LOS ANGELES — Robert Downey Jr. has enjoyed his fair share of memorable roles ever since he shot to fame as a member of the Brat Pack in the 1980s, but the actor says he finally met his match.
“Sherlock Holmes is easily the toughest job I’ve ever had,” the 44-year-old star tells MTV News of his starring part in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming big-screen adaptation, due in theaters Dec. 25.
Downey said he felt more at home in the role of the British investigator than he does in playing the action hero in the blockbuster “Iron Man.”
“Playing Tony Stark, this super genius, people say, ‘You’re so cool,’ ” he explained of “Iron Man,” whose sequel is due next year. “He is cool, and sometimes if I get pumped-up enough and take enough creatine, then I can look cool for up to 12 seconds at a time. With Sherlock, it was very different. He’s a much more centered and focused person, which works for me. I’m a character actor.”
While movie buffs might not think of Sherlock Holmes in the light of an action hero, Downey said the man known for his detective skills happens to be “a total badass.”
“He thinks through all eventualities, possibilities and counterattacks when he’s fighting, so he actually has the fight worked out before he starts,” said Downey.
Downey is joined in the film by Rachel McAdams, Holmes’ former flame who returns seeking help, and Jude Law, who stars as the trusty sidekick Watson. There has been chatter that the relationship between Holmes and Watson raises the question if they’re both gay, to which Downey remarked: “I think bromance is passé. We are two men who happen to be roommates who wrestle a lot!”
“As a heterosexual couple that at moments could seem gay, they play it off very well,” added Ritchie. “These guys are sort of in love with each other. It’s real mateship.”
