Robert Downey Jr. is one of the greatest names in the landscape of cinema currently. Popular as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Univers, he is well-known for several films, including Ben Stiller’s satire Tropic Thunder and David Fincher’s intense crime thriller Zodiac where he starred alongside Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal etc.
Despite having appeared in a plethora of good films that display his acting prowess, Downey Jr. received worldwide recognition as the tech genius billionaire in the nine films before bidding goodbye to his role.
Talking about his role as Tony Stark, Downey Jr. said, “I had an incredible ten-year run that was creatively satisfying. It was very, very, very hard work and I dug very deep, but I have not been forced to explore the new frontier of what is my creative and personal life after this.”
However, quite surprisingly, it is not Tony Stark that leaves an indelible impression on the veteran actor’s mind. He attributes his success to an extremely unexpected and peculiar title within his vast filmography.
In 2005, Downey Jr. was a part of Shane Black’s debut feature film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang where he starred as a thief who enters the exclusive Hollywood arena and successfully infiltrates the world as a method actor. However, he soon finds himself entangled in a murder investigation with his high school dream girl and a detective.
Downey Jr. believed Black’s unusual comedy to have been the kickstart he needed in his career to reach new goals. Calling it “the best film” he has ever starred in, he said, “It wound up being a calling card. It came out, and it bombed, but Jon Favreau saw it, and he said, ‘This guy could do an action movie.’ And so that wound up being my calling card into the Marvel Universe.”
To express his gratitude to Black for involving him in the film, Downey Jr. even pushed for Black’s entry into the MCU. Black eventually would direct Iron Man 3 in 2013.
He starred alongside Val Kilmer Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen and others in the film.
Watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang on Netflix Canada now.
