Drew Barrymore gets emotional recalling the first time she met Robin Williams

A superstar may forget an encounter with an enthusiastic fan. They may even forget who they ended up inspiring with their latest work. But a superstar never forgets where they came from, who were their greatest inspirations and support systems when they were not stars yet. Drew Barrymore, the American actress, producer, talk show host and author, was recently hosting an episode with Zelda Williams when she broke down and revealed that Zelda’s father Robin Williams was one of her first and biggest inspirations. Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor and comedian who died in 2014 at the age of 63, by suicide. On this episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show" dated Tuesday, February 13, the 48-year-old host was joined by Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse and Zelda Williams who appeared for the promotion of Zelda’s directorial debut film, Lisa Frankenstein.

The actress shared with Zelda how much the late comedian meant to her. She recalled the first time she had stumbled upon Robin, at a time when she was still a budding actor. She said that she had first met the late comedian when she was 7-years-old, just before her big screen debut in E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial. "Your father was the great Robin Williams," Drew told Zelda amidst rounds of applause. "Because he means so much to so many people. And I got the privilege of meeting him for the first time when I was seven in 1982. Steven Spielberg brought him to Saturday Night Live that I was hosting, at seven. I wasn't nervous until your dad came, and then I got nervous. He had such an impact on me and the world." At this, the 34-year-old Zelda commented that the host appeared emotional at recalling her memory. Barrymore’s eyes were welling with tears. However, keeping the sentiments aside, Barrymore chuckled and exclaimed, “Still the youngest host, yes!” She was, after all, one of the youngest hosts on the SNL episodes. Talking about Robin’s legacy that Zelda is carrying forward with her directorial debut, she added, “He’s so wonderful and he has put so much beauty into this world. And he means so much to people. I’m so thrilled that you’re continuing to carry out your family legacy.”

In a conversation with ET Online, Zelda shared her own moments of inspiration from her father. She said that she used to visit him on the sets of Bicentennial Man. "That was when I was old enough to really understand that there was a whole bunch of jobs you could also do. And that set was really beautiful. Chris Columbus runs a really wonderful set and he's such a kind human that I think you weren't walking into a space that felt tense as well. So, really, it gives you a false sense of security in our industry because then you go and you're like, 'Oh, none of these things get to be made anymore.' Like these huge sets."

"The Barrymore show" episode concluded with a discussion about the making of Lisa Frankenstein. The stars present there shared their experiences working with Zelda and on the overall film. The zombie-themed movie Lisa Frankenstein is now playing in theaters.