For Ben Stiller, it would be impossible to make Thunder in the Tropics today

Robert Downey Jr.'s “blackface” would no longer be tolerated “in today's world”, according to the director.

He was nominated for an Academy Award for this role in Thunder in the Tropics (defeated by Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight), and yet Robert Downey Jr. certainly couldn't play it today. In any case, this is the opinion of Ben Stillerdirector of Thunder in the tropics in 2008, and who believes that 16 years later, the film could no longer be made as it was then.

The reason? The “blackface” worn by Downey Jr. throughout the film, while he plays comedian Kirk Lazarus, who pushes the method acting to the extreme by dressing up as an African-American to play a black soldier in a film about the Vietnam War.

“Obviously, in today's environment, a bold comedy like that would be more difficult to make these days“, he confides to Collider. “What is certain is that we could not do something on the same scale, in terms of budget. I think even back then we were lucky to be able to do it. Thanks to Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks who were on board from the start“. And Ben Stiller continues his analysis by explaining:

“The idea of ​​Robert Downey Jr. playing this character who plays an African-American character, it was incredibly risky! Even at the time, it was risky. The only reason we tried to do it, I had the feeling that the joke was very clear. We knew that we were addressing these actors who are ready to do anything to win prizes. But now, doing this in today's world. , I don't even know if I would dare today. To tell you the truth, I'll be honest, I don't think…”

Ben Stiller has already made it clear that he has no intention of apologizing for Thunder in the tropics : “It has been a controversial film since its release. I am proud of this film and the work done on it”, he wrote on the networks in 2023.