14 DAY TRIAL // Robert Downey Jr. is no stranger to making sacrifices in order to give the best performance he can, which is precisely why he’s so appreciated by critics and held in high regard by millions of fans around the world. Given all this, no one should probably be surprised that the star agreed to literally starve himself to be in top shape for the upcoming “Sherlock Holmes” film, where he plays the title character.
As fans must already know from the official trailer, which was released a short while ago, Downey Jr. also has a couple of scenes in the film in which he’s not wearing a shirt, not to mention the more physically challenging routines where he’s fighting opponents or doing minor stunts. Understandably, the actor had to get in top shape, so as to look good for the cameras, but also to fit the character, such as he is reinvented in Guy Ritchie’s movie.
Aside from working out, Robert Downey Jr. also had to change his diet to such an extent that he often starved himself before going on set, as he reveals in a recent interview cited by FitCeleb. In some ways, getting in shape for the part of Sherlock Holmes was a similar experience to preparing for “Iron Man,” the only difference being that, for the latter, he was allowed to look more buff, therefore could eat considerably more than for the part of the popular detective.
“There were times when I literally starved myself. It was really hard to get into the right shape for Holmes. I probably did as much physical preparation as I do for ‘Iron Man’ but at least with that I get to eat burgers!” Robert revealed to the media. In the end, it was all worth it because, from what he says, this way, he made a contribution to what will be one of the hottest movies this cold season, a blend of “Lethal Weapon” and “Butch and Sundance.” “A mix of all those. It’s that same thing when you are taking the eccentricities that everybody can relate to because they’re not so far-fetched.” the actor explained in a recent interview.
As we also reported a short while back, “Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert and Jude Law under the always innovative direction of Guy Ritchie, is scheduled to hit US theaters this Christmas. Promotion for the film has already begun because, in a short while, Downey Jr. will have to start speaking of “Iron Man,” set to drop in April 2010, which means he has to do so only after the promo tour for the first film has concluded.