Alan Tudyk Says He Was Cut From ‘I, Robot’ Marketing After Testing Higher Than Will Smith

Actor Alan Tudyk has revealed a surprising behind-the-scenes story from the making of the 2004 sci-fi blockbuster I, Robot. Speaking on the “Toon’d In with Jim Cummings” podcast, Tudyk claimed he was dropped from the film’s publicity campaign after test screenings showed he was scoring higher with audiences than the movie’s lead, Will Smith.

In I, Robot, Tudyk played the character of Sonny, the humanoid robot at the center of the story, using motion capture and voice acting. But despite his significant role, many fans didn’t even realize he was in the film — something Tudyk says wasn’t an accident.

“A lot of people did not know I did Sonny the Robot in I, Robot, and there is a reason,” Tudyk said. “They were doing test audiences for the movie, and they score the characters in this kind of test screening. I got word back: ‘Alan, you are testing higher than Will Smith.’ And then I was gone. I was done. There was no publicity, and my name was not mentioned.”

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Tudyk admitted he was disappointed at the time. “I was so shocked. I was like, ‘Wait, nobody is going to know I’m in it!’ I put a lot into that performance. I had to move like a robot. At the time, I was very upset.”

Directed by Alex Proyas, I, Robot is set in 2035 Chicago, where Will Smith plays a police detective investigating the suspicious death of a robotics company founder. Tudyk’s Sonny becomes a prime suspect, with the detective convinced the robot might have committed murder. The film also starred Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, and Chi McBride.

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At the time, motion capture performances were still relatively new in Hollywood, with notable examples being Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars and Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. Tudyk’s work on Sonny predated some of his other acclaimed motion capture roles, including the droid K-2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Disney+ prequel series Andor.