Alan Tudyk‘s acting career is well-established, with iconic roles like Wash from the sci-fi series “Firefly,” King Candy in “Wreck-It Ralph,” and K-2SO in both “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Andor.” He also lends his voice to Dr. Phosphorus in James Gunn’s DC Universe animated series, “Creature Commandos.” However, even with this impressive list of credits, one of his notable science fiction performances remains under the radar for many viewers. In a recent interview with “Just Jared,” Tudyk explained why some fans might not know he played the robot Sonny in the 2004 movie “I, Robot.
Many people weren’t aware that I played Sonny the Robot in the movie I, Robot, and here’s why Tudyk explained: “During test screenings for the film, they evaluated the characters based on audience responses. I received feedback indicating that I scored higher than Will Smith. However, there was no publicity surrounding my role, and my name didn’t get mentioned.
20th Century Studios chose to act based on their goal of preserving the public image of their main actor, Will Smith. As Alan Tudyk’s portrayal of Sonny was exceptionally compelling, it threatened to overshadow Smith in the film. This led them to exclude Tudyk from the press tour and promotional materials, keeping attention on Smith instead. However, this action meant that Tudyk’s contribution to creating the emotionally rich character went largely unrecognized. Reflecting on the situation, Tudyk expressed frustration, saying, “I was like, ‘But no one will know I’m even in it!’ I really poured myself into that role, and at the time, I was quite upset.
How Tudyk’s Sonny Became a Motion-Capture Benchmark
2004 saw the release of “I, Robot,” which became a major box office hit, earning over $347 million globally and receiving an Academy Award nomination for its innovative visual effects. This movie, based on Isaac Asimov’s classic short stories with some creative liberties, tells the story of Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith), who investigates a murder that appears to have been committed by a NS-5 robot named Sonny. Alan Tudyk played an essential role in bringing Sonny to life through cutting-edge performance capture technology. This method meant that Tudyk had to be present on set for every scene alongside Smith, wearing a motion-capture suit to deliver a live performance that the other actors could react to directly.
In “I, Robot,” the filmmakers found that Alan Tudyk’s performances were significantly more focused and intense when acting alongside another actor on set. This discovery led to a change in production methodology, as they opted to use takes with Tudyk physically present for about 80% of the final shots. To achieve this, visual effects artists had to carefully remove Tudyk from over 200 individual shots, demonstrating the shift towards more realistic interactions on set. This change was a result of the exceptional work by Andy Serkis as Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” two years prior, which had showcased the potential but also limitations of capturing performances separately.
This dedication to capturing a combined, on-set portrayal authenticated the actor’s crucial part in crafting a digital character. It demonstrated that the subtleties and human essence of a performance could be translated via technology. The feedback from audience test screenings, which rated Sonny higher than the film’s lead, stands as irrefutable proof of this achievement. Tudyk’s work on I, Robot set a new standard, expanding upon the groundwork laid by Serkis and contributing significantly to the development of techniques that would later be employed to create the renowned digital characters in blockbuster franchises such as Avatar and Planet of the Apes.
I, Robot is currently available for streaming on Hulu.
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2025-08-12 12:07