From Drudge.

So that’s Ben Stiller on the right, and a blonde Jack Black on the left.  This picture was taken as they filmed a new movie called Tropic Thunder.

The operative question: Who’s the actor in the middle?

 Here’s a closer look at his face.

Still can’t guess? Never seen him before? When I looked at it, I couldn’t tell either.

Unbelievably, the actor in the middle is Robert Downey, Jr.!

From the Daily Mail:

Actor Robert Downey Jr. has in the past been applauded for his edgy roles. But his latest may be a step too far - as the actor dons make-up to play a rather convincing looking black man in a new Hollywood film starring comic actor Ben Stiller.

In a still from film Tropic Thunder, Downey Jnr is sandwiched between Ben Stiller, and a blonde Jack Black.

With his afro hair and brown skin, he is virtually unrecognisable as the 42-year-old star of stage and screen.

Downey Jr plays a worthy Oscar-winning actor taking on a role originally written for a black actor, and rather than re-write the part, he goes method.

Clearing anticipating a backlash, Downey Jr told a US magazine: ‘If it’s done right, it could be the type of role you called Peter Sellers to do 35 years ago. If you don’t do it right, we’re going to hell.’

Ah, yes.  The backlash:

But the backlash has clearly begun as one comment on a showbiz blog Just Jared said: ‘I’m not black and I find it offensive; are there not any talented enough black actors out in the world that they feel the need to hire a white guy to do a black guy?’

‘They are infering that there are no good enough black actors to play a black person.

‘What is the significance of hiring a white guy to play a black part? what are they trying to prove? I bet its to get more publicity.’

But in support of Downey’s satirical role another comment on the blog said: ‘I’m black too, and if they were satirising black people yes it would be offensive. but they’re not.

‘It’s FUNNY because they’re NOT legitimising negative racial stereotypes, anyone with a brain in his/her head can see how painfully clear that is.’

The film centres on a group of pompous actors making the most expensive Vietnam war movie ever made.

Fed up with their self-involved cast, the film’s makers drop them into the jungle to take care of themselves, where they get caught up in a conflict they don’t realise is real. [Emphasis added.]

Leave it to a “not-black” person to get offended by this.  (The comment in bold face above was left by a commenter named Ali, and you can’t really tell what kind of “not-black” a person is by their name, can you?)

Probably just another flaming Brit libtard.

Technorati Tags: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, new movie, Tropic Thunder, actor, Robert Downey, Jr., edgy roles, black man, Hollywood, afro hair, brown skin, stage and screen, Oscar-winning actor, black actor, US magazine, Peter Sellers, Just Jared, offensive, white guy, black guy, publicity, satirical role, negative racial stereotypes, pompous actors, Vietnam war movie, Brit

Bookmark: