Alan Tudyk sheds light on the unexpected reason many fans of I, Robot are unaware of his role in the film.

The talented 54-year-old actor recently appeared on the Toon’d In with Jim Cummings podcast, where he revealed that he was removed from the marketing strategy for the 2004 science fiction film after test screenings indicated his character was resonating better with audiences than the movie’s lead, Will Smith.

“Many viewers are unaware that I voiced Sonny the Robot in I, Robot, and there’s a significant reason for that,” Alan explained.

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“During the test screenings, they evaluate audience reactions to characters. I received feedback stating: ‘Alan, your character is testing higher than Will Smith.’ Shortly after, my involvement was completely sidelined. There was no promotional effort, and my name was entirely omitted from discussions.”

Alan expressed his astonishment at this decision, stating, “I thought, ‘How will anyone know I’m part of this film?’ I invested a tremendous amount of effort into [that performance] my performance. I had to embody the movements of a robot, and at that moment, I was incredibly disappointed.”

I, Robot, directed by the talented Alex Proyas, featured Will as a detective in Chicago tasked with uncovering the mystery behind the death of a founder of a robotics company, while Alan portrayed Sonny through state-of-the-art motion capture technology and voice acting.

The impressive cast included notable actors such as Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, and Chi McBride.

While motion capture performances were still quite uncommon in 2004, Alan later gained acclaim for another beloved droid character: K-2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Disney+ series Andor.

Learn about the individual who reportedly departed from a project due to creative disagreements with Will Smith.