I should've walked off the interview sooner: Robert Downey Jr

Image
Press Trust of India Los Angeles
Last Updated : Apr 29 2015 | 10:32 AM IST
"Avengers" star Robert Downey Jr does not regret walking out of an interview, recently, where he was asked about his "dark" period.
During a promotional interview for his latest "Avengers: Age of Ultron" with British journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the actor was seen getting increasingly uncomfortable as he was asked about his relationship with his father, jail time and past drug addiction.
When Guru-Murthy brought up a quote from a 2008 New York Times interview, a confused Downey Jr said, "I'm sorry, I, I really don't - what are we doing?" Soon after that the actor walked out saying, "Bye".
Reflecting on his decision, the 50-year-old actor says he should have left the conversation before he did, said The Hollywood Reporter.
"I just wish I'd left sooner" and explained why that is likely what he will do if he finds himself in a similar situation in the future.
"I'm one of those guys where I'm always kind of assuming the social decorum is in play and that we're promoting a superhero movie, a lot of kids are going to see it. This has nothing to do with your creepy, dark agenda that I'm feeling like all of a sudden ashamed and obligated to accommodate your weirdo shit," Downey said, while slamming Guru-Murthy.
"I'm a 50-year-old guy... And I'm completely unevolved when it comes to simple boundaries. (I thought,) 'You know what? You're weirding me out," he said.
Downey does not think he should have to endure such probing questions when he's promoting a movie, and going forward, he says, he will probably extricate himself from a similar situation before it leads to a physical altercation.
"The assumption is that there's a button that because you've sat down there, you're going to be scrutinised like a kiddie fiddler who's running for mayor," the actor said.
"What I have to do in the future is I just have to give myself permission to say, 'That is more than likely a syphilitic parasite, and I need to distance myself from this clown. Otherwise, I'm probably going to put hands on somebody, and then there's a real story.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 29 2015 | 10:32 AM IST

Next Story