Better Man is a biographical musical film that was released in 2024 and was directed by Michael Gracey, who also directed The Greatest Showman. The film follows the life of English pop star Robbie Williams after his success, with Williams portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee using computer-generated imagery (CGI). It premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival in August 2024 before being released worldwide in December 2024, and it was a critical success, winning nine AACTA awards, including Best Film.
Cast of Better Man
While Robbie Williams does portray himself, he is also the narrator in the film and provides the vocals for all the reimagined versions of his songs as well. However, that isn’t to say that Better Man doesn’t include a talented cast throughout the unique twist on a biopic. Here is the list of actors that are a part of the cast of Better Man:
Robbie Williams as himself, narrator and vocals
Born on 13 February 1974, Robert Peter Williams, better known as Robbie Williams, is an English singer and songwriter who first rose to fame as a member of the group Take That. He left the group in 1995 after spending five years with them and started his solo career a year later in 1996. Since then, Williams has skyrocketed into fame, winning a record 18 Brit awards and earned a Guinness World Record in 2006 for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day. He was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, and he won one Italian Music Award and six MTV Europe Music awards amongst others.
Steve Pemberton as Peter Williams/Conway
Steven James Pemberton is an actor, comedian, director and writer who was born 1 September 1967 and is best known for writing and acting for BBC's The League of Gentlemen. Beyond that, Pemberton is also a notable television actor with roles in Doctor Who, Benidorm, Blackpool, Shameless, Whitechapel, Happy Valley and Mapp & Lucia. Not only that, he has also starred in feature films including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Mr. Bean's Holiday and Better Man.
Jonno Davies as Robbie Williams (voice and motion capture)
Born 17 July 1992, Jonno Davies is an English actor who is best known for his role in the stage production of A Clockwork Orange. He began his acting career in 2013 with his debut coming in the television show Casualty. He also starred in Kingsman: The Secret Service, Spotless, Ben-Hur, Hunters and a few other productions in the years since.
Alison Steadman as Betty Williams
Born 26 August 1946, Alison Steadman is an English actress who made her professional acting debut in 1968 on stage before making her debut on television in 1971. She is best known for her performances on stage productions, winning the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for Abigail's Party and Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role in the original production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Not only that, she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for her role in Life Is Sweet, earned a BAFTA TV Award nomination for the 1986 BBC serial The Singing Detective, and in 2001 for the ITV drama series Fat Friends.
Raechelle Banno as Nicole Appleton
Raechelle Jasmine Banno, better known as Raechelle Banno, is an Australian actress, dancer, writer and model who began her career when she was just nine years old. She started as a model and then began acting around the same time, appearing in various commercials and short films. She earned her breakthrough role in Home and Away, where he portrayed Olivia Fraser Richards in the main cast. Not only that, she also earned a regular role on Pandora, another television series.
Damon Herriman as Nigel Martin-Smith
Born 31 March 1970, Damon Herriman is an Australian actor who is best known for his role on the neo-western crime series Justified. He made his acting debut in 1978 and has since been a prolific film, stage and television actor with roles in Mindhunter, The Artful Dodger, Scorpion, Breaking Bad, Mortal Kombat and more. Not only that, Herriman won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Judy and Punch and was nominated for a Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in The Nightingale.
Other cast members:
Adam Tucker provides additional singing vocals for Robbie
Carter J. Murphy as voice of young Robbie
Kate Mulvany as Janet Williams
Kayleigh McKnight provides additional singing vocals for Nicole
Jake Simmance as Gary Barlow
Liam Head as Howard Donald
Jesse Hyde as Mark Owen
Chase Vollenweider as Jason Orange
Tom Budge as Guy Chambers
Leo Harvey-Elledge as Liam Gallagher
Chris Gun as Noel Gallagher
Frazer Hadfield as Nate
Leatham Blisand as young Nate
Anthony Hayes as Chris Briggs
John O'May as Terry Swinton
FAQs
A. As per Robbie Williams, from the film, the monkey portrays Williams because he wanted the audience to see him how he sees himself.
A. As of February 2025, Better Man has not been released on Netflix and there is no news as to whether it will be available in the near future on the platform.
A. The Better Man is a biopic about the life of English singer Robbie Williams.
