Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood who has gained massive fandom worldwide by showcasing his unique acting skills on the silver screen. Downey Jr. has proved why he remains on top of his acting A-game, for every time he returns to the big screen, the actor leaves the audience stunned with his powerful depictions and inescapable performances.
While the 58-year-old star has played many intriguing, influential, and challenging roles in his storied career, the actor once revealed the character he enjoyed playing most. In a previous interview, the award-winning star shared that his role as Harry Lockhart in his 2005 black comedy crime film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang remains his favorite for a significant reason.
Robert Downey Jr. Felt More Comfortable Playing a “Loveable” Character than a “Fast-talking smart guy”
Robert Downey Jr. is best known for playing the character of Tony Stark, a genius in the Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. In his celebrated career, the actor has starred in several iconic and blockbuster movies, many of which have dominated the box office, grossing millions, even billions of dollars, making him one of the most highly-paid stars in showbiz.
While Downey Jr.’s character of Tony Stark has become a fan-favorite over the years, he once revealed why he enjoyed playing the role of Harry Lockhart the most, whom he described as “overtly not intelligent but lovable.” The actor has admitted on several occasions that he believes he has done his best work in his 2005 Shane Black directorial comedy crime movie. In a candid interview with Vanity Fair, Robert Downey Jr. opened up about what initially intrigued him to play the role of Harry Lockhart in the flick, saying,
“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang that was a film shot entirely at night. I think there was one day shoot and one split, So the rest of the time, we’re getting to work at sundown, and we were working all through the night, every night. So Shane Black(film director) is a night owl. Shane Black is a legitimate genius, and he’d written what I thought was almost a perfect script, and then Val Kilmer and I had kind of fallen into this good repartee.”
He continued,
“And at that point, I’d never played a character who was so overtly not intelligent but lovable. And I think it was very freeing for me because I’d hitherto been associated with these kinds of fast-talking smart guys, which I am not necessarily. I’ve just had some experience doing it, and Harry Lockhart in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, he’s kind of a dummy, and it was so freeing for me.”
Robert Downey Jr. claimed that he enjoyed working with the film director Shane Black and shared how he loved playing the role of Harry Lockhart, whom he described as a “dummy,” as he has depicted many intelligent and fast-talking characters so this role was liberating for him.
Robert Downey Jr. Reveals Why Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is His Favorite Movie
On the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Robert Downey Jr. revealed why he believes his 2005 black comedy crime film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is one of the best projects of his career. The actor also shared how his extraordinary work in the movie helped him land the beloved role of Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He shared,
“‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,’ which is, I think, in some ways the best film I’ve ever done. It wound up being a calling card. It came out, and it bombed, but Jon Favreau saw it, and he said, ‘This guy could do an action movie.’ And so that wound up being my calling card into the Marvel Universe.”
Shane Black-directed film boasts a stellar cast ensemble featuring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, and Corbin Bernsen. The film received an overwhelming response from the audience and critics alike, but it was a box office disaster, grossing $15 million at the global box office.
Source: Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, Vanity Fair