Robert Downey Jr. went from being a young actor struggling with drug-related issues to one of the highest-grossing actors and is currently an Oscar nominee. Before his luck changed around in Hollywood, Downey Jr. auditioned for a role in the hit romantic comedy The Holiday in 2006. The Iron Man actor had earlier revealed that his audition was so bad and Kate Winslet, the lead actress, hated his English accent. Winslet has now confirmed this story in a recent interview.
The Holiday had an ensemble cast including Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black, besides Winslet. Downey Jr. auditioned for the role played by Law, the romantic interest of Diaz’s character. The film was made on a comparatively larger budget of $85 million and went on to gross $205 million at the worldwide box office.
Robert Downey Jr. Lost The Role In Kate Winslet’s The Holiday Due to One Reason
Last year, Robert Downey Jr. and Jimmy Fallon made a surprise appearance on The Howard Stern Show. They shared their rejection story when both of them auditioned for Kate Winslet‘s The Holiday. Downey Jr. and Fallon read for parts of the male leads at a hotel alongside Winslet and Cameron Diaz. The Sherlock Holmes actor recalled that he was roasted by the Titanic actress who criticized his English accent. Downey Jr. shared with Howard Stern:
“Winslet said, ‘That is the worst British accent I’ve ever heard.’ I was like, ‘I’ll check out now but I’m taking the gummy bears from the minibar.’”
When the Mare of Easttown actress recently appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show, she shared that she remembered the audition “extremely well”. Winslet added that she had no idea that it was an actual audition and thought that Fallon and Downey Jr. were stand-ins for “a fun reading of the script.” However, she stood by her statement that Downey Jr. had the worst English accent for the role.
She thought he was doing an Australian accent and remembered thinking that it was bad. Fallon defended Robert Downey Jr., sharing that he sounded great. Winslet didn’t agree but appreciated Fallon for supporting the Dolittle actor. She also shared that she was happy that the actor won awards for his Oppenheimer role. Winslet shared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon:
“Robert Downey Jr. then did an English accent but I thought it was an Australian accent. I thought, ‘That’s bad. That’s not going to work. Who is going to tell him that sounds dreadful?’ […] It wasn’t actually that great. But that’s sweet of you to have said that…what a hoot. Here [Robert] is now winning everything [for Oppenheimer].”
Kate Winslet also shared that she was sorry that Fallon didn’t get the lead part opposite her. She also apologized for any rude or mean behavior because she thought Fallon was one of those cleanliness freaks. It turned out that the Tonight Show host was badly sick on that day but chose to attend the audition anyway.
People Recognized Kate Winslet For The Holiday Role Than Rose In Titanic
The Holiday is an immensely popular Christmas film among movie viewers. Winslet revealed that she encountered several mothers and daughters at grocery shops who recognized her for the role in The Holiday than Titanic. Some also recognized her from her one-episode stint in the British sitcom Extras. She shared that these people would go on to tell her that the 2006 film has become a Christmas tradition for them. Winslet shared with Jimmy Fallon:
“People come up to me in the street more about The Holiday than Titanic. I promise you. Especially at Christmas. Mothers and daughters come up to me at the grocery store and say it’s their ritual at Christmas. It’s a tradition. I love that. That’s something I never would have expected, that mother-daughter connection around a film like that.”
Earlier, Winslet shut down rumors about a potential sequel for the film. She shared with PEOPLE that she never had any conversation with any agents or representatives about a second film. Winslet is currently receiving acclaim for her new HBO series The Regime.
The Holiday is now available for streaming on Netflix.
