Robert Downey Jr. in Blackface

Posted on March 6, 2008 at 9:38 am (PST)

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tropic-thunder-2 Robert Downey Jr. in Blackface

Robert Downey Jr. portrays a white man Kirk Lazarus, who is an Oscar-winning actor who dyes his skin black in order to play a black character in the most expensive Vietnam War film ever made. Tropic Thunder is the movie, and Ben Stiller wrote, and directed the movie.

Stiller says that he and Downey always stayed focused on the fact that they were skewering insufferable actors, not African-Americans. ”I was trying to push it as far as you can within reality,” Stiller explains. ”I had no idea how people would respond to it.” He recently screened a rough cut of the film and it scored high with African-Americans. He was relieved at the reaction. ”It seems people really embrace it,” he says.

Also appearing in the movie are Jack Black, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise (in a fat suit), Matthew McConaughey, and Tobey Maguire. Owen Wilson was supposed to appear, but that was right about the time he tried to commit suicide.

Seeing a white guy trying to act black might be as funny as seeing Dave Chapel in white face trying to act white. The difference is, Dave is a comedian, and Robert isn’t, so …

tropic-thunder-1 Robert Downey Jr. in Blackface


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3 Comments


  1. 1

    one word: “norbit”

    Comment by True Neutral — March 7, 2008 #

  2. 2

    I’m already laughing just by looking at Downey’s close up “black face”! lol

    This is gonna be good. Even though Downey’s not a comedian, he’s a great actor! He’s gonna be able to pull this off.

    Comment by rhugghed — March 7, 2008 #

  3. 3

    So if it’s Dave Chappel it’s okay, because he’s a comedian…buuuut didn’t Robert Downey Jr. Spend at least one season on Saturday Night Live? Doesn’t that give him at least a known history of comedy(or at least attempted comedy)? And whether you like him or not, he has appeared n movies requiring him to be humorous. He gets more dramatic roles perhaps, he’s a talented actor, but there are plenty of “funny actors, or even straight up comedians who “stretch their wings” and do Drama, from Bill Murray, to Adam Sandler (also SNL alum). Side note, I think Downey’s make-up looks better than the “White Chicks” make up of the Wayans Bros.

    Comment by Itgenius — March 10, 2008 #

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