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.
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“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.
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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.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alan Tudyk says ‘I, Robot’ role did better than Will Smith
