Photo:Alexandra Wyman/WireImage
Alexandra Wyman/WireImage
Zelda Williamsis reminiscing about past holidays with family, including her late father,Robin Williams.The actress and film director, 34, spoke exclusively with PEOPLE at the 21st Annual Unforgettable Gala, the Asian and Pacific Islander Awards in Beverly Hills on Saturday, when she discussed how the Williams family spent holidays when she was growing up.
Noting how Robin’s busy schedule meant that they bonded over “cooking” throughout the year instead of having lots of festive traditions, Zelda said, “Dad’s job made it pretty hard to keep anything like a yearly tradition really, aside from Thanksgiving or days when sets would shut down."
“So we didn’t really have much in the way of that, but cooking together was a big part of our family," she continued. “We would eat together every Tuesday, however many family members were in town.”
Zelda Williams at the Unforgettable Gala held at the Beverly Hilton on December 16, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.Elyse Jankowski/Variety via Getty
Elyse Jankowski/Variety via Getty
As for who was involved with preparing the meals during each gathering, Zelda admitted that “not everybody” in the family was hands-on.
“My brothers and my dad were not good cooks,” she joked, adding, “But my mom and I would take part, and it was a big part of our family.”
Spending time together was a priority for the Williams family — which, when Zelda was growing up, included momMarsha Garces Williams, as well as brothersCody, now 31, andZak, now 40, the latter of whom Robin —who died in August 2014— shared with his first wife, Valerie Velardi.
“Being together was the important thing, because otherwise, especially with people scattered to the wind with work, it became even more special to do that,” Zelda explained.
Robin Williams and Zelda Williams attends the “Old Dogs” Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on November 9, 2009 in Hollywood, California.Steve Granitz/WireImage
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Zelda also detailed how the focus of the holiday season for her family now is spending time together and using the break to get away.
“Christmas is not a really big deal in my family. We usually use it to see each other and then just travel,” she said.
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StarringCole Sprouseand Kathryn Newton, the zombie-themed movie is set in the late ‘80s and marks her feature-length directorial debut.
In 2022, Zelda shared a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) whereshe discussed her excitement about the project.
“I know Hollywood gets a bad rep for regurgitating sequels and remakes and reboots over and over and over… and yeah, it totally does that!,” she wrote.
“But it’s also finally letting me make the most bonkers, wonderful zombie script I’ve ever read, and for that, I will be forever grateful!” Zelda added.
Zelda also spoke about the importance of the event she attended on Saturday, which, per theorganization’s website, “commemorates API celebrities, influencers and leaders who have significantly contributed to entertainment, arts and culture.”
“Interestingly, a lot of people don’t know that I’m part Filipino, and especially as I got older, I wanted to be more open about that when it was so important to my childhood,” she told PEOPLE.
source: people.com
