Few, if any, actors have skilled related profession arcs as turbulent as Robert Downey Jr. From his rise as a wunderkind and the collapse of his private life because of substance abuse and authorized points to his extraordinary revival because the face of Hollywood blockbusters as Tony Stark/Iron Man within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey’s profession is certainly one of legends. Even when he is climbed to the mountain prime, Downey finds new methods to endure a comeback tour, as his Oscar-winning flip in Oppenheimer reminded the world that he was not only a superstar icon or a person in a superhero costume, however a preternaturally gifted actor as nicely. Regardless of his troubled previous with medicine and the legislation, the closest Downey ever got here to dealing with loss of life was on the set of a forgotten tv miniseries, Mussolini: The Untold Story, the place an intensely dedicated RDJ was in shut contact with a propeller blade.

Robert Downey Jr. Starred Alongside George C. Scott in ‘Mussolini: The Untold Story’

The son of iconoclastic underground filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., Downey Jr. was infectiously charming and an unmistakable film star from the get-go in comedies like Bizarre Science, Again to Faculty, and The Decide-Up Artist. In certainly one of his earliest roles, earlier than remodeling into Charlie Chaplin within the eponymous 1992 biopic, he performed the son of a infamous political chief portrayed by a Twentieth-century display screen legend. On this 1985 miniseries, George C. Scott performs Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator who impressed a fascist motion in the course of the nation’s alliance with the Axis powers in World Warfare II, and Downey is his son, Bruno Mussolini. The Untold Story, additionally starring Lee Grant, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Virginia Madsen (you possibly can inform it is the ’80s by the variety of People taking part in Italians), focuses on the Nationwide Fascist Social gathering chief’s political profession and private life.

Not like nearly the whole lot in Downey’s filmography, Mussolini has left little to no affect on tradition, and most can be shocked to be taught {that a} Downey-George C. Scott collaboration even exists. Whereas elegantly crafted and staged as a historic drama, the sequence was criticized for its sympathetic depiction of the nefarious dictator in his private life. With heavy make-up and prosthetics, the sequence carries an uncanny visible high quality. Regardless, the prospect to work with an actor of Scott’s stature was memorable, if not at all times nice, as Downey recalled in an interview in 1989. On set, the Patton star proved to be an distinctive chess participant, with Downey remembering that he “kicked everyone’s ass,” irrespective of the competitors.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Good Profession Virtually Did not Occur Due to a Close to-Deadly Incident

Whereas Scott could have had enjoyable taking part in chess, taking pictures Mussolini: The Untold Story was a “horrible” expertise, in line with Downey in 1989. With manufacturing in Yugoslavia, he claimed all the solid was sad and that the circumstances bought to the higher of Scott, an actor infamous for prickly and temperamental habits. “I’m not saying that he actually even appreciated me, however he didn’t dislike me,” he stated of their awkward relationship. Taking pictures the sequence had all of the makings of a nightmare, as Downey recalled that the director, William A. Graham, who he doesn’t title, was preoccupied with studying a fishing journal fairly than directing.

Throughout in the future of taking pictures, Downey was tragically near by no means experiencing the assorted highs and lows of his profession. In a single scene, a shot known as for Downey to run towards the neighborhood of a aircraft’s spinning propeller concurrently with the filming of George C. Scott’s close-up. A minimum of, we predict that is what Downey was presupposed to do, as he by no means explains why he did so within the interview. “I virtually ran proper into this f–king propeller,” the actor recalled. He credit his co-star, Gabriel Byrne, for pushing him out of the propeller’s attain and saving his life within the course of. After escaping loss of life, Downey thought, “It made sense to me to run by means of that. It appeared like my mark was on the opposite facet of it.” Scott, irritated that his close-up was ruined, barked at Downey, “You silly prick! At all times look the place you’re going!”

You’ll be able to criticize Robert Downey Jr. for a lot of issues, however there isn’t any questioning his dedication to the craft. His timeless drive is actually chargeable for his potential to adapt to the instances and evolve in his profession, from his primal days as Hollywood’s boy surprise to Iron Man. Together with his devil-may-care way of living and appearing, Downey pushed it to the restrict, even when he was simply making an attempt to hit his marks in a forgotten TV miniseries.

Mussolini: The Untold Story is obtainable to buy on Amazon.

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