The 'Iron Man' actor admits the 'direction' given by Hollywood legend Warren Beatty on how to smooch in front of camera left him doubting his kissing skills.
- Jan 5, 2024
AceShowbiz - Robert Downey Jr. claims he "wasn't even sure [he] knew how to kiss" when he had his first on-screen liplock. The 58-year-old actor was required to pucker up to Molly Ringwald in their 1987 movie "The Pick-Up Artist" but he was left feeling overwhelmed after being given too much "direction" from the film's producer, legendary Hollywood lothario Warren Beatty.
He told W magazine when asked his first screen kiss, "Probably in 'The Pick-up Artist', with Molly Ringwald. Warren Beatty was on set, and he was giving a lot of direction about the kiss, so much direction that by the time he was done, and he's a super genius and I've learned so much from him, I wasn't even sure I knew how to kiss."
The "Oppenheimer" actor - who has 29-year-old son Indio with ex-wife Deborah Falconer and Exton, 11, and Avri, nine, with spouse Susan Downey - also confessed to having a crush on Meryl Streep.
Asked about his cinematic "boy crush," he noted he "wasn't even entirely a boy" and added, "And part of this was enhanced last night watching her take this Icon Award at the Academy Gala - Meryl Streep. It might've been [in] 'Deer Hunter'. That means I was ... 14? Meryl, are you watching this? Call me."
The "Iron Man" star has been practicing kung fu for over 20 years because he wanted to attempt something "extremely hard" to master. Discussing his secret skill, he said, "Kung fu. I was in my late 30s [when I started], so I'm in my 20th year of Wing Chun kung fu. The reason I started practicing is I wanted an apprenticeship doing something that was extremely hard, that I didn't know if I'd be able to do."
Asked if acting is "too easy," he agreed, "Yeah. It's like rolling off a log."
