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There have been many movies that have drawn criticism or been controversial over the years. The content is always contentious, and famous actors typically do not make a name for themselves in these films. One contemporary instance of blackface can be found inTropic Thunder, an action comedy film, starring, Robert Downey Jr. This 2008 Ben Stiller flick was about a group of fictional Hollywood stars who play real soldiers in a war movie.
However,Tropic Thunderappeared to have confused modern viewers. For his portrayal of the black character, Downey Jr., who played a controversial Australian method actor, underwent ‘pigmentation alteration’ to temporarily darken his skin.
Additionally, Tom Cruise, Bill Hader, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Nolte, and Danny McBride make up the ensemble cast.
Although many critics had issues with the film in many ways, it should be noted that Downey Jr. was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Read More:“Usually, there’s 38 phone calls”: Robert Downey Jr. Was Stunned With Christopher Nolan at His Doorstep After His $251M Box-Office Disaster
Robert Downey Jr. Talked About AcceptingTropic ThunderDespite Controversy
This can’t be denied thatRobert Downey Jr.‘s career took off well after he played Iron Man. But if you are looking for a contentious comedy with an acclaimed actor,Tropic Thunderis probably where you will find it.
This 2008 film was where a pre-Iron Man, Downey Jr. made history by using blackface to become someone, who the actor described, as a “dude playing the dude disguised as another dude.”
In response to the negative reviews the movie received, the actor appeared on theJoe Rogan Experiencein 2020 to discuss why he had no regrets about playing the part (Kirk Lazarus).
“When Ben called and said, ‘Hey, I’m doing this thing,’ — and, you know, I think Sean Penn may have passed on it or something like that, possibly wisely — and I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that, and I’ll do that after ‘Iron Man’. And then I started thinking, ‘This is a terrible idea.’”
The 58-year-old actor continued, saying:
“I thought, ‘Hold on, dude. Get real here. Where is your heart?’ And my heart is… I get to be black for a summer, you now, in my mind, so there’s something in it for me. The other thing is that I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion. Just my opinion.”
Read More:Robert Downey Jr.’s Ultimate Iron Man Sacrifice Just Became More Heartbreaking After StartlingSecret InvasionAvenger Identity
‘Dude, That Was Great’
The 2008 film also starringBen Stillerwas nothing less than a phenomenal blockbuster with a storyline that made both new viewers and die-hard fans laugh silly. However, as many noted ever since the film’s release, it was also not without controversy.
Robert Downey Jr. argued that he accepted the role in order to expose the inherent ego of Hollywood actors. To quote him:
“I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion, just my opinion.”
Even though theAvengers: Endgameactor claimed otherwise, the result was one of the most contentious performances in modern cinema.
“It was impossible to not have it be an offensive nightmare of a movie… 90% of my black friends were like ‘dude, that was great’.”
When Joe Rogan questioned him about the opinions of the other 10% of his black friends, he responded:
“I can’t disagree with them, but I know where my heart was… I think that it’s never an excuse to do something that’s out of place and out of its time, but to me, it blasted the cap on [the issue]. I think having a moral psychology is job one. Sometimes, you just gotta go, ‘Yeah, I effed up.’ In my defence,Tropic Thunderis about how wrong [blackface] is, so I take exception.”
Well, the goal was to expose Hollywood actors who used to overact in certain roles, and a satirical character like Kirk Lazarus, as theSherlock Holmesactor noted, was one way to do that!
Tropic Thunderis available for streaming on Pluto TV.
Read More:“I was bulletproof”: Robert Downey Jr. Thought $300m MCU Career Made Him Invincible Until His Next Movie Bombed Spectacularly
Source-Joe Rogan Experience
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
