The identity of the man playing Kirk Lazarus in Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder” was a mystery for quite some time while the movie was shooting. Word later transpired in the media that it was Robert Downey Jr. and, useless to say, not few were those to express disapproval at the actor playing a black character. It was precisely this attitude that got him to think twice before accepting the part that already got him an Oscar nomination, Downey reveals.
Speaking on the British TV show This Morning, Downey reveals that he had second thoughts about accepting Stiller’s offer for the Lazarus character for fear that people would not understand the message of the movie and criticize him for playing a black character. “My reaction was, like, find someone else who needs to take some big […] risk and get crucified for it. But then I thought there really is a way if people understand the concept of the movie - to make it entertaining and not make it stupid or offensive. Did I nail it or am I in trouble?” Downey explains.
Not only did the “dude playing a black dude” character get fans singing Downey’s praise for the humoristic portrayal, but critics also welcomed it with open arms. The absurdity of the situation in which the onscreen actors find themselves in made it possible for Downey to truly make of Kirk Lazarus one of the most hysterically funny presences on the silver screen in 2008, it has been said.
Consequently, his brilliant performance could not be overlooked, now that the award season has settled in. As of now, Downey has already won a Golden Globe and is officially in the run for an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. Clearly, having refused the offer to star in “Tropic Thunder” would have been a bad career call, one might as well add.
The Academy Award winners will be announced on February 22. It is then that fans will learn whether the Academy feels the same about Downey’s performance.
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