Inside Robbie Williams' complicated relationship with his father Pete Conway

Robbie Williams' new biopic Better Man explores many aspects of the singer's life and career, including his complicated relationship with his dad who is known professionally as Pete Conway.

The movie, directed by The Greatest Showman's Michael Gracey, sees Williams narrate his own life story, including his childhood with his father and the way in which they became estranged after his parents divorced. Better Man shows the singer desperately seeking his father's approval in everything he did, and the way in which they were able to reconnect and mend their relationship.

Inspired by the singer's real life, the movie includes many truths and some moments that were either fictionalised or changed for dramatic effect — this includes moments from Williams' relationship with his father.

Williams' father divorced the singer's mother in 1977 when he was just three years old, and he went on to work as an entertainer under the name Pete Conway. As depicted in the film, he became a touring stand-up comedian and singer, with Williams joining him backstage on his shows over the years.

Speaking to The Irish Mirror, Williams' father said: "When he was on his summer holidays and wherever I was doing a summer season of a show, Robbie used to be backstage and watched the entertainers. He had an idea when he was about 10 or 11, ‘that’s what I want to do!' I really tried to put him off it, of course I did."

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While Better Man shows the pair having an estranged relationship, Williams has often spoken about how his father is the most influential figure in his life. His father has also shared how he always supported his son throughout his career, including helping him at his lowest point as he struggled with addiction in the wake of his stratospheric rise to fame.

Despite this, Williams has spoken about why his relationship with his father is depicted in the way it is in the movie, telling Hello! magazine: "We're all survivors of childhood trauma, and you spend the second 20 years of your life, sorting out the first 20 years.

"Why did I want to feel real love? And all of my songs are autobiographical, so I guess it's all about processing the events that happened when I was younger and the events that still carry on. So it would make sense that it would be cinematic in some way, because I spoke the story, I sang the story. And I know that this will touch a lot of people."

In the later years of Williams' career the pair began to perform together, with the patriarch heading out on tour with his son and performing songs like Better Man and That's Life together. While this is depicted as taking place when Williams held a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2001 to the song My Way this is an example of a moment being added in for dramatic effect — the pair did not sing together at the gig, though Williams did perform the song.

But Conway has spoken about his enjoyment of touring with his son, telling the Mirror in 2017: "I’ve had a new lease of life with Rob doing so well. It’s my 50th year in showbusiness. We had a good year this year, we did 38 shows."

“The travelling can be hard, the shows are the easiest, it’s such a pleasure. I just sing one song, we’ve done that for years."

While Williams now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Ayda Field and their children, the rockstar maintains a strong relationship with his dad especially after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. In 2020, Conway told Stoke Sentinel that his son rings him regularly to catch up and make sure he's ok.

He told the publication: "I miss the whole family and it’s the first thing I’ll do when lockdown is over. I have to keep adding to my bucket list because people keep saying 'when lockdown is over we must [insert activity]!'"

While Williams has since been able to return to touring life after the pandemic his father has been unable to join him because of mobility issues as a result of his Parkinson's diagnosis.

Speaking to Hello! Magazine about his family ahead of the movie's release, Williams said: "My mum's currently got dementia - like my nan in the film - and my dad's got Parkinsons and can't get out of bed. So I'm in a different part of my life right now."

Better Man premieres in cinemas on Boxing Day.