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Why Is Robbie Williams A Monkey In Better Man?

13 hours ago

The pop star looks a little different in his biopic

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When British pop singer Robbie Williams revealed he was working on a semi-autobiographical film tracing his life so far, no one really batted an eye. When he added he would be portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee, Robbie captured – and confused – the headlines. Why would he choose to do this, and is the whole thing a cartoon as a result? Here’s what you need to know about Better Man before you head to the cinema.

Robbie Williams’ Better Man: Plot, Cast, Release Date

What Is Better Man About?

Better Man tells the story of pop singer Robbie Williams’ life to date, tracing three decades in the music industry, from his first success as part of boy band Take That to consequential rises and falls in his career and personal life. Having first found to fame in the 1990s, the singer has struggled with substance and alcohol abuse throughout his career – and was subject to public scrutiny all the while. Meanwhile, he has been an unstoppable pop success with numerous hits to his name, 18 Brit Awards and a spot in the UK Music Hall of Fame. Having sold more than 75 million records worldwide, he’s one of the best selling music artists of all time.

But Better Man also delves into Robbie’s early and personal life unfolding behind the scenes. Comparing his relationship with his father to Philip Larkin’s famous poem, ‘This Be The Verse’, Robbie has expressed nervousness about how the film portrays his father (played by Steve Pemberton) as having had a negative impact on his perception of himself.

Is It A Musical?

Yes, Better Man is a musical featuring Robbie’s music in a new context, with hits including ‘She’s the One’, ‘Angels’ and ‘Let Me Entertain You’ re-recorded for the film. Directed by Michael Gracey who helmed The Greatest Showman, a new song, ‘Forbidden Road’, has also been written, recorded and released in line with the film.

Why Is Robbie Williams A Monkey?

Robbie is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee to reflect how he has always felt different – even ‘less evolved’ – than other people. ‘There have been a lot of musical biopics; I wanted to come at this with a different lens,’ explains director Gracey. ‘Quite often Rob will say, “I’m just like a performing monkey” or “I’m up the back like a performing monkey”. It just sparked this idea of, we’ve got this chance to tell this story, not from the perspective of how we see Rob, but how he sees himself.’

Why Doesn’t Robbie Play Himself?

Robbie was originally going to take part in filming for Better Man, portraying himself before being overlaid with the CGI monkey. However, this would have required Robbie to spend months away from his home and family. ‘I was going to, but it involved me leaving my family for loads and loads of months,’ he told the BBC. ‘And the thought of that was just too much for me to bear. There are loads of things that I want to do that are just best being an idea. It was great at dinner parties: “I’m playing me in a story about me.” And by the time it came round to it, I was bored of the idea. “I’ve said it at dinner parties now. I’ve done it”.’

Instead, he relinquished the role to British star Jonno Davies. That said, the 2001 ‘Live at the Albert’ scenes were filmed in November 2022, with Robbie himself playing a real gig to an audience of fans donning evening dress to capture the scenes.