Robbie Williams on why he's played by a chimp in new film

Robbie Williams, the well-known pop star, is stepping into the world of cinema with his new film titled Better Man. In a surprising twist, Robbie is portrayed by a chimpanzee in this biopic. A still from the film shows the chimp with its arms outstretched and a wide-open mouth, standing on a street with beautiful angel wings made of lights in the background. Robbie is thrilled about his new adventure in film, even though he admits he is still learning the ropes. He shared, 'I was at this thing called the Governors' Ball the other night. That was amazing. ' This event took place in Los Angeles, where he mingled with other celebrities like Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, and Daniel Craig. Robbie expressed his excitement, saying, 'I'm super excited because it's all brand new to me. I feel like an artist that's just been signed. I'm full of hope, full of excitement, bewildered by it all. ' The film Better Man chronicles Robbie's life, starting from his childhood, through his time with the famous boy band Take That, and up to 2003, the year he made history by performing three massive concerts at Knebworth, aiming to outdo the band Oasis, who had only managed two. The unique aspect of the film is that throughout the story, Robbie is depicted as a monkey, and everyone involved in the production refers to the character as such. However, if the legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough were to review the film, he would likely clarify that the creature singing the songs 'Angels' and 'Rock DJ' is actually a chimpanzee, not a monkey, since it lacks a tail. Robbie humorously referenced his old boyband by saying, 'Ape That and Party. ' Better Man has already received a nomination for best song at the Golden Globes. During an interview at London's Soho Hotel, a popular venue for the film industry, Robbie was seated next to Michael Gracey, the director of the acclaimed film The Greatest Showman. After a seven-year hiatus, Better Man marks Gracey's return to filmmaking, and it was his creative idea to have Robbie represented by a monkey. For a year and a half, Robbie and Michael exchanged messages about creating a musical biopic based on Robbie's life. Michael noted, 'There have been a lot of musical biopics, and I wanted to come at this with a different lens. ' He explained that Robbie often describes himself as a 'performing monkey,' which sparked the idea to tell the story from Robbie's perspective. When Michael asked Robbie how he would see himself as an animal, Robbie initially said, 'I am a lion,' but then he reconsidered and suggested, 'Monkey? ' Michael responded enthusiastically, 'Yeah, so here's the idea. ' Robbie was immediately on board, saying, 'Yes, that, that, that, please. ' The chimp character was brought to life by Weta, the special effects company known for creating Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in Planet of the Apes. They utilized a combination of motion capture and CGI technology, with the speaking voice provided by English actor Jonno Davies, who is recognized for his role in the Al Pacino TV series Hunters. Interestingly, the original plan was for Robbie to play the monkey himself, but he ultimately decided against it due to the long time away from his family. He remarked, 'There are loads of things that I want to do that are just best being an idea. ' At a special concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2022, Robbie performed the entire song My Way while connected to motion capture equipment. Michael explained that they even scanned Robbie's eyes to ensure that the monkey's eyes would look just like his. Robbie humorously added, 'I kind of don't want to know which bit's me and which bit's not me. ' He wants the film to maintain its magic and mystery. Robbie described Better Man as 'the greatest hits of my trauma for the TikTok generation. ' The film does not shy away from addressing his struggles with drug addiction and mental health issues, as well as a painful moment in his life when Nicole Appleton from All Saints was pregnant and felt pressured to have an abortion. Robbie expressed his regret, saying, 'My part in her life I still have shame about. ' He acknowledged that he was not a good boyfriend during that time. Nicole has been supportive of the film and was consulted throughout the production process. In contrast, Robbie's father, a singer himself, has not yet seen the film. Robbie shared, 'I love my dad. Best mate, charming, wonderful man. But as it is with everybody's childhood, they mess you up your mum and dad. ' The film also portrays the challenges Robbie faced during his time in Take That. He noted, 'There's a pattern - boys join a boyband, boyband becomes huge, boys get sick. ' He believes that fame can be damaging, especially for young people. Following the tragic passing of Liam Payne earlier this year, Robbie is motivated to advocate for better support for boybands. He stated, 'It's going to take a bunch of creatives to sit around, and I want to head that. I want to do that. ' However, for now, his focus is on the film and the upcoming Oscars. Better Man has already received a Golden Globe nomination for best song, and Robbie is eager to see if it will be shortlisted for an Academy Award as well. The film is set to be released in theaters on December 26.