Milton Keynes actor chosen to play Robbie Williams in new big budget film about the superstar

Jonno Davies, 29, will appear alongside a star-studded cast – including Robbie himself.

He will play the younger incarnation of the singer in the $100m musical production, which tells the story of Robbie’s adult life and has already begun fimling in Autralia.

His role will include portraying how the star famously went off the rails towards the end of his time with Take That and before launching his solo career.

Directed by Michael Gracey, who made The Greatest Showman, Better Man will feature screen veterans Steve Pemberton, best known for Inside No. 9 and Killing Eve, as well as Alison Steadman, who starred in The Kings Man and Roald & Beatrix.

Jonna has already spent time with Robbie and the pair have “got to know each other very well,” say sourced.

Jonno, who is married to former EastEnders and Holby City actress Rachel Bright, moved to MK when he was five and lived in Westcroft before moving to Walnut Tree, where his family lived for 20 years.

He trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and his career took off almost instantly, with appearances in Hollyoaks,, Holby City, A Clockwork Orange, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Casualty, Spotless, Silent Witness, and Doctors and King of Crime, which featured scenes shot in Milton Keynes. He was also cast in the Amazon Prime series Hunters as Tobias two years ago.

He is banned form talking to the press about Better Man but this week announced on Twitter:: “I’m playing Robbie Williams in his musical biopic ‘Better Man’, alongside an incredible cast and the legend himself; all beautifully directed by Michael Gracey. Bl**dy hell!”

Jonno met Rachel when they co-starred in Dracula at the Edinburgh Festival and the couple were due to be married in October 2020. But the wedding was postponed on three occasions due to Covid restrictions and they were finally married at the fourth attempt at The Groucho Club in London in July last year.

In June 2021, the couple both appeared together in an episode of Holby City, playing Leo Powell and Beth Miller.