Lisa Jakub () (born December 27, 1978) is a Canadian writer, yoga teacher, and former actress. She is best known for her roles as Lydia Hillard in the comedy-drama film ''

Mrs. Doubtfire ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It was written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the 1987 novel ''Alias Madame Doubtfire'' by Anne Fine. Robin Williams, who also s ...

'' (1993) and as Alicia Casse in ''

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

'' (1996).

Childhood and education

Jakub was born on December 27, 1978, in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. She is of Slovak (father) and Welsh and Scottish (mother) descent. She attended multiple schools in her early life, including

Hillfield Strathallan College Hillfield Strathallan College is an independent, co-educational day school in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The academic program runs from Montessori Toddler and Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. The current Head of College is Marc Ayotte. Hillfield S ...

. Jakub graduated from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

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 ''

'' (1993) alongside

Mara Wilson Mara Elizabeth Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an American actress and writer. She rose to prominence as a child for playing Natalie Hillard in the film ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' (1993) and went on to play Susan Walker in ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (199 ...

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...

Matthew Lawrence Matthew William Lawrence (born February 11, 1980) is an American actor and singer, known for his roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' and ''Boy Meets World''. Lawrence also starred in the series '' Brotherly Love'' with his real-life brothers Joey and An ...

, and

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

. When Jakub received the part of Lydia in ''

'', her high school expelled her for accruing too many absences.

wrote a letter to Jakub's high school, pleading with them to re-admit Jakub but this was unsuccessful. She played Sandra in '' Matinee'' (1993), appeared in ''A Pig's Tale'' (1994) and ''

'' (1996), ''

The Beautician and the Beast ''The Beautician and the Beast'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis, written by Todd Graff, and starring Fran Drescher, Timothy Dalton, Lisa Jakub, Ian McNeice, and Patrick Malahide. It tells the story of a New York C ...

'' (1997), and played the "inspiration" for

Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, portrayed in films by Carrie Fisher. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is princess of th ...

in the

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

George Lucas in Love ''George Lucas in Love'' is a 1999 American parodical short film directed by Joe Nussbaum. A parody of ''Shakespeare in Love'', it depicts a young George Lucas and his real-life inspirations behind the characters and plot of ''Star Wars''. Upon ...

'' (1999). She starred in '' Picture Perfect'' (1995), and portrayed a

bordello A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub pa ...

worker in the

American Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

in ''

Painted Angels ''Painted Angels'' (1997) (US: ''The Wicked Wicked West'') is a film by Jon Sanders starring Brenda Fricker, Kelly McGillis, Meret Becker, Bronagh Gallagher, Lisa Jakub and Anna Mottram. The film was shot in Saskatchewan, Canada, and follows t ...

'' (1997).

Personal life

After retiring from acting in 2001 at the age of 22, Jakub moved to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and married her longtime best friend, 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'' (2015) and ''Not Just Me'' (2017) 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. In 2021, Lisa launched a new website, BlueMala, which she described as the resource that she wished she had when she was in her darkest moments. The website contains her articles on mental wellness along with her yoga and meditation videos.

Writings

* ''You Look Like That Girl: A Child Actor Stops Pretending and Finally Grows Up'' (2015) * ''Not Just Me: Anxiety, Depression, and Learning to Embrace Your Weird'' (2017) * ''(Don't) Call Me Crazy'' (contributing writer) (

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

, 2018)

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Lisa Jakub

You Look Like That Girl
* *Lisa Jakub'
Blue Mala
Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Jakub, Lisa 1978 births 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century American writers Actresses from Toronto Canadian child actresses Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian film actresses Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian people of Slovak descent Canadian people of Welsh descent Canadian television actresses Canadian women non-fiction writers Living people Writers from Toronto 21st-century American women writers