Famously, Clint Eastwood rose to fame with the cowboy TV series Rawhide, and Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western Dollars Trilogy helped make him a cultural icon in the mid-1960s. In the latter’s role, he played the unwavering antihero ‘The Man with No Name’, who could be identified by his poncho, cigarillos, and rough manner. These roles, among others, established him as one of the greatest on-screen heroes of his time, as well as a timeless symbol of American masculinity.
Apart from his exceptional acting skills, the former Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea has emerged as a remarkable director. In Hollywood, however, it is not unusual for veteran performers like Eastwood to notice when their peers give outstanding performances. And it takes something genuinely exceptional to capture the attention of the late great actor.
Well, he was particularly taken aback by Robert Downey Jr.’s remarkable performance as a method actor in the 2008 satirical comedy Tropic Thunder. This is the same film that made the actor controversial for dressing in blackface.
Clint Eastwood Developed a Strong Adoration for Robert Downey Jr.
Clint Eastwood, 93, has been a Hollywood mainstay for more than 50 years, covering nearly every base in his long career while maintaining his tough-guy persona. As Entertainment Weekly discovered in 2008, he possesses not only a wealth of industry knowledge and a natural mettle but also a reputation for laughing easily. By admitting in the interview that he was a fan of Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tropic Thunder and that it was his last-viewed film, Eastwood stunned everyone.
“The last picture I saw was Tropic Thunder. It’s a great send-up of Hollywood. It looked like they had a good time making it and Robert Downey Jr. was great. When they blow that guy’s head off… you couldn’t help laughing.”
The film centered on a group of well-known Hollywood actors who were working on a film about the Vietnam War. But it went wrong. Downey Jr. portrayed Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus, who also won an Academy Award.
Lazarus underwent controversial ‘pigmentation alteration’ surgery to assume the appearance of a black soldier, and he vowed to stay true to his persona no matter what. People were initially upset when the newly discovered Marvel star starred in the film, which almost led to his cancellation. Those who did not enjoy it were not disparaged by Downey Jr. However, he did say that his intentions were good. During an Entertainment Weekly interview in 2008, he stated:
“I dove in with both feet. If I didn’t feel it was morally sound, or that it would be easily misinterpreted… I would’ve stayed home.”
The Iron Man Star Wants Tom Cruise To Return For Tropic Thunder Sequel?
Every once in a while, even more than 10 years after Tropic Thunder’s release, there is still discussion about the possibility of a sequel to the 2008 satirical action comedy film. When asked whether he would like to return for Tropic Thunder 2 in an interview with ExtraTV, Robert Downey Jr. gave a positive response:
“Look, all I’ll say is this, Tom Cruise and I have not done a project yet together. And that’s kind of a yes, and then we’ll figure out what the title is.”
Tropic Thunder 2 is the project that will hopefully address Downey Jr.’s obvious desire to make this right. What about Tom Cruise? During the Top Gun: Maverick premiere, he was asked if he would be interested in taking on the role of Tropic Thunder again in an interview with ComicBook.com. According to him:
“I don’t know. I did Les Grossman for the MTV Awards … We’ll have to see, that could be fun. I really don’t know, at this moment..”
Along with Nick Nolte, Danny McBride, Matthew McConaughey, Bill Hader, and Tom Cruise, Ben Stiller, who also directed the film, was one of the notable actors who starred in it. When it came to its global box office total of over $195 million, the movie started as the top pick in America and stayed there for three weeks in a row.