Actor Robert Downey Jr. defended wearing blackface during the 2008 movie Tropic Thunder.
Downey, 54, recently discussed the controversial role on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, arguing that his role was not problematic.
“I think that it’s never an excuse to do something that’s out of place and out of its time, but to me, it blasted the cap on [the issue],” Downey said. “I think having a moral psychology is job one. Sometimes, you just gotta go, ‘Yeah, I effed up.’ In my defense, Tropic Thunder is about how wrong [blackface] is, so I take exception.”
The Iron Man actor acknowledged that he was hesitant to take on the role and that his mother wasn’t a fan of it.
Downey added, “When Ben called and said, ‘Hey, I’m doing this thing’ — you know, I think Sean Penn had passed on it or something, possibly wisely, and I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that, and I’ll do that after Iron Man. Then, I started thinking, ‘This is a terrible idea, wait a minute.’”
He also joked about wanting the opportunity to “be black for a summer” and said, “I thought, ‘Well, hold on dude, get real here, where is your heart?’ My heart is … I get to be black for a summer in my mind, so there’s something in it for me.”
The actor said “90% of my black friends” were supportive of the movie.
