The Inspiration For Mrs. Doubtfire Will Surprise You
By Rachel Davis
As reported by The Scotsman, Mrs. Doubtfire was based on a shopkeeper named Annabella Coutts who owned a second-hand store in Edinburgh, Scotland. She had "Madame Doubtfire" hung above her store, and locals even referred to her by the moniker. Where did the name come from, you ask? It was the surname of her first husband, Arthur Cyril Doubtfire, who died in action during World War I.
Eventually, an author named Anne Fine moved to the area and would pass by Coutts' shop often. She decided to use the name "Madame Doubtfire" for her novel, and when it proved to be a success, she went back to Edinburgh to ask Coutts for permission to use her name. According to The Scotsman, "'Madame Doubtfire' had passed away 7 years earlier, but Anne did manage to track down one of her nephews who said his aunt 'would have been chuffed to bits' for the name to be used."
When Fine's novel was eventually adapted into a film, she was apparently upset that her themes of divorce and complex family dynamics were made much more light-hearted than she'd intended. However, she made it clear she wasn't upset with Williams for playing the part and said of his death in 2014, "It was terribly sad and I was as sorry as everyone else to hear the news. He brought enormous joy to so many people."
