Robbie Williams, supreme and renewed

At times it feels like Better Man is a different version of A Star Is Born , but without Bradley Cooper.

It seems like a true story, like the life of Liam Payne, from One Direction, or one of the singers from the group Menudo, in the midst of drug and alcohol abuse, at the height of their fame, at 21 years old.

The film could be summed up with lines like: “It doesn’t matter if you love your job, the important thing is that people love you for it” and “I would love to prove that I can be successful on my own.” And who better to emphasize this than Robbie Williams himself?

Is there a big difference between being interviewed as a famous singer and a movie star?

The budget? We used to be kings in the music industry and now everything has changed. In the old days I could do 50 interviews in two days, instead of one Facebook chat. Back then, 50% of the journalists weren't even interested in what I was doing. But this time it's different, because I guess we share the same passion. The other day, before I started an interview, someone came up to me and said, 'I put a bottle of water on the table and I'm telling you that I opened it, so you don't think there's anything weird in it.' Something like that would never have happened in the music industry, at least in England, because if he hadn't said anything to me I would have expected him to put something on me.

How much of a Better Man do you consider yourself to be with your family today?

I just texted my wife. She is down to earth, while I wing it and only watch if we hit the ball. She is the Olympic champion of memories, while I am the opposite. I love celebrating Christmas now, because of my wife. She is the pure Christmas spirit and I am grateful that she has brought me back the desire to celebrate, without having to ruin it for the kids. At another time I would have preferred cocaine over Santa Claus.

Do you think your story can bring about change in cases like Liam Payne's?

The idea of ​​Better Man in cinema is a human story. Yes, to a certain extent, my story is unique. But anyone who experiences some shine of fame does not come out the other side saying that he is a perfect individual. Something happens. The world surrounds you and vice versa. There is no escape. Hopefully, after some self-analysis and good help, you can cross over to the other side like I did, at 50 years old. 90% of people think that fame is going to fix your life, when in reality it creates an existential crisis. And today, without apologizing for what I experienced, being on the other side, I can only wish the best of luck to those who enter this world. It is exciting, quite interesting, somewhat incredible, but it also has a rather dark side.

How different is the world now, compared to your prime?

In the 70s, 80s, 90s, or the 60s and 50s, we were different people, with a different way of thinking. We shouldn't blame anyone for who we were. We're just beginning to understand mental illness and what fame does to people. It's all very new. And it's good that it's part of a conversation that would never have been allowed in the 90s or early 2000s. I would have been made a fool of if I had suggested that I should take antidepressants. I would have been shouted at, 'How dare you be sad?', and never mentioned again. Today, you can talk about it and it's understood that you're not a victim.

What would you like to rescue for the new generation?

I grew up in the days when we had three television channels in Britain. It wasn't until 1984-85 that we got a fourth. And those channels needed content, but they weren't big enough to offer it 24 hours a day. And I grew up watching Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. The new generation probably won't be that lucky, because they have so much more choice. I couldn't. That's the inspiration I had and it's still my reference.

In Better Man we can hear the voice of the protagonist, although it is hidden behind the image of a chimpanzee, recreated with the same effects used in King Kong .

Robbie explained that he preferred a primate to play him, because that's how he sees himself in this world of celebrity, rather than a real actor, who would have had to endure the pressure of embodying an important figure in music.

“I was taught that fame solves everything… but it’s only about recreating other people’s fantasies. Fame only looks good in a photo,” he reflects. “I’m doing what I can to be a better person,” he adds. Although it is a satire of the music world, it does not hesitate to show the intimacy behind three decades of success, including the difficult relationship with his father, his relationship with singer Nicole Appleton, the inspiration for She’s The One , and the experience of writing Angels, lyrics that describe the drama of having lost at the height of his success his very grandmother, who always believed in him when others doubted that Robbie Williams could achieve a hit.

At what point in your life did you realize that you don't need people to love you for your fame?

I still need to be loved, I'm still dramatically sensitive, though I'm not as extreme as I was. Am I perfect? ​​Not necessarily. Will I ever be perfect? ​​No. But at least I got my feet on the ground the day I got married and had kids. Without them, I don't know what would have happened to me or where I would be. The day my oldest daughter Teddy, who is now 4 years old, was born, I left narcissism behind. We all want to be loved, to be listened to, and to have something good happen to us. At least I would tell you that I've improved in the extent of the deficit or the severity of my vulnerability that I couldn't live with before.

How did you manage to escape the dark side of fame?

I was lucky. I've had the same managers for almost 30 years. One of them, David Enthoven, has since passed away, but he was my savior because when I met him, he was 10 years sober. He showed me how to stay sober, how to be responsible and a mature enough man. That's a big reason why I'm alive today. A lot of people aren't as lucky. When you're in the depths of addiction and alcoholism, you don't make the best decisions and you don't choose the best people to be around. I was lucky and I would love to be able to take care of those who come after me today.

What would you say was the most difficult part of reliving the memories you share in Better Man ?

The relationship I had with Nicole Appleton. Everyone else at least did something to me, and while I'm not happy about pushing them under a train, that's where they end up. But with Nicole, I was the villain. She met the worst version of me. She's a good person, and I have a hard time remembering that all the time, because I'm still embarrassed. I was the addict, not her. That part was the hardest. The part about my grandmother and what happened with my father was hard, too, but in a different way.

Has your family seen the film yet?

My father hasn't seen it yet. And that's another really hard part for me, because it shows too much of my relationship with him, what it was like and how I felt about it. The version you see with my mother is exactly how it happened, but my father certainly has his own version. In a way I don't even want him to see it, and I would love for people to know that he's also the most charismatic person you could ever meet, and no one who's ever met him could help but fall in love with him.

Is there anything left for you to show from your life?

It was left out a lot, but I understand the legal reasons of people who are still alive and could never prove what they did... in a court of law. At least it's fascinating what's left. There are so many stories since I've been a solo artist, we could film the sequel.

If you had to re-shoot your life story in 10 or 20 years, what would it take to become a better person? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I would say that my life has changed dramatically in the last five years. I guess it took me too long to get to this place, but it was what I needed. Every year, every day, every month, it gets better and better, I am much more grateful and much more authentic, understanding who I really am. Now… I don’t know if that future could be interesting enough to make it into a movie. I would have to think about it.

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