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New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Alan Tudyk reveals reason he was dropped from ‘I, Robot' press — and it involves Will Smith
Yes, Alan Tudyk was in 'I, Robot.' The actor appeared in the 2004 sci-fil thriller as the robot Sonny via motion capture and voice acting, but he was totally absent from 20th Century Fox film's marketing and press tour. 'A lot of people didn't know I did Sonny the robot in 'I, Robot,' and there's a reason for that, actually,' Tudyk, 54, recently stated on Jim Cummings' 'Toon'd In!' podcast. 8 Alan Tudyk attends the 'I, Robot' premiere in Los Angeles in July 2004. Getty Images 'They were doing test audiences with the movie, and they score the characters in this kind of test audience, and I got word back, 'Alan, you're testing higher than Will Smith,'' he revealed. 8 Will Smith in 'I, Robot.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Then I was gone. I was done,' Tudyk added. 'There was no publicity, and my name was not mentioned.' Tudyk admitted that he was 'so shocked' by the studio's decision. 8 Alan Tudyk, Will Smith at the 'I, Robot' world premiere. WireImage 8 Alan Tudyk promoting 'Resident Alien' at San Diego Comic-Con 2025. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP 'I was like, 'Wait, what? How do they — nobody's going to know that I —' and [Fox] was like, 'Mhm,'' he recalled. 'It was sad,' Tudyk shared. 'I put a lot into it, because he had to move like a robot, so I had to move [like a robot]. At the time, I was very upset.' 8 Bridget Moynahan, Sonny the Robot (Alan Tudyk) and Will Smith in 'I, Robot.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection The Post has reached out to Smith's reps and Disney, who owns 20th Century Studios, for comment. Directed by Alex Proyas, 'I, Robot' is about a Chicago police detective (Smith) who investigates the alleged suicide of a robotics company founder and becomes convinced that one of the robots, Sonny (Tudyk), murdered him. 8 Bridget Moynahan, Will Smith in 'I, Robot.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection The film, which also stars James Cromwell, Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood and Chi McBride, grossed over $346 million worldwide and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. 8 Will Smith and Alan Tudyk pose at the afterparty for the 'I, Robot' premiere on July 7, 2004. Getty Images After 'I, Robot,' Tudyk did motion capture again for his role as droid K-2SO in the 2016 'Star Wars' film 'Rogue One' and its Disney+ prequel series 'Andor.' Smith, for his part, talked about taking a 'gamble' with 'I, Robot' in a July 2004 interview with Black Film. 8 Will Smith in 'I, Robot.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection 'I just loved the idea, the gamble of making this kind of movie, because it's actually a small art film that is masquerading as a big summer blockbuster,' the Oscar winner said. 'You know like the interrogation scene of Sonny, I was looking at that scene last night like, you can't compare that to anything,' Smith continued. 'There's no other movie where you have that level of emotion and connection with somebody interrogating, a detective interrogating a robot, without it being silly. I love the film and hope that people can connect to it.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Alan Tudyk says he was more popular than Will Smith in 'I, Robot' tests
Alan Tudyk's role in "I, Robot" was so popular it got him kicked off the movie's press run. During an appearance on the "Toon'd In! with Jim Cummings" podcast, Tudyk said his character tested better in screenings than Will Smith's character, which led to his ouster from much of the publicity around the film. "A lot of people didn't know I did Sonny, and there's a reason for that," Tudyk told the legendary voice actor. "They were doing test audiences with the movie, and they score the characters … And I got word back, 'Alan, you're testing higher than Will Smith.'" Smith played Del Spooner, a detective prejudiced against robots in a future where the semi-autonomous androids are commonplace. Tudyk played Sonny, a robot who helps the cantankerous detective uncover the truth behind his creator's death. The pair have a combative relationship throughout the film, as Del remains suspicious of Sonny and the robots due to a robot once saving his life over a child's. "I was gone. I was done. There was no publicity and my name was not mentioned," Tudyk, 54, continued. The "Andor" voice actor said he "put a lot into" the character, suggesting he did motion capturing for the role and discussing how the film and his character are still referenced today with the rise of artificial intelligence. "At the time, I was very upset," he added. USA TODAY has reached out to Disney – the parent company of the film's studio, 20th Century Studios – and Smith's reps for comment. Tudyk also plays another robot in the "Star Wars" universe, K-2SO, including in "Andor" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." The actor said it feels like "cheating" to be in award consideration for his voiceover roles like "I, Robot" and "Andor," because they're a collaborative effort. His other notable voice performances include "Moana," "Ice Age," "Harley Quinn" and "Zootopia." His live-action roles include "Resident Alien" and "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story."
