly stated that she has no plans to return to acting. Jakub later became a writer, authoring two books called You Look Like That Girl and Not Just Me and regularly contributes to online blogs. Jakub is also a qualified Kripalu yoga teacher. She has openly discussed her battles with anxiety, depression and panic attacks, which she has suffered from since her teenage years and credits her yoga practice in helping her overcome her battles.

Writings

Film

Television