Who is Robbie Williams, the pop star who’s now a CGI ape in ‘Better Man’?

Robbie Williams is an interesting celebrity. He is a huge deal in the U.K., but never really crossed over to American audiences. He rubbed shoulders with some of the defining names of the Britpop movement and yet, he hasn’t benefitted from the 90s nostalgia wave.

But Williams has just found a way to remind everybody who he is. And it involves a monkey. He’s the focus Better Man, an movie that distinguishes itself from other music biopics by having its subject portrayed as a CGI ape. And it looks great!

So, here’s what you need to know about Williams ahead of the release of this awesome-looking movie.

Was Robbie Williams in a boy band?

Robbie Williams is, first and foremost, a singer. He got his start as a core member of the UK boy band Take That in 1990. Take That was an immediate success, scoring 28 Top 40 singles between the release of their first three albums. Williams sang lead vocals on the single “Everything Changes,” which topped the UK Singles Chart in 1994 and proved he had what it took to go solo.

Williams’ fame dovetailed with a growing substance abuse problem. The singer was told to clean up his act or get kicked out of Take That, according to Cosmopolitan. He chose the latter. He was fed up with fellow band member Gary Barlow and felt like he could find even greater success as a solo artist. He was right.

Robbie Williams’ first solo single was a cover of the George Michael hit “Freedom! ’90,” which was fitting since the UK and U.S. labels alike were trying to position him as Michael’s successor. His first album, 1997’s Life Thru a Lens, was a moderate success, but it was his sophomore release, the aptly titled I’ve Been Expecting You, that made him a megastar in 1998.

What are Robbie Williams’ biggest songs?

Robbie Williams never cracked the American marketplace the way that peers like Blur and Oasis did. That said, he has numerous songs that were colossal hits in the UK. His fourth single, “Angels,” peaked at number four on the UK Singles Charts and number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has only grown in esteem since its 1997 release and remains Williams’ best-selling song.

Other notable Robbie Williams songs include “Millennium” and “She’s the One.” Both were issued in 1998 and managed to top the UK Singles Chart. Incredibly, Williams remained a constant on the charts until the early 2010s. Between the release of his breakout album and his 2012 release, Take the Crown, the singer racked up an impressive seven number one singles and 22 top 10 singles. The other number ones include “Radio”, “Candy”, and “Somethin’ Stupid”, a duet with Nicole Kidman.

Williams’ commercial success has diminished in the last decade, but his pedigree as a U.K. pop star is undeniable. He really was the George Michael of the Britpop generation. He has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, according to Chart Masters, which makes him one of the best-selling artists of all time. And based on the buzz that Better Man is getting, it looks like he may have a comeback in him.