When Robbie Williams took the stage at the 2025 AACTA Awards on the Gold Coast, it wasn’t just a performance—it was a victory lap for one of the most unique “comeback” stories in cinema history.
Here is a unique breakdown of that iconic night and why his rendition of Angels hit differently this time.
The performance wasn’t a random booking. Robbie’s biopic, Better Man (directed by Michael Gracey), was the man of the hour, entering the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations.
In a bold move that had everyone talking, Robbie is portrayed in the film as a CGI motion-capture chimpanzee—a metaphor for how he often felt like a “performing monkey” for the public. By the time he took the stage for Angels, the film had already secured 9 AACTA wins, including Best Film.
The “Full Circle” Moment: In 1997, Angels saved Robbie’s solo career when it was on the brink of failure. In 2025, that same song acted as the anthem for his cinematic redemption, proving that whether he’s a man or a “motion-capture monkey,” the world still wants to be “loved by angels.”
