The “unusual” casting choice to play Robbie Williams in a new biopic “made sense” to the singer – but it’s also helped with the film’s publicity.
The singer is played by a rather unlikely figure in the forthcoming film Better Man, which tells the story of his rise to fame in boyband Take That before embarking on a successful solo career, and also depicts one of the singer’s most controversial moments.
In a decision that blindsided critics during the film’s premiere in August, a CGI ape plays Williams in the film and, while many were initially unconvinced by this idea, it’s been receiving high praise from those who’ve seen it – not to mention Williams’s ex Nicole Appleton.
Speaking about the decision to use an animated ape, played by Jonno Davies, in place of an actual human in the film, Williams told One Show hosts Lauren Laverne and Alex Jones on Tuesday (26 November) that it was the idea of writer-director Michael Gracey, whose previous credits include The Greatest Showman.
“I love eccentricity and I love unusual and I love surreal – and it made complete sense to me as soon as he pitched it to me,” Williams said.
However, the singer admitted that the discussion around the decision has led to more of an intense interest in the film than if he had been played by a real-life actor.
“I don't know if this film would be as talked about if it didn't have the monkey in it,” Williams said, adding: “But it does and it has and it all makes sense when you see it.”
For the film, Davies is the one who wore the motion-capture suit – Andy Serkis-style – to capture the ape’s movement, and he also provides the voice for all of the spoken dialogue. Meanwhile, Williams himself sings on the tracks in the film.
Gracey told Deadline back when the film was first announced: “As for how we represent Robbie in the film, that bit is top secret. I want to do this in a really original way. I just want the audience to… think, ‘I’ve never seen this before’.
It is said that the decision to depict him as a CGI primate is due to the singer’s belief that, when he walks on stage, he is essentially a performing monkey.
Better Man, an Australian-American production, will be released on 26 December. It co-stars Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman and Damon Herriman.
