Robbie Williams reveals why he’s played by a CGI monkey in ‘unusual’ biopic

Robbie Williams has revealed wherefore helium is played by a CGI monkey successful his upcoming biopic Better Man – and he’s rather surprised by the instrumentality confusion.

Much has been made of the antithetic prime to person the chart-topper portrayed arsenic a monkey successful the movie, erstwhile everyone other is quality and it’s ne'er commented on, but the quirky determination has truly got radical talking.

‘I didn’t cognize that I’d person to explicate it, but evidently [I do]!’ smiled Williams erstwhile asked wherefore helium was up for the unexpected move, which sees histrion Jonno Davies instrumentality the pb relation arsenic him via usage of a show seizure suit.

But it turns retired that’s precisely wherefore helium was up for manager Michael Gracey’s idea.

‘Cos it’s unusual, right? That’s the thing,’ helium continued portion chatting to Metro at the film’s European premiere successful London connected Wednesday night.

‘I’m connected the spectrum, truthful things that are antithetic to me, aren’t that antithetic – I don’t prime up connected those sorts of cues. I don’t cognize wherever I americium connected the spectrum, by the way, I conscionable cognize I am.’

‘It’s a monkey, get implicit it,’ helium past mockingly huffed, earlier musing: ‘I’m definite determination successful the world… Bob Dylan, who’s got a biopic coming retired close now, is going, “Why wasn’t that a monkey?”, oregon something.’

The Rock DJ star, 50, past agreed that the determination ‘makes the film’.

‘It shouldn’t enactment but it really works amended than if it was me. I don’t cognize why,’ helium responded.

Are you looking guardant to Better Man?Comment Now

Former Take That idol Williams – whose boyband days are revisited successful bracingly honorable item successful Better Man – antecedently shared connected The One Show connected Tuesday that ‘it made implicit consciousness to maine arsenic soon arsenic [Gracey] pitched it to me’.

‘I don’t cognize if this movie would beryllium arsenic talked astir if it hadn’t had the monkey successful it. And it does, and it has. And it each makes consciousness erstwhile you spot it.’

Gracey, who is besides the filmmaker down smash-hit musical The Greatest Showman, interviewed Williams extensively during the mentation play for the task and has explained wherever the spark of the thought primitively came.

‘I recovered Rob saying often that helium was conscionable dragged up to perform, similar a monkey, oregon it didn’t truly matter. He was conscionable up the backmost performing similar a monkey. And helium said it capable times that I was like, “Oh, that’s however helium sees himself. He virtually sees himself arsenic a performing monkey.” And I thought, “That would beryllium amazing; I would emotion to spot that film”,’ helium told Deadline successful August.

Recalling the transportation to the star, Gracey said that helium asked Williams if helium was an animal, however would helium spot himself? 

‘And helium instantly said, “A lion, decidedly a lion.” In my head, I went, “No, that’s the incorrect answer.” So I said, “Really?” And helium benignant of smiled, and helium went, “Wow, if I’m being honest, I’m much of a monkey.”’

The remainder is present soon-to-be moviemaking history.

Williams’s woman Ayda Field was besides connected the reddish carpet promoting the movie and joking that she felt she had besides ‘birthed’ the movie with him – ‘although this clip my vagina didn’t tear, truthful that was a plus!’.

She was besides sceptical implicit the monkey initially.

‘I retrieve erstwhile this full happening started, going, “Wait, clasp on, you’re going to beryllium a monkey? And wait, what’s going to happen?” I mean I knew the communicative would beryllium astonishing due to the fact that Rob’s communicative is astonishing and he’s an astonishing storyteller, and I cognize Michael Gracey is an astonishing storyteller, truthful I cognize those 2 things were great, but I thought, “What is this going to be?”’

But erstwhile she saw the storyboards and spoke with Gracey alongside Williams ‘it each started to benignant of descend successful connected what this happening was’.

‘But it truly wasn’t until I saw it that I felt it and got it and I’m incredibly arrogant of it, I’m incredibly arrogant of my hubby and Michael,’ she added to Metro, sharing her excitement implicit radical seeing it travel merchandise day.

‘It’s not thing you tin locomotion distant from and consciousness nothing, whether you emotion it oregon hatred it. You consciousness things erstwhile you ticker this movie, you recognize the character, you recognize his pain, you recognize the travel and you locomotion distant with an experience.

‘I’m incredibly arrogant of the honesty, the bravery, the uniqueness, the boldness of each if it.’

Better Man hits UK cinemas connected December 26. In the US, it has a constricted merchandise connected December 25 earlier releasing wide connected January 17, 2025.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a personage story, video oregon pictures get successful interaction with the Metro.co.uk amusement squad by emailing america celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 oregon by visiting our Submit Stuff leafage – we’d emotion to perceive from you.

MORE: Queen Elizabeth’s decease outgo Robbie Williams biopic ‘millions of pounds’

MORE: 90s lad set icon announces tremendous solo UK circuit with much than 40 dates

MORE: Robbie Williams hits backmost astatine cause claims made by erstwhile Take That manager