Cheeky English pop star Robbie Williams is a household name abroad. In the States, however, he lives a relatively anonymous lifestyle in Los Angeles.
That anonymity here may be breached, thanks to the Jan. 10 release of the film “Better Man,” which tells the story of Williams’ success as a 15-year-old in the boy band Take That, to his successful solo career.
There’s a twist — Jonno Davies, as a CGI chimpanzee through voice acting and motion capture, plays Williams. The singer said it’s because he’s perceived himself as less evolved than those around him. English musician Adam Tucker supplies Williams’ vocals in “Better Man.”
Despite anticipating the film’s U.S. release, he feels nervous about potential indifference. Rotten Tomatoes gives “Better Man” a 91% rating, but that doesn’t mean as much as the fan response, Williams said via Zoom.
“I am overwhelmed with the profound effect that it’s having on people,” said Williams about the 90% audience rating.
“This is my soul. This is me. This is my pain. This is my trauma. People are saying, ‘We like your pain, and we like your trauma. We find it entertaining.’ It’s wonderful. Having 98% positive reviews from audiences just triumphs over everything. It feels beautiful.”
Per his New Year’s Eve concert in Sydney, Australia, Williams sees this as yet another phase in his career.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself,” Williams, donned in a white suit with sparkly lapels, told the crowd. “My name is Robbie Williams. This is my band. … You better be good because I am phenomenal,” he added with tongue firmly in cheek.
“Better Man” is a longtime dream realized. He said he’s often asked if he misses singing his catalog of hits like “Rock DJ,” “Angels,” “Let Me Entertain You” and “Millennium.”
“At dinner parties, I get, ‘Do you still do music?’ ‘No, I’ve gone into insurance now.’ ‘Do you miss it?’ ‘Miss what?’ ‘Singing? See that stadium down the road? I’m playing it twice next summer,’” Williams said.
“I was such an eager beaver to be able to seek attention on such a grandiose level yet again. What I’ve done is the equivalent of stretching an elastic band from Stoke-on-Trent (England) to Mars. If you don’t see me, I don’t exist. Here I am.
“So many people have so many homes for their entertainment needs and we sort of hibernate in our own echo chambers,” he said. “People who once were, get lost. I’m still in stadiums and stuff. There’s still this career that’s happening that’s absolutely massive.”
Expected to release a new album this year, Williams embarks on a world tour that starts Jan. 22 in South Africa and wraps Oct. 2 in Athens. (Rumors have it that Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple appear on it.)
In “Better Man,” Williams’ songs — and one successful cover in World Party’s “She’s the One” — are reimagined to capture the energy of “big music scenes.” “She’s the One” is transformed into a lovely duet between the characters Williams and All Saints’ Nicole Appleton (actress Raechelle Banno and singer Kayleigh McKnight). The punchy “Rock DJ” shows the development of the Take That era, from infancy to Williams’ departure. “Feel” is turned into an upsetting ode from a younger Williams.
“All of my stuff is autobiographical,” Williams said. “Everything that I write is something I wrote in my diary. I wrote my biggest songs from my diary about my trauma. Where does my trauma come from? It comes from my childhood. Here are the songs married with the moments in the film.”
“Feel” and “Rock DJ” appeared prior to Williams’ departure from Take That, but the singer said that was director / co-writer Michael Gracey’s vision.
“If you have somebody with the pedigree of Michael Gracey, you have to get out of his way,” Williams said. “I let him do his thing. He has been amazing to work with and it continues to be amazing to work with him.”
The “Better Man” process was a learning experience for all involved, including Williams.
“I learned that I’m still incredibly vulnerable and still incredibly sensitive and still incredibly needed,” said Williams, while smiling at his 6-year-old daughter Coco. “Also, I get hooked up to the expectation train as much as I ever have. I can get carried away with myself, with my wants and my needs. I also know that a lot of healing has been done since the period of the movie that concentrates on my life.”
“Better Man”
Rated R; in theaters now. robbiewilliams.com
