Alan Tudyk Says He Was Erased From I, Robot Promo After Testing Higher Than Will Smith

Jordan Collins here. I suppose you need me to walk you through why you probably never realized Alan Tudyk played Sonny in I, Robot, so fine — I’ll explain it plainly and with receipts.

Alan Tudyk, the character actor known for nimble voice work and on-screen turns, says he was deliberately removed from I, Robot publicity because early test audiences rated him more favorably than Will Smith. Tudyk, 54, revealed this on the Toon’d In with Jim Cummings podcast, telling listeners that studio test screenings scored individual characters and that his numbers came back “higher than Will Smith.” The result, he says, was that his face and name were scrubbed from marketing materials and press mentions for the 2004 sci-fi film, which credited Will Smith as its marquee star.

If that sounds like a harsh bit of Hollywood math, it is. Tudyk described being told, in effect, that his positive audience scores were a problem: “Alan, you are testing higher than Will Smith. And then I was gone. I was done,” he recalled. He added that there was “no publicity” for his role and “my name was not mentioned,” which shocked him at the time because he felt he had poured substantial physical and vocal work into the performance. In I, Robot Tudyk performed Sonny via motion capture and voice, a hybrid technique that required precise physicality and emotional nuance while often being invisible in promotional material. Tudyk told E! News that he “had to move like a robot” and that the job was demanding; he also said he felt frustrated that such work is frequently overlooked by the industry.

The actor framed the incident as part of a broader problem: the way voice and performance-capture actors are denied recognition even when their contributions are central to what audiences see. “I was in the room. I’m at the wheel, I was with the actor back and forth,” Tudyk said, emphasizing that his voice was “completely attached to the world that everyone is seeing.” In addition to I, Robot, his résumé includes notable genre projects such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the TV series Resident Alien, where he enjoys more visible credit for quirky lead work.

To be clear, Tudyk’s account rests on his personal testimony in a public interview and the absence of 20th Century Fox’s public rebuttal; E! News confirmed they reached out to the studio for comment but had not received a response. Historical context supports the plausibility of his claim: Hollywood routinely uses test screenings and character scoring to shape marketing strategies, and studios have a track record of foregrounding bankable stars while minimizing elements that could complicate an actor-driven promotional narrative. That’s cold corporate calculus, not melodrama.

Why does this matter beyond a single grievance? For one thing, it underscores how performance-capture and voice actors can be sidelined in marketing despite making a film work emotionally. It also illuminates the power test screenings wield: they can alter who appears on posters, trailers, and press lists, changing public perception of who “starred” in a film. Tudyk’s story is a reminder that what we see on a movie poster is often a curated artifact of behind-the-scenes commerce and audience research, not a faithful map of creative contribution.

So, yes, Alan Tudyk is telling the truth as he sees it: he played Sonny, audience scores favored him, and that apparently threatened the studio’s star-centric publicity plan. Whether you find that petty or sensible probably depends on how much you like Will Smith and how sympathetic you are to unsung acting work. Either way, Tudyk’s account opens a window on marketing decisions that determine who gets credit and who gets airbrushed out.

Keep an eye on Tudyk’s next interviews and any studio replies; if the story gains traction, it could spark more talk about credit for voice and motion-capture performers.

There. Now you know. Try not to let it ruin the next movie poster you see.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Toon’d In with Jim Cummings (podcast)
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed