Robbie Williams talks about himself in the cinema: “My children don’t deserve the chaotic monkey that I was”

He never hid anything about himself. From his cracks that he put to music to his body that he revealed in his clips. Young fifty-year-old Robbie Williams takes stock of a journey as rich as it is damaged in a biopic in his image. Full of passion and audacity, but above all full of heart. The British singer stopped in Paris in early December to present Better Manthe film of his life in which director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) chose to represent him as a chimpanzee.

“He asked me what my spirit animal was and I told him a lion. He told me he saw a monkey instead”he smiled during the preview at the Grand Rex. An unusual risk-taking in the film industry, but not for him, which he deciphers for us. Truth interview with the enfant terrible of English pop.

Why did you take the risk of choosing a monkey to tell your story?

My whole life has been placed under the sign of audacity, risk-taking, great impulses and dreams. It was more of a risk for the people who invested money in making this film. I think it’s a sensational idea, obviously I told myself it would work! But that’s also what I think about all the risks I took. The biopic is a difficult genre and we’ve seen a lot of them. We need people to talk about Better Man and they do it because of the monkey. But it also works at a really deep reading level that I don’t think any of us expected. There is something magical.

You show everything you’ve been through, the best but especially the worst. This film is a real exposure…

I’m always trying to explain who I am to the world. I have to do it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m Aquarius or if it’s genetic but I want to know myself completely. I want to highlight all my gray areas and my blind spots. It wasn’t easy to find who I was. When you become famous at a very young age, a lot of people tell you who and what you are, and you believe them. But finding yourself is a journey you’re supposed to take alone.

What would you say to teenagers who want to become famous?

Get started! It’s better than a real job but in the wrong hands and the wrong minds, it can be as harmful as heroin, cocaine or any other psychotropic drug. We cannot stop young people from dreaming and they must do so. They should go ahead and try to achieve their dreams. But appearances are deceiving and it comes at a cost. I wish them well and pray that they survive. Just like alcohol or gambling, celebrity toxicity should come with a government health warning (he smiles). No one survives a child star experience and comes out well-rounded. It was everything I expected and full of joy, I would love to do it again.

I could write a book about my regrets

Robbie Williams

What was the most difficult part of this chaotic journey?

Convince people that I’m a viable source of entertainment, that I’m a good reason for them to buy a ticket to see me in concert and convince them to do it again. In my dark times, the hardest part was convincing the audience that I was having fun too.

The film highlights how important your family was…

My father is charisma. My mother is passion and ambition. And my grandmother is unconditional love and support. The Holy Trinity.

You couldn’t have done anything else with these three around you…

I think so, yes. What else could I have done? (He pretends to think briefly, editor’s note). Only that, that’s all I could do!

When Robbie, fresh from Take That, began writing his first song, producer Guy Chambers told him: “A song only has value if it costs you something”…

It’s just a good line from the movie! What I write is always inspired by my life. You know, autobiographical songs are rarely very good if you’re talking about your satisfaction and happiness. There are some great ones about being happy. I haven’t written them yet. “Angels” is about angels who stop you from committing suicide. “Feel” evokes childhood trauma and a love that can fix everything. All my songs have cost me something, one way or another.

What would young Robert, who used to sing in his living room, think of this film about his life?

(He smiles) He would… It would fill his heart! He would think that everything he had put in was accomplished, without knowing the cost or the true reality of the dream he wanted. But without knowing all that, he would be blown away.

When you look back, do you have any regrets?

A lot yes, a lot! I just had lunch and it had mashed potatoes. I regret eating all the puree, let’s start there! I regret not taking a bath today because I’m too tired. I regret taking a shower. Then you know, you can dig down to song-related regrets. I would have preferred not to release the album Rudebox (the biggest flop of his career, editor’s note). I wish I was a better boyfriend, a better fiancé to Nicole Appleton. When I argue with my wife, I wish I got angry instead of crying. If I cried, she would understand me more. But when I’m angry, they’re like human tears. I could write a book about my regrets.

Do you think you are a better man today, as the title of the film suggests Better Man ?

Yes, I cause less chaos for my family and me. It’s important. My children don’t deserve the chaotic monkey I once was, and neither do my wife. I get joy from things that I couldn’t get joy from in the past. I am without a doubt a better man.

Do you feel at peace with yourself?

I don’t think that’s part of the lesson here. Maybe it is, maybe you can feel completely at peace. But this is what I know. My inner life has never been so uncomplicated and I am very grateful for that. I am very grateful for where I am in my life and the gift of the career I have been given. I am very grateful to have my wonderful wife and my wonderful children, but also to be able to offer them this lifestyle. It’s such a gift and gives great purpose.

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>> Better Man by Michael Gracey (2h15) – at the cinema this Wednesday January 22