Robin Williams' Daughter Zelda Shares Family Traditions: 'We Would Eat Together Every Tuesday' (Exclusive)

"Cooking together was a big part of our family," the actress and director told PEOPLE at the 21st Annual Unforgettable Gala

Zelda Williams is 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.”

Related: Robin Williams' Daughter Zelda Criticizes Efforts to Replicate Her Father Using AI: 'Personally Disturbing'

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 mom Marsha Garces Williams, as well as brothers Cody, now 31, and Zak, 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.

Related: Mrs. Doubtfire Director Says They Filled 2 Million Feet of Film with Robin Williams Improv: He 'Would Go Off'

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.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Following in her famous father’s Hollywood footsteps, Zelda, who both acts and directs, recently helmed the new movie Lisa Frankenstein, which is set to hit theaters next year.

Starring Cole Sprouse and 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) where she 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.

Related: Billy Crystal Says He's 'Missing My Friend' Robin Williams at Kennedy Center Honors

Zelda also spoke about the importance of the event she attended on Saturday, which, per the organization’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.

“It's just, obviously I had a fairly private childhood when it came to family, so [I’m] trying to be more in touch with it and also work with my peers a lot more," Zelda added.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.