The aughts were, in many ways, known for the thriving studio comedy, with funny movies being amongst some of the best of the 2000s. Movies like Superbad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall did numbers at the box office, and actors like Steve Carell, Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig emerged as movie stars. However, no comedy was remembered quite like Tropic Thunder, which separated itself by featuring stars outside of the comedy genre and thriving on its satirical themes. It remains a favorite of many, and is remembered for its controversial performance by Robert Downey Jr. Even if the role wasn’t serious, the Iron Man actor took the role very seriously, and according to Danny McBride, he never broke character.
McBride was recently interviewed by GQ, where he broke down some of the most notable roles throughout his career. Of course, his performances in The Righteous Gemstones and Eastbound & Down were mentioned, along with his character Cody in Tropic Thunder. The Ben Stiller-directed film was known for its all-star cast, but Downey is often singled out for his performance as Dirk Lazarus, and was even nominated for an Oscar. According to McBride, this is all for good reason, as the Oppenheimer star even found a way to urinate in character. He said:
I remember I had an earwig in when I was sitting up that tower. Cause if they had a cell, any direction or anything to me so I could know what’s going on. And I guess during one of the takes they had left Downey’s mic on. And so I’m sitting there I’m like ‘Oh shit I can hear what he’s saying.’ And he’s talking to people, and he was in character the whole time. And then I even watched him walk back to his trailer and saw it from down there. And he was talking to himself. ‘I’m going to go drain the snake, I’m gonna drain the snake.’ He made up a song about how he was going to go piss in character.
The character Downey was playing differed so greatly from himself that he felt the need to make sure he got every element of the role right, including some of the unsanitary parts. This is even more meta when you consider that Downey was playing a method actor in Tropic Thunder who went to extreme lengths to embody a role. The performance is supposed to satirize the ridiculousness of method acting, and how something like this can go very wrong. Modern audiences may have missed the point of Downey’s character doing blackface being a criticism of the practice, but the performance and commitment can not be overlooked.
The idea of Tropic Thunder 2 has floated around over the years, but it’s unlikely that something so controversial could be made today. However, if it were to happen, Downey has over a decade of career-defining roles behind him, and possibly would be up for the challenge of making the character more relevant. The Marvel alum recently won an Oscar, and maybe he could implore his seasoned technique to a studio comedy sequel. There is certainly an audience for it, and based on this anecdote by Danny McBride, he would be game to work with a committed actor like Downey again in a heartbeat.
For some actors, having a “hot mic” could be something super embarrassing, especially when it allows for other actors to hear you get into character. However, this Tropic Thunder incident seemed to have the opposite effect for eavesdroppers. McBride ended up respecting Downey even more for his intensity, and the movie was probably funnier because of it.
Fans can revisit Robert Downey’s performance in Tropic Thunder now with a Paramount+ subscription. You can also see Danny McBride in The Righteous Gemstones, which is streaming for Max subscribers. For more information on other projects heading to streaming in the near future, make sure to check out our 2024 movie release schedule.