The biographical musical drama Better Man doesn’t just explore Robbie Williams’ rise in the music industry, but also the people who shaped him most deeply. The pop icon plays himself in the film, portrayed as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee. Brought to life through motion capture by actor Jonno Davies and co-voiced by Williams, this choice stems from his own perception of himself as a “performing monkey” and director Michael Gracey’s vision of the project as a satirical musical.

At the heart of this documentary lies Williams’ relationship with the people who shaped him, beginning with his father, Peter. The singer opened up about his family members who were instrumental in his journey and spoke about how each of them left an indelible mark on him and his musical career. “There were not many people from where I’m from who would even dream of being in the entertainment industry because it was not available to us to have that kind of dream,” began Williams.

Williams’ father, Peter Williams (Pete Conway), a comedian and a singer, was also his first window into the world of entertainment. In Better Man, we see how Conway influences Williams and also get a peek into the dysfunctional relationship between them. He continued, “But yet, my dad was part of that dream. He lived it. He was in it. So I could see that it was possible. The way my father talked about people in his industry that he admired and loved was like he was talking about the gods. My relationship with my father has been one with him as my hero. He’s charismatic, engaging, and a wonderful company. Everybody loves Peter, and no one more than me.”

Speaking about the different influences of his parents, Williams continued, “While my father is incredibly charismatic and naturally talented, he didn’t have the drive that my mum has. My mum has the ambition, the steel, and the grit. She doesn’t take no for an answer. I’m a mixture of both of them. I’ve got my mum’s drive and my father’s ability to entertain people.”

In Better Man, Kate Mulvany essays the role of Williams’ mother. Praising her performance, he shared, “Kate (Mulvany) plays an incredible version of my mum. There’s quite a power within my mum. She’s a formidable lady. She started a business in a poorer part of town by getting a loan and then making enough money to move to a more affluent part of town – affluent for Stoke-on-Trent – and made successes out of these things. And Kate has that power within her that’s definitely like my mum.”