‘This Isn’t Some Slapstick’: Oliver Stone Recalls When Robert Downey Jr’s Antics On Natural Born Killers Irked Him
Oliver Stone recalled his time on the sets of Natural Born Killers, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. In an interview with Esquire, Stone revealed that he was frustrated with Robert Downey Jr.’s improvisational acting on set. The Oscar-winning actor who played an eccentric tabloid journalist would occasionally come up with ideas that weren’t conventional or even downright bizarre.
Stone recalled one such improvisation in which Downey decided to bring the tail of his white shirt stained in red color out of his pants zipper to make it look like he had a bloody genitalia. This irked the Platoon actor to the point that he accused him of “ruining” his film.
“Oh come on—that’s too much! You’re going too far, Robert,” the director told the Iron Man actor, according to his recollection. “You’re ruining my movie! Forget the dumb d*ck idea. This isn’t… This isn’t some slapstick bullsh*t.”
After the verbal spat, Downey zipped his flyer and got back to work. However, after considering the idea, the director was on board. He told the actor to do the “d*ck thing again,” and the scene was filmed that way after all.
Although Downey’s improvised scene made it into the final cut of the film very briefly, it was the least of the director’s worries because Natural Born Killers, released in 1994, was shrouded in controversies for its graphic nature and violence.
The film was criticized for glamorizing violence and even blamed for inspiring real-life violent incidents, allegedly creating the copycat killers who replicated the lead characters of Natural Born Killers.
Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis starred as Mickey and Mallory, psychotic lovebirds who embark on a killing spree to justify their twisted love for one another. The Oppenheimer actor starred as trashy journalist Wayne Gale who helped glorify the mass murder. Despite the film’s highly controversial nature, it became a cult classic and continues to earn praise decades later.
