Ben Stiller says he still makes “no apologies” for his controversial 2008 action-comedy “Tropic Thunder”.
Stiller helmed the R-rated film from a script he wrote with Justin Theroux and Ethan Cohen. The story followed the misadventures of a group of narcissistic actors who accidentally find themselves battling a heroin cartel whilst making a Vietnam War film.
The satire features over-the-top characters in ridiculous situations and pointedly sends up actors who will do anything to win awards – resulting in scenes with Robert Downey Jr. in blackface, and a running gag about Stiller’s character having played someone with an intellectual disability solely for the reason of trying to win an Oscar.
Responding to a fan tweet this week which asked him to “please stop apologizing for making this movie,” the actor/director said on Twitter:
“I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder. Don’t know who told you that. It’s always been a controversial movie since when we opened. Proud of it and the work everyone did on it.”
At the time of its release, advocacy groups protested the film and a studio spokesperson issued a statement saying the film is “in no way meant to disparage or harm the image of individuals with disabilities.” A decade later Stiller said the film “was always meant to make fun of actors trying to do anything to win awards.”
Downey ended up receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in the film and Stiller reportedly received positive feedback from the NAACP. The movie ended up grossing $195.7 million worldwide off a $92 million budget.
Source: Vulture
