He also talks about his upcoming performance at the AFL and tells us about filming his biopic, saying “the problem is with the film, I speak and think in the way that I spoke and thought when I was 17, 18, 19 and 20. And how I spoke and thought then was more naive. I was more resentful. I was angry.”
ROBBIE WILLIAMS TELLS US A VERY AWKWARD STORY WITH CHRIS ROCK AND JOHN CUSACK [9:23]
FITZY Sarah does a great entertainment break here. A few weeks ago, she told us a story that you were telling about Barbra Streisand. Where you ran into Barbara and you had no idea who she was. And she thought you were a footballer. It was so funny. So you had no idea, so what was the moment again? Can you set it up for everyone?
ROBBIE You’ve just you’ve just buried the lead and told the story. The moments when you… surreal moments in your life, like the most recent one that I had. I was on holiday with my wife and kids. And then a bunch of friends of my wife joined us. And I was being introduced to everybody at the bar. And this is Todd and Hey Todd. And this is, this is James. Hey, James. And this is Barbara. And I’m like, Alright, Barb, pleased to meet you. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then I sit down, and I realized that I’m sat opposite Barbra Streisand. And she has no idea who I am. And obviously, I have every idea who she is. And my wife starts talking about this charity soccer match that I’m doing. And she then proceeds to think that I used to play for Manchester United, which was like, yeah, that’ll do. My wife was like, no, no, no, no, he’s a singer. And then she looked at me to go, she go, Oh that’s nice.
WIPPA I would have thought there’d be a greater chance she’d know who you were, than you’d know who she was.
ROBBIE No, no, no, no, no, she’s you know, she’s from a different time and place.
WIPPA Does that ever happen with anybody else Robbie?
ROBBIE Not that I can think… Oh yeah, there was this one time where I was with my mum at an Osborne’s party on New Year’s. She’d gone to the gifting suites, the gifting suites are a big thing. They just opened up and I was like, I don’t want any free tatts. But my mom loves free tatts. So I go upstairs, and I’m sort of waiting for my mom to appear up the stairs so we can leave. And my mind kind of just drifts off and I’m in the back of my mind talking to myself. And then there’s body appears walking up the stairs. And I’m like, ah, man, man, walking man. Famous man. Oh, man, famous man, Chris Rock. Oh, oh, you’re staring at Chris Rock now. Don’t stare away. Because you’re in the famous club. And if he knows you, you can’t be rude, so just keep staring and play this one out and say hello. And by the time I got to that bit, Chris went ‘What mother f*cker?’ like that. And like, he’s reared up at me like I’m staring him out and I wanted to fight. I didn’t, I just didn’t want to appear rude. But in the process of not wanting to be rude, I appeared rude. Cut to two months later, I’m at a U2 concert right. And Chris Rock is there with John Cusack. John Cusack turns around to me, and he waves in my direction. And I’m thinking I am not in the famous club, he’s not waving at me. I’m not waving back. So then he actually waves again but this time more worriedly and I’m like, nah mate I know what happened last time with your buddy. No way. Third time he sort of waves and then becomes despondent with this weird look and turns back and I turn around to see who was waving to and I was stood next to a wall and he was actually waving at me and I ignored John Cusack. Yeah I just wronged myself in front of Chris Rock and John Cusack, so the message to John Cusack I’m really, really sorry, love you mate.
ROBBIE WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT FILMING HIS BIOPIC – “I’M TRYING TO READ THIS THROUGH YOUR EYES. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE UPSET ABOUT” [7:13]
FITZY Hey Robbie, how’s the editing going with Better Man, the biopic? Is it going okay?
ROBBIE We did a lot of shooting down in Melbourne, working with an Aussie cast, Aussie crew, Aussie director, felt at home. Super weird, though, you know, because it’s a biopic about your life and you’re in a makeup chair. And the person next to you is playing your dad and the person next to them is playing your mum, the person next to them is playing your grandma. And then on a sort of mannequin’s head is how would Donald from Take That wig from 1983. No joke was Jason Orange from take that chin across next to me, and I’m just thinking things cannot get more surreal than this moment.
SARAH Did you clear any of the plot? I mean, I say plot, I know it’s your life. But did you have to clear bits with the rest of the boys from take that?
ROBBIE it was more the pink bits that I had to phone up and ask if it was okay, were they happy with how they would be portrayed? Yeah. No, no, there was a lots of tense phone calls and phoning up people and sending scripts to people and go in this okay. And then then being upset, and me thinking, I’m trying to read this through your eyes. I don’t know what you’re upset about. But, you know, the problem is with the film, I speak and think in the way that I spoke and thought when I was 17, 18, 19 and 20. And how I spoke and thought then was more naive. I was more resentful. I was angry. You know, but here’s the thing. I can’t be the only asshole in this film. So when I was bringing people up and going, come on, just allow me to portray you a little bit badly. Otherwise it’s just me, and I’m not sitting down for 90 minutes to watch me be an asshole.
ROBBIE WILLIAMS REVEALS HE IS GROWING A MULLET FOR THE AFL [0:35]
WIPPA Robbie can you just turn your head to the side a little bit? I just wasn’t sure if I noticed a bit of – oh there’s a mullet. That’s beautiful, that looks really really good. The mullet is so big here in Australia.
ROBBIE It’s my AFL mullet. Should I grow a mustache for the AFL?
WIPPA Yes. The mustache and mullet sort of worked well together don’t know it’s a combination that you do frequently see in the AFL Robbie.
ROBBIE Well here’s the thing, I brought this up that that they’re rocking mullets and mustaches, completely unironically too. And like with no sense of irony about it, and I mentioned this in an interview and nobody’s faces changed like, yeah, we recognize what you’re saying. They were just like, we don’t even understand what you’re on about.
FITZY I’m so glad you’ve done it for the AFL Grand Final because I would say around about 60, 70% of rugby league players, and also AFL players which you’re performing at the AFL Grand Final. These kids just love mullets now. My son had a mullet that turned into a rat’s tail. He’s nine years of age now. He’s only just got rid of it. And he can hotwire a car in three seconds it’s amazing.
ROBBIE Well, I’m totally onboard. And I shall be applauding my son as he grows his own mullet. I’ll work on it before I get to the AFL. Maybe there will be a Tosh to a Dennis Lilly style Tosh.
WIPPA Have you been to the AFL before?
ROBBIE No I haven’t been to. I’ve been to the grounds before. And actually, I played a bit of footy with people that have played AFL. This is what I think about the AFL right. There is a lot of sports that bore me to death that I just can’t get on board with at all. Instantly, AFL comes on TV, I’d say in 1989 on Channel Four in the UK. And I’m like, this is a bit of me. And also what is a Geelong? There were all of these names that were just like wow, they do things weird down there. Anyway, this is what I think about AFL it hasn’t stopped being an entertaining game for me. It hasn’t stopped being interesting from beginning to end. And I feel like it’s dramatically underserved as a sport, it should be like should be on the tip of everybody’s lips and it should be at least loved and adored as much as rugby league or union is, especially in the UK. And I want to be the man that bring the sport the rest of world.
FITZY I’m taking my two sons to the AFL Grand Final and one of the major reasons is that you’re performing Robbie but we do, it’s our number one sport here. We love it so much the suburban footy is just as good Robbie where you can park your car in the ground you can beat your horn when someone scores a goal. I used to play for the porter Langer Kaku divers we used to play against the Noarlunga shoes. The Rinella wine flies we had the Flagstaff Hill Bush pigs. Okay, so terrible deeds is some of the best mascots you’ll ever see Robbie Williams.
ROBBIE it’s like what you’ve just said is completely made up and it actually isn’t. And that’s why I love Australia.
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