Robert Downey Jr. was so desperate to work with his Tropic Thunder co-stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black he was willing to have his reputation “destroyed” by playing an African-American in the film.

The Iron Man star courts controversy by playing a Caucasian actor who dyes his skin dark in the new Ben Stiller film, and admits to himself the big risk was worth it.

He insists the opportunity to work with Stiller and Black kept him involved in the project.

Downey Jr. says, “I felt like, `I want to work with Ben (Stiller) and Jack (Black), but my way into the movie is I’ve got to be tarred and feathered for three months and maybe have my reputation destroyed.’ That was my fear. Then we started doing make-up tests, and it was like Mr. Potato Face: `Can we take that wig off and put these teeth in? Now put this on. Now put that on.’ But by the time we were finally in rehearsals, I knew I had it.”

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WENN

Before Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was a punch line for any celebrity rehab story. Now he’s considered the mastermind of the greatest comic-book movie ever. Well, for a couple months until The Dark Knight opened.

Going into Iron Man 2, Downey is playing the humble card. “I also have to let go, because there’s an aspect, particularly after the success of things, I noticed my narcissism got dialed up,” said Downey while promoting his latest film, Tropic Thunder.

“Suddenly, for a minute, I felt like everyone needed to take a knee and listen to what I had to say, because I f–kin’ made it, and my way works and all this stuff. Then I go home and I go, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening to me? I gotta get grounded here.’ ”

Downey got Tropic cowriter and actor Justin Theroux the gig writing Iron Man 2. Theroux is just crawling out from under the pile of Iron Man comics as we speak.

“I’ve just stopped marinating in all the Iron Man lore that I didn’t know, and I’m sort of firing up the chainsaw and ready to attack it,” said Theroux. “You’re writing for Robert Downey Jr., so, at the end of the day, that’s an enormous amount of fun.”

The new collaboration has Downey all fired up to slip into the gold suit again. “I’m stoked,” he said. “I’m into it. I’m excited to do another Iron Man right.”

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WENN

Robert Downey Jr. has returned the advance on his memoirs after postponing plans for a tell-all.

The actor had signed up to write about his life, his career and the drug problems that famously almost destroyed him – but now publishers at HarperCollins have been told the tome won’t be written, according to the Associated Press.

Downey Jr’s spokeswoman Britney Ross has declined to go into details about the Iron Man star’s decision.

HarperCollins announced the project two years ago; the book was due to hit shelves later this year.

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WENN

Robert Downey Jr. is cruising around Hollywood in a new $200,000 Bentley – a gift to him from movie bosses because of the success of Iron Man.

The movie, starring Downey Jr, as a comic book superhero, has become the box office hit of the year, earning more than $500 million worldwide.

Producers were so impressed, they handed the actor the car as a thankyou gift, according to Star magazine.

A source tells the tabloid, “Robert was shocked when they gave it to him. But he was so grateful and is so happy.”

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WENN

Robert Downey Jr. is reportedly close to signing a deal to play Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s forthcoming movie about the fictional detective.

The Iron Man star was drawn to the iconic role after he was shown the British filmmaker’s vision of the new Holmes by Warner Bros bosses.

Downey Jr. was initially introduced to the project by his wife Susan Downey, who is working on it as a producer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The reformed hellraiser will go head to head with comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who is also set to play the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle crimebuster on the big screen.

Warner Bros studio executives reportedly plan to have the Ritchie film in cinemas by 2010.

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WENN

WENN

Robert Downey Jr is reportedly in talks to star in Cowboys and Aliens, a self-explanatory popcorn movie planned for a 2010 release.

According to Variety, the Iron Man actor is in negotiations with Dreamworks and Universal Studios to star in the adventure flick, with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard set to produce.

Based on a graphic novel by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley, Cowboys and Aliens tells of an Old West battle between Apache Indians and western settlers, including former sharpshooter Zeke Jackson (Downey Jr), which is interrupted by the crash landing of an alien spaceship near Silver City, Arizona.

As well as Grazer and Howard, Dreamworks’ Steven Spielberg, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will all serve in a production capacity, while the current draft of the script should provide some familiar territory for Downey Jr, having been written by Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus, contributors to the Iron Man script.

Their draft follows efforts by X2 writer David Hayter, Sahara scribes Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, and a rendition from Jeffrey Boam, writer of The Lost Boys, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the second and third Lethal Weapon films.

Starring in the graphic novel adaptation would see Downey Jr celebrating his career resurrection, having rebounded from substance abuse issues and infamous brushes with the law to personal rehabilitation and taking the lead role in Iron Man, a $500 million box office smash.

Downey Jr will next be seen alongside Ben Stiller and Jack Black in comedy Tropic Thunder, before starring with Jamie Foxx and Catherine Keener in The Soloist, a new drama from Atonement director Joe Wright.

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WENN