'09
The GOOP has gotten to Robert Downey Jr! Noooo! In truth, it was the GOOP’s husband, Chris Martin that got to Robert. Chris Martin is some kind of Sherlock Holmes-obsessive, and had very specific ideas about what Sherlock Holmes should look like in the upcoming Guy Ritchie-directing Sherlock Holmes film. Downey is playing the famous detective, and after Gwyneth the GOOP introduced her husband to Downey, her Iron Man co-star, Martin shared his thoughts on Sherlock Holmes.
Martin told Downey that Sherlock Holmes is supposed to be very thin. This is true. My father is also a devotee of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and I read several Sherlock Holmes mysteries in my youth. Sherlock is not only very thin, he’s very tall, and throughout the books, Sherlock would smoke opium and snort cocaine. Let’s hope that Chris Martin didn’t bring up that stuff with recovering drug addict Downey. Downey might be a method actor; I would be worried.
The crux of the story is that Chris Martin told Robert Downey that he had to go on diet if he wanted to make a good Holmes. Downey had bulked up for Tropic Thunder, so he ended up going through a pretty rigorous diet to play the detective.
Robert Downey Jr. is dieting to please his friend Chris Martin.
The actor – who became friends with the Coldplay frontman after starring in ‘Iron Man’ with Chris’ wife Gwyneth Paltrow – has been shedding pounds in preparation for his title role in the upcoming movie ‘Sherlock Holmes’. He made the decision to slim down following pressure from Chris, who is a big fan of the Arthur Conan Doyle detective stories.
Robert said: “He’s a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. He said to me before we began, ‘You’ve got to be gaunt. You’ve got to be a skinny as you possibly can to play Holmes.’ So every time I’m reaching for a muffin I just think about Chris Martin and skip the snack. It’s been tough.”
Robert, 43, needed to slim down after bulking up for his role in action movie ‘Tropic Thunder’.
He said: “All I did was eat cheeseburgers and smoke Camels for three months. You’ve got to be in good shape to make it through that.”
“I do tons of weightlifting and martial arts anyway, so I stepped up my Wing Chun Kung Fu. I like staying in shape for a movie. Normally you pay for personal trainers, so it’s great when you can keep fit at someone else’s expense. I run a lot of miles and eat a lot of Wheaties cereal.”
[From My Park Mag]
I’ve heard Robert Downey talk about the martial arts stuff before – he’s really into it. I believe he started with it after the last intensive rehabilitation that seems to have stuck. All in all, he is kind of a weird choice for Sherlock Holmes. Downey’s a great actor and incredibly gifted, for sure, but he’s so American, and his sensibilities just seem so modern. Maybe it’s just me though. Back in the 1930s and ‘40s, the great English actor Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes to great effect – he was tall, dapper, thin and snooty – totally believable.
Here’s Robert Downey Jr. on the last day of filming on the NY set of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ on February 4th. Images thanks to BauerGriffinOnline.
Written by Kaiser
Posted in Chris Martin, Movies, Robert Downey Jr., Weight, Weight Loss
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25 Responses to “Robert Downey Jr. lost weight to make Chris Martin happy”
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Mwahaha, Kaiser, well written piece! I love RD, Jr. He could eat crackers in my bed ANYTIME!
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I can not be the only one that can’t stand Robert Downey Jr?
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he didn’t snort cocaine in the books, he injected it.
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I don’t know sauron…me likey.
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Downey Jr played Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s film and did an outstanding job – so playing an English guy isn’t a problem, but the lack of stature might be.
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How ’bout Paul Bettany as Sherlock? Guy could re-shoot
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He’s very short. Seems like a weird choice. Paul Bettany sounds perfect.
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Robert Downey Jr. is SEXY…HOT DAMN!!!
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Robert Downey Jr. had a ruff past, but he’s all good now, and lookin fine! ♥
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Aw man, I totally realized something: If they waited a few years to make this movie, Ben Barnes would be fucking PERFECT as Sherlock Holmes. Have you seen how skinny he is?! I say wait a few years to see if he ages a little bit, because Ben has the habit of looking very baby-faced.
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PAul Bettany would be amazing. He is a GREAT actor.
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Kaiser, you must not be very familiar with Robert Downey Jr.’s career, He’s done a number of historical pieces, and is always excellent. Remember Reconstruction, with Meg Ryan? He was wonderful. He is a brilliant actor, and I doubt that there is much of anything that he can’t do. It is true that he is not the physical stereotype of Holmes, but that will be just another obstacle for Downey to overcome.
Holmes was kind of the classic manic depressive, moody withdrawal, violin playing, cocaine taking inter spruced with physically tireless, restless pacing, spurts of activity and brilliant detecting. It’s going to be a great movie, Jude Law looks perfect as Watson.
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I really do not like Gwenyth, GOOP, Coldplay, the name Apple, and Chris Martin. Him now giving diet advice is the height of pomposity, but who would expect anything less.
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Oh, come on, Foolio. Lighten up. Have you never given a friend your insight into something? I am not a big fan of GP, but I do think you are reading way too much into this.
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I don’t think Chris Martin telling RDJ that Sherlock Holmes was very thin (which he was) is quite the same as him giving ‘diet advice’. Calm down!
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“I can not be the only one that can’t stand Robert Downey Jr? ”
I’m pretty sure you are!
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“So every time I’m reaching for a muffin I just think about Chris Martin and skip the snack.”
Strange, I tend my loose my appetite too when I think of Chris Martin. Maybe he’s onto something here. (cue announcer’s unctious voice: “wallet-sized pictures of Chris Martin in mid-song ecstasy come in every pack of bran-flake-colon-blow cereal!!”)
Jenny Craig. Be afraid.
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I’m sure Robert Downey Jr. will be fine in the part. I’d watch anything with him in it. Personally I hated the old Sherlock Holmes movies because my mom made us watch them when we were kids and just were not on the same page yet. So i tend to think of those movies as exceedingly boring even though I haven’t watched them in ages…I should probably give it another go around.
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It seems like a no brainer….Shouldn’t Daniel Day Lewis be playing Sherlock Holmes?? Robert Downey is a great actor, but he’s no Holmes….
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I agree with Benny, Daniel Day Lewis would’ve been a better choice. But I love Robert Downey he is a wonderful actor, I’m curious to see how far he takes his interpretation.
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Paul Bettany would be perfect! Totally agree. Robert Downey, eh. A little self-important for my taste.
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How gorgeous did RDJ look on Oscar night?! Dayam.
They should have used him as James Bond, instead of that dorky humourless weirdo.
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e is right
Sherlock Holmes did not snort cocaine. He injected it.
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Hugh Laurie would be awesome for Sherlock too.
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Sherlock Holmes took opium too, he smoked it through his pipe
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