Tropic Thunder had my attention the moment the first image appeared with an almost unrecognizable Robert Downey Jr. as an African American. We’ve since learned his character is actually Caucasian, playing an African American with such dedication he has his skin pigmented (the character, not Downey), but that shows just how far out there Tropic Thunder is willing to get.
It turns out Downey isn’t the only shocking thing about the movie. The New York Times reports on a cameo appearance that is almost guaranteed to bring down the house, a cameo that was previously shrouded in secrecy, and I almost wish still was. Read on only if you’re willing to lose a small surprise from the movie, because this is definitely Spoiler Material.
The movie is about a bunch of actors filming a war movie who find themselves abandoned in the middle of an actual war zone. What kind of studio exec would abandon his actors to jungle warfare? The public consensus is someone like Sumner Redstone. Of course, Redstone probably wouldn’t be willing to admit that, so a Redstone character is being played by someone who knows just how quickly the studio exec can drop kick an unpopular actor: Tom Cruise.
Cruise and Redstone made huge news two years ago when Cruise was unceremoniously dropped from his contract and long-term working relationship with Paramount. While the two Hollywood powerhouses have since mended their relationship (albeit only very recently), apparently Cruise wasn’t above portraying a characterization of the studio exec, complete with bald wig and fat suit.
The plan was for Cruise’s appearance to remain unpublicized. His filming was done anonymously and Cruise is going uncredited for the role. Apparently that plan wasn’t announced to the press though, as this first major screening for agents, managers, and reporters has resulted in the leaked news.
The good news is that, while Cruise’s appearance is funny, Downey still steals the show just as much as we expected, keeping Tropic Thunder on my list of highly anticipated movies for this year.
