Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr., aka the It Couple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have been friends for a long, long time. The two have known and been friends for a long time, way before they starred as Pepper Potts and Tony Stark in the Marvel-verse.
Quite aware of Downey’s past troubles with addiction, it was but natural for Patrow to approach her co-star when she was roped in to play an addict in Country Strong. While the movie was a critical failure, Paltrow’s performance was praised, and RDJ deserves to be praised.
Robert Downey Jr. Had to Help Gwyneth Paltrow to Play an Addict
Robert Downey Jr.‘s struggle with drug addiction and how he came back from it to become one of the most-loved celebrities and an Oscar-winning actor is a well-known feat. But what fans have really loved and appreciated about the Marvel star is how outspoken and vocal he has been about his battles and inevitable wins.
One instance of this is when his Marvel co-star and long-time friend, Gwyneth Paltrow needed his help to play an addict. Back in the late 2000s, Paltrow was slated to star as an addict country singer in Country Strong. Yet, she had trouble understanding the role and in an interview with Radio Free she revealed,
“It’s [drug addiction] sort of trimmed down a lot in the movie, but [there’s a scene where] I’ve wrecked people’s lives and I kind of wake up and expect to just keep on going. And I sort of didn’t understand that. I understand addiction. Like I used to be very addicted to cigarettes, for example. And so I understood the idea of “I know this is bad for me and it causes cancer, and my dad has throat cancer, but I’m going to smoke it anyway”–like that sort of disconnect or self-destructiveness. But I couldn’t understand it to the point of wrecking someone else’s life.”
So, as desperate times call for desperate measures, Paltrow reached out to Downey. And Downey Jr. being the incredible human being that he is helped the Great Expectations star, helping her nail her role perfectly.
Robert Downey Jr. Helped Gwyneth Paltrow to Understand the Psychology of an Addict
It is said that one might never understand it when they haven’t experienced it. For Gwyneth Paltrow, it was the same when it came to understanding the psyche of her addict character in the movie Country Strong. However, in those troubled times, Robert Downey Jr. came to the rescue of his friend and explained how it really is to be an addict.
While talking to Radio Free, Paltrow stated,
“So I e-mailed Robert Downey Jr. and I was like, ‘Just explain to me how this goes. I don’t get it. Like you spend a night where you lie and cheat and there’s no consequence, and you just barf and you could kill someone, and then you get up and have a coffee? How does that work?’ And he wrote me back the most amazing e-mail, and he just explained the psychology of it so well. So he really helped me with that.”
Well, a friend in need is a friend indeed. And RDJ proved that he is more than willing to revisit his disturbing past and scratch old wounds open if it means helping a friend.
Country Strong can be rented on Amazon Prime.
