Making a war film might be tricky, but including comedy in it is even more of a tough nut to crack. But Robert Downey Jr. starrer 2008 film lived up to the expectations. And there’s no doubt why Tropic Thunder is one of the smartest comedies.
It received positive reviews because of its story and cast performances. But it also became a matter of controversy for the depiction of mentally disabled people, derogatory slurs, and the use of brownface makeup. But there’s a role in the film that went to McConaughey because the original actor tried to attempt suicide.
Matthew McConaughey Joins Tropic Thunder After Original Actor Tried to Attempt Suicide
When the actors were considering playing the roles in Tropic Thunder, Tom Cruise was the one initially set to cameo as Stiller’s character’s agent, Rick Peck.
Later, Cruise and Ben Stiller worked together to create the new character Les Grossman, an overarching antagonist of the film played by Cruise himself. So, somebody still had to play Rick Peck.
So, Stiller’s frequent co-star Owen Wilson (who has appeared with him in more than 12 films) was given a thought to playing the character. But, when the Loki star attempted suıcide in 2007, he dropped out of the role.
Sources present on the internet gave various reasons why he tried to attempt suicide. The actor himself revealed that he used to think about death a lot after he turned 11.
So, when Wilson was no longer in for the role Matthew McConaughey replaced him. There’s another fact about the film. The lead actor, RDJ’s character, was a blend of many actors.
Robert Downey Jr. Shifts Kirk Lazarus from Irish to Australian
We all know Robert Downey Jr. played Kirk Lazarus: Lincoln Osiris, An Australian method actor and five-time Academy Award winner. But his character was based on the combination of Russell Crowe, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Colin Farrell.
As when the character of Kirk Lazarus was written, he was earlier supposed to be Irish. And the method actor Daniel Day-Lewis was being spoofed for it.
But Downey Jr. asked him to be Australian instead. His prior experience with the accent likely contributed to his choice. And he felt more comfortable doing comedy with an Aussie accent.
