Not long after winning an Oscar for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. is starring in perhaps his most challenging project to date: another high-profile one. The Iron Man star, 59, is starring in a new HBO Max series called The Sympathizer, in which, he is playing four antagonist roles combined.
In addition to playing a CIA agent, Downey Jr. portrays a professor, a congressman, and a film director (who was influenced by Francis Ford Coppola). Meanwhile, Hoa Xuande plays The Captain (a Vietnamese spy) in the HBO series, which is based on the critically acclaimed book of a similar title by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Behind The Sympathizer is Park Chan-wook, a renowned filmmaker best known for movies like Oldboy, and The Handmaiden. In a recent interview, the South Korean director and former film critic expressed his disappointment and regret at not being able to helm all seven episodes of the HBO series.
Park Chan-wook’s Desire to Helm All 7 Episodes of The Sympathizer
With Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. in the lead roles, The Sympathizer is now available to stream on HBO, and both reviewers and audiences are enjoying Park Chan-wook’s latest endeavor. As of this writing, the series has secured an 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In addition to a Southern California congressman, Downey Jr. portrays a number of antagonists, including a CIA agent who mentors the Captain (Xuande), a filmmaker modeled after Francis Ford Coppola, and others.
Because the demands of television production can be grueling, directors frequently direct only a few episodes of a series. However, fans can not help but feel disappointed to learn that Park Chan-wook hasn’t directed every episode of The Sympathizer.
Even the 60-year-old South Korean director regrets not directing the entire series. He shared with Indie Wire:
“Truth be told, I wanted to direct all seven of them. But the reality is I also knew that it would be physically impossible. Having written and directed all six episodes of ‘The Little Drummer Girl,’ I knew back then that that was my limitation in a sense of the physical demand that it takes.”
Television shows often necessitate that writers work on later episodes while earlier scenes are being filmed. This is why Chan-wook decided to take a step back while working on The Sympathizer’s first three episodes. Though pragmatism prevailed, he still adores every episode for different reasons.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Quadruple Role in The Sympathizer
The show’s creators, Don McKellar and Park Chan-wook, discussed The Sympathizer during its Los Angeles premiere. Executive producers Niv Fichman and Amanda Burrell joined them, and they discussed the peculiar choice of Robert Downey Jr. for the four roles.
Chan-wook said of Downey Jr.’s ‘four’ different characters in the series (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“Even though each of the characters from all of the four have different occupations and they might have different characteristics, in essence it was very important they were faces that represent America. So in order to convey this idea very clearly and directly, I came to the conclusion that I’d have one actor portray all these different characters so that audiences can understand clearly.”
The goal was for the characters to “differ from one another” without becoming overly stylized, McKellar continued. He added:
“We wanted to see the man underneath because that was kind of the point, that they’re all connected in some way.”
As Downey Jr. has certainly proven himself to be the kind of actor who elevates a production and the talent of everyone involved, it will be interesting to see what he accomplishes in this mysterious miniseries.
The Sympathizer appears to be a must-watch when you combine that with the flawless talent behind the production (the great Marc Munden and Fernando Meirelles will also direct the show in addition to Park Chan-wood).
You can stream the first episode of The Sympathizer on Max. It will be followed by the second episode on April 21, 2024.
