Better Man cast and character guide: Who plays whom in Robbie Williams' fantasy film

Academy Award-nominated film Better Man, which is a biopic of the English legendary pop star Robbie Williams, was released last Christmas on 25th December 2024. The film was well received, having been awarded a rating of 7.7/10 at IMDb and an aggregate of 88% at Rotten Tomatoes.

Directed by Michael Gracey, who has previously directed films also centered around musician's lives namely, The Greatest Showman (2017) and the documentary Pink: All I Know So Far (2021), this time he comes with Better Man.

In the film, we are witnessing the life of Robbie Williams through the lens of the filmmaker, and as narrated by Robbie Williams himself. It follows a plotline based on the life events of Robbie Williams, the journey of his origins to achieving peak success as well as experiencing failures, with multiple trials and tribulations faced by the musician. In the movie, a CGI chimpanzee stands as a metaphorical representation of Robbie Williams.

The synopsis of Better Man as per the official website of the movie reads:

Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is uniquely told from Robbie’s perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

Better Man has a set of strong characters written in the film, with a promising cast of actors essaying the roles of important people at the various stages of Robbie Williams' life. The cast includes Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Kate Mulvany, Alison Steadman, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, and many others.

Better Man cast and character guide

Robbie Williams as himself (narrator)

The English singer Robbie Williams serves as the narrator of his story in Better Man. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England in 1974, he is regarded as one of the most iconic pop stars in the world. In 1990, he started his musical career by becoming a part of the English pop band 'Take That'. After 5 years, he split away from the band and later rejoined. He has won multiple awards for his body of work, which includes 18 BRIT Awards and 12 Echo Music Prizes, along with receiving a Grammy nomination.

Some of his most successful song albums include 'Life Thru a Lens' (1997) from Take That, and his single albums I've Been Expecting You (1998), Sing When You're Winning (2000), and Progress (2010) with Take That, upon his return to the band, to name a few.

Jonno Davies as Robbie Williams

English actor Jonno Davies plays the role of Robbie Williams, whilst being added with a layer of a CGI Chimpanzee on the actor's body. An alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Jonno Davies has appeared in films and series including Spotless (2015), Milk and Honey: The Movie (2018), and Hunters (2020), to name a few.

One of the most compelling and iconic artistic choices made in the film is the anthropomorphization of the character that represents Robert Williams, in the form of a chimpanzee. As per Deadline, the idea behind this creative decision, as explained by Robert Williams, says that the absence of a human figure in his portrayal shall enable the audience to seek and connect to the 'humanity' of the character. Williams further breaks down the idea behind the choice, which goes down to a very human nature and their emotional association with animals, as he elaborates:

“It desensitizes and sensitizes you all at the same time. We have deep empathy and compassion for animals, way more than we do for humans.”

Director Michael Gracey adds to it by stating that a monkey is what Robert Williams actually perceives himself to be, that is, a 'performing monkey'.

Steve Pemberton as Peter Williams/Conway

British actor Steve Pemberton essays the role of Robbie Williams' father Peter Williams in Better Man. In the film, it is shown that Peter is inspired by the singers of that time, and is guiding his son to sing like one of them, which includes Frank Sinatra, an icon that went on to become one of the inspirations for Robert Williams in real life. But at the same time, the father and son have a difficult relationship, and eventually, Peter leaves his family, scarring a young Robbie, who treasures the objects that are related to his father closer to them.

The BAFTA Award-winning actor Steve Pemberton is well known for his works in films and series including Lassie (2005), The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005), and Psychoville (2009-2011) amongst many others.

Kate Mulvany as Janet Williams

Australian actor Kate Mulvany is essaying the role of Janet Williams, mother of Robbie Williams in Better Man. Janet has been supportive of her son and his music, and as per reports at the Hello! Magazine, Robbie Williams revealed in his documentary Take That: For the Record (2006) that Janet was the catalyst between Robbie Williams and Take That band, her insisting the 16-year-old Robbie Williams apply for the band when she found out about them in a newspaper. That incident sparked Robbie Williams' first taste of megastardom.

Kate Mulvany is noted for her work in films including The Final Winter (2007), Griff the Invisible (2010), The Great Gatsby (2013), along Hunters (2020), where interestingly, Jonno Davies has also starred.

Alison Steadman as Betty Williams

BAFTA TV nominee actor Alison Steadman plays the role of Betty Williams, Robbie Williams' grandmother in Better Man, with whom he shares a beautiful, warm, and comforting relationship.

Alison Steadman's previous works include films and TV series namely The Singing Detective (1986), Life is Sweet (1990), Pride and Prejudice (1995), and Fat Friends (2000-2005) to name a few.

Damon Herriman as Nigel Martin-Smith

Damon Herriman is portraying the role of Nigel Martin-Smith in Better Man, the manager of Take That band.

This Australian actor has been previously seen in films and TV series including Justified (2010-2015), Mindhunter (2017-2019), Judy and Punch (2019), and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood (2019).

Raechelle Banno as Nicole Appleton

In Better Man, Raechelle Banno is starring in the role of Nicole Appleton, the Canadian singer who is part of the musical girl band All Saints, and was engaged to Robbie Williams. In the course of the story, they part ways.

Raechelle Banno is previously seen in the Australian soap opera Home And Away (2015-2018), and the 2019 American TV series Pandora, to name a few.