Ben Stiller doesn’t think Tropic Thunder could be made today because “edgier comedy is harder to do.”
The 58-year-old actor starred in and directed the 2009 satirical action comedy — which also starred Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Steve Coogan and Robert Downey Jr. — and has now admitted the film likely wouldn’t be greenlit today because of its controversial elements.
When Collider asked if he could see Tropic Thunder coming out now, he said: “I doubt it. Obviously, in this environment, edgier comedy is just harder to do. Definitely not at the scale we made it at, too, in terms of the economics of the business.”
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“I think even at the time we were fortunate to get it made, and I credit that, actually, to Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks. He read it and was like, ‘Alright, let’s make this thing.’ It’s a very inside movie when you think about it.”
The Zoolander star pointed to Downey Jr.’s character Kirk Lazauras, a white actor who undergoes “pigmentation alteration” surgery to temporarily darken his skin for his portrayal of the black character, as a particular aspect of Tropic Thunder that studios would never approve of now.
Stiller continued: “Yeah, the idea of Robert playing that character who’s playing an African American character, I mean, incredibly dicey. Even at the time, of course, it was dicey too.”
Even so, the Night at the Museum star added the joke was included to mock Hollywood actor’s willingness to push their morals aside in an effort to win awards, not to make fun of African Americans.
He explained: “The only reason we attempted it was I felt like the joke was very clear in terms of who that joke was on — actors trying to do anything to win awards. But now, in this environment, I don’t even know if I would have ventured to do it, to tell you the truth. I‘m being honest.”
Recently, Stiller commented on returning as the villainous Hal L. for Happy Gilmore 2, and said he was “always ready” to reprise the role and work with Adam Sandler again since the original sports-comedy released in 1996.
He said: “You don’t get the opportunity to play Hal L. that often.”
The actor added it was his friendship with Sander that flared his desire to come back for the follow-up flick.
He said: “I love Adam. He’s a dear friend. And the opportunity to do that guy is just so much fun because he has no redeeming characteristics.”
“I think he’s [Hal] a good person inside. I think he’s misunderstood. It bothers him that everybody loves Happy. You don’t have to worry about making him likable, so it’s really fun to just go for it. We had the best time.”
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