lickyrlolli

I recently saw a preview for Tropic Thunder, a Ben Stiller-directed action comedy starring Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. The thing that stood out was that Downey was in black face. The film is about three pain-in-the-ass actors who are filming a movie about the Vietnam War, when their pissed-off director drops them in the middle of a real war. Which makes one wonder even more, what’s the point of the black face?

Apparently Downey actually plays a white Australian method actor who’s playing a black man in the movie within a movie. Since he’s a method actor, he’s in character all the time. The idea is to poke fun at method actors who go to extreme lengths to play a character. You’ve heard the stories: so-and-so eats trays of lard-glazed Krispy Kremes for a month to put on weight for a role; what’s-her-face learns how to play the oboe for her role as a music teacher. It’s ridiculous and sometimes unhealthy, but the stars are just that committed to their craft (or more likely the possibility of an Oscar.) 

Says Downey of the role: “At the end of the day, it’s always about how well you commit to the character. If I didn’t feel it was morally sound, or that it would be easily misinterpreted that I’m just C. Thomas Howell [in Soul Man], I would’ve stayed home.” His character, Kirk Lazarus, even has his own faux website: http://www.kirklazarus.com/. It’s kind of funny, mainly for Downey’s “serious actor” facial expressions.

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