Robbie Williams. (source: TASR)
I've felt like a monkey my whole life, the most cheekiest one. All it took was saying it in front of my friend and director, and he went with it.
In the new biopic, Robbie Williams is portrayed as a CGI monkey with his own voice. After a few minutes the audience cannot even imagine him having any better or more accurate form.
Even though it may seem like a fad, A "Better Man" is a serious and moving film. ROBBIE WILLIAMS honestly talks about how much he wanted to be loved, to be worthy of the love of women and especially his father. He thought that fame would help him with that, but what happened was the exact opposite. First, he had to put his mind together in order to be famous.
A Sme daily journalist was among those he spoke to about his fragility and sensitivity at the end of last year, when he was talking about the movie as a part of the Golden Globes campaign and dreaming of making it to the Academy Awards.
What you'll find in the interview:
what happened to him when be became famous
what problems he had that led to mental problems
what help he received and why he is not angry that it was not better
what kind of relationship he has with his father today
what he was afraid of while making the film and why he left out some important characters
how his colleagues from Take That reacted
how he views the film industry and what he would like to achieve in this regard
Your film tells a story about how hard it is to be famous. Why was it difficult for you?
I had a problem even when I was just dreaming about being famous. I thought that it would help me become a complete person, that I would get everything I needed. And what happened in the end? I found myself in an existential crisis. Fortunately, I got the help I needed and went through a process of self-discovery. Today I'm 50 years old and I'm in a completely different place than back then. I have what I wanted, but I'm experiencing it in a completely different way than I imagined. I keep my fingers crossed for everyone who dares to enter what is the entertainment industry. Hopefully they'll choose a good path. Life is beautiful, life is exciting and adventurous. But let's not forget that it's also full of difficult and painful moments.
From your story it is evident how much you wanted to be loved. Is it still like that?
We all want someone to hear us, to see us. To be interested in us and for good things to happen to us. For a long time this need of mine was not fulfilled and that's why inside I was broken. It was unbearable to be here, between these two ears. I was incredibly sensitive and desperately needed to be loved. I'm not as fragile and vulnerable as I used to be, but my mental illness is related to my fragility. Am I cured? Not completely. Will I ever be cured? No, I won't. But after getting married and becoming a father, I feel grounded. I have a reason to live, a different perspective of the world. Until my first son, Teddy, was born, I was at the centre of it. For a raging narcissist like me, he rocked my life. And now I have four children.
What do you think this movie would be like if it were to be made 10 years from now on? Would it make you a better, happier person?
I look forward feeling at ease, with hope. If it continues the way it has so far that is. It took me a long time to reach the point where I now feel good. But it probably took exactly as long as it was necessary. My life has changed dramatically in the last five years, for the better, so if I apply what I've learned in the past to the future, it shouldn't turn out badly for me. Every year, month, day I feel healthier, happier and most importantly - more authentic. I'm getting to understand myself more and more and this will probably continue. But whether it would make for an interesting movie, I don't know. I'm imagining a poster for the movie Better Man 2. I guess not many people will want to see that.
Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about mental illness, with movies following suit. When people hear your story, the question that probably comes to mind is why didn't anyone help you?
