Oliver Stone speaks on Robert Downey Jr.’s acting choices on the set ofNatural Born Killers. The1994 film is about two people who become serial killers after having had traumatic childhoods. Directed by Stone, it features a leading cast that includes Downey Jr.,Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, O-Lan Jones, Ed White, Richard Lineback, Lanny Flaherty, and Rodney Dangerfield.
Speaking withEsquire, Stone recalls getting frustrated with Downey Jr. on the set ofNatural Born Killers. According to the director, they were on the final day of filming in 1993. After spending a lot of days on set high or drunk, Downey Jr. decided to dip the end section of his shirt into fake blood and pull it through the unzipped area of his pants to resemble a blood-soaked penis. Stone was not a fan of the actor’s vision here, saying he was “going too far” and reminded Downey Jr. that “this isn’t some slapstick bulls–t.” Check out the full quote from Stone below:
Oh come on—that’s too much! You’re going too far, Robert. You’re ruining my movie! Forget the dumb dick idea. This isn’t… This isn’t some slapstick bulls–t.
Natural Born Killers Was Controversial
Part of Downey Jr.’s on-set conduct, as alluded to in the source, was likely related to his struggles with addiction in the period wherein the movie was released. The actor has been vocal about his history with drug addiction, which reportedly began in the late 1980s and continued throughout the following decade. Despite his struggles, he was a celebrated and talented actor, having ≈. Stone, however, was an even more experienced director who had already won Oscars forPlatoonandBorn on the Fourth of July.
Robert Downey Jr. is now sober and has won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor forOppenheimer.
Stone’s vehement opposition to Downey Jr.’s goofing can also be partially attributed to the fact thatNatural Born Killersis about such a controversial subject. The film attempts to critique the glorification of violence by revealing a world wherein the movie’s murderer protagonists are problematically romanticized. Despite this attempt, however,Natural Born Killersitself was criticized for being overly violent, with some of the discourse positing thatNatural Born Killerscould inspire rather than dissuade violence.
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This controversy is likely what ledNatural Born Killersto have critically disparate reviews. The film sits at an almost dead-even 51% Tomatometer across its 49 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were much more receptive to the film, giving it an 81% approval rating. The film also did not do very well at the box office, making $50.2 million against its estimated $34 million budget. Even with the controversy,Natural Born Killerswill live on as an essential film inStone’s careerand one that still creates conversation today.
Natural Born Killers
Cast
The 1994 crime thriller Natural Born Killers, adapted from an original story by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Oliver Stone, tells the story of two murderers who become celebrities due to their charming personality. Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis star as criminals Mickey and Mallory Knox, with Robert Downey Jr. as sleazy journalist Wayne Gale, Tom Sizemore as Detective Jack Scagnetti, and Tommy Lee Jones as Warden Dwight McClusky.
