Ahead of his next Aussie trip, Robbie Williams opens up about the demons he’s still working on
On the eve of his second visit to Australia in a month, Robbie Williams is opening up about his film Better Man, the demons he’s overcome, and those he’s still working on to this day.
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On the eve of his second visit to Australia in a month, superstar British singer, and now filmmaker, Robbie Williams is understandably exhausted.
He’s been doing the media and red carpet rounds to get the word out on his latest project, something that has perhaps more meaning to him than anything he’s done before, his film, Better Man.
“I am too tired to understand because I have been promoting it like I am 16,” Williams said when asked if the process had been cathartic and what lessons he’d learnt about himself throughout the release.
“I am doing the kind of promo that would make a boy band member have a nervous breakdown so I am too tired and jet-lagged to process it.”
Williams knows what he is talking about, given he got his start in one of the most famous boy bands of all time, Take That, back in early 1990s Manchester.
The group has had 56 chart topping singles and 42 number-one albums and forged the path for the likes of One Direction, N’Sync, Boyzone, Blue, the Backstreet Boys and Westlife.
Individually as a solo artist, having left Take That in 1995, Williams has had countless hits including Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Millenium Rock DJ, Better Man and Feel.
Better Man, directed by Australian Michael Gracey, is Williams’ story of fame, from addiction, love. It is a rags-to-riches story of a young boy from Stoke-on-Trent, who becomes one of the most famous musicians on the planet.
It is a biographical musical film that was shot in Melbourne and sees Williams played by an anthropomorphic CGI chimpanzee.
Ultimately Better Man is about how Williams conquered his personal demons, many of which he is still working on today.
“It would appear that I am working against myself all waking hours and probably in my dreams too,” said Williams, who also has executive producer and writing credits on the film.
“I think that I am naturally inclined to self-sabotage and do the opposite of what is best for me so as I am reporting live from the inside of my brain, I am constantly searching for the next problem or the next bit of peril that I will put myself in and I am trying to the best of my ability to cause less chaos for me and those around me but it is a living contradiction because I want the best for me but there is something inside of me that is feral and insane and doesn’t.”
He continued: “It is unfortunate but also at the same time, it makes me, and I say this not in monetary terms, it makes me a richer person, it makes me more empathetic, it makes me more compassionate, it makes me more insightful, it makes me if I dare say all of these things as a positive for myself, emotionally intelligent. It makes life interesting, it gives me an interesting take about the human condition. It is not vanilla, let’s put it that way.”
Williams, 50, spoke to Insider via Zoom from South Africa, the latest promotional stop.
The excitement of the film coming out did not appear to be lost on him despite expressing his exhaustion.
It was just a few weeks ago that Williams performed at the New Year’s Eve Fireworks at the Sydney Opera House to kick off a whirlwind global run of promotion of the film.
On the call, he was articulate, thoughtful, and deeply passionate
Williams, whom I’ve met many times over the years, was also highly engaged. This is clearly very personal.
“First of all, I want to be seen and understood and I want to be loved and liked, just like everybody else,” he explained.
“And then following on from that … I want to give my experience strength and hope as well but I can’t pretend that the first thing that I am thinking when I am doing anything professionally is virtuous but I know that like I’ve said that a side-effect of what I am doing too is virtuous.”
Williams has over the years been open about his difficulties with drugs, alcohol and addiction in general. He has also spoken candidly about his mental health struggles.
He had seen others before him battle the same demons and, yet, he still dived head first into his own as he sought a high and validation through various vices like sex and drugs.
All were bandaids to get through life.
“I saw the movies (about others) before I set out on my campaign of self-sabotage of all the other people that had succumbed to the evils of addiction,” he said.
“I saw all of that and still succumbed to the evils of addiction so there will be people of a certain age, young people, that will see this as a warning but also run headlong down into the forbidden road thinking that it won’t happen to them. I was that soldier.
The Better Man soundtrack of course features several of Williams’ hits. There’s also an original track, Forbidden Road, that beautifully looks at the themes of addiction and depression.
“All the feelings, no matter what sexuality, race, creed, religion, or gender are all the same,” he said.
“When you say the title Forbidden Road and you talk about you, I instantly understand what forbidden road is for you. Even though my particular forbidden road was different to yours, it is still the same. It is the same with the movie is that everybody that goes to see the movie, sees themselves in the movie and that doesn’t matter what gender you are either. It is an interesting phenomena and I know that it is having a profound effect on people.”
He added: “I was doing a very careerist, selfish thing by having a biopic about myself. I am an attention seeker for a living and I need people to remember that I exist so that was the reason that I did it but the by-product and the side-effect of this movie and that song is that there is, dare I say it, not in a Los Angelean kind of way, a healing of sorts that is happening.”
So what is Williams addicted to today?
“My screen, the internet, social media, I am addicted to drawing, coming up with funny ideas, I am addicted to business and creating and building and acquiring but mainly creating,” the father of four said.
“And what I am creating and how I am creating it is primarily to do with the nuts and bolts of creation and then hopefully at the end of that will be a pot of gold but I am not thinking of the pot of gold while I am doing it. I think the tale of this movie isn’t over and I think that it is just beginning. Where this movie is going and where it will end up hasn’t been fully formed yet and I hope by the time it is fully formed and it does find its place in popular culture on the scale that I want it to, I have had enough rest to appreciate where I in it find myself and it finds itself.”
While heavy at times, the conversation was not dark.
Earlier, when Williams spoke of his colourful ‘not vanilla’ life, of course that was an in to ask what flavour ice cream he’d be if he had to choose one.
To that, he provided a trademark cheeky answer.
“I don’t know, something with nuts in it,” he laughed.
“Something nutty. Take that however you want. Something nutty that doesn’t go, that is not supposed to be there.”
Australia has been on board with Williams since the beginning of his career.
We were also among the first to really embrace Better Man, the film, which is up for 16 nominations at the AACTA Awards on Friday.
Williams will fly in for the event, walking the red carpet and performing on stage on the night with Australian Academy Award winner Russell Crowe hosting the formalities.
“Look, when I was promoting the film before Christmas, the first bit of news that I got was the film has got the most nominations in Australia for any film ever,” he said.
“You can’t imagine what that did for the buoyancy of my mood and my fragile ego and sensitivity and also the fuel that I needed to carry on this insane promo. So again, I am indebted to Australia, and grateful to Australia.”
Who knows when Williams will be here next following the AACTA Awards.
His Robbie Williams Live 2025 shows are booked for the UK and Europe from May until October. There will be dates here, he just doesn’t know exactly when as yet.
“I am coming to Australia but I would be getting ahead of myself by announcing it now,” he said. “Announcing when and how is probably not the best thing for me to do but I will just say, of course I am coming to Australia.”
* Better Man is in cinemas now, and the soundtrack is out now. The 2025 AACTA Awards will be broadcast on Ten at 7.30pm on February 7 with an extended version, including all awards from the ceremony, to screen on BINGE and Foxtel from 7.30pm February 8.
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