Alan Tudyk, who played Sonny the robot in the 2004 film I, Robot, recently revealed that he was excluded from the movie’s marketing and publicity campaign because test audiences scored his character higher than Will Smith’s human protagonist, Del Spooner.
Speaking on the Toon’d In with Jim Cummings podcast, Tudyk explained:
“A lot of people did not know I did Sonny the Robot in I, Robot, and there is a reason. 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.”
Tudyk said he was shocked and disappointed, especially after the effort he put into the role, which required both motion capture and voice acting. He noted that he had to physically move like a robot while performing, and he wanted to receive some recognition for the work.
“At the time, I was very upset,” he said. “I put a lot into that performance. My voice is completely attached to the world that everyone is seeing.”
Industry speculation suggests the decision to remove Tudyk from promotions was a marketing move to keep the spotlight entirely on Will Smith—then one of Hollywood’s biggest box office draws—rather than potentially shifting attention toward a motion-capture character.
Tudyk’s experience underscores a broader challenge for voice and motion-capture actors, who often contribute significantly to a film’s success but do not receive the same public recognition as traditional on-screen actors.
