"Tropic Thunder" Film Has Robert Downey Jr As Black Man

The actor Robert Downey Jr appears on screen as a black man in the film "Tropic Thunder," a Paramount film scheduled for release Aug. 15. Downey plays actor Kirk Lazarus, a white man cast to play a black soldier in a satire of the performing profession. Lazarus is the greatest actor of his generation, a four-time Oscar winner and a method actor who dyes his skin black to play Sgt. Osiris. The role was originally written for a black actor, but was re-cast and re-written for Downey. Downey acknowledged the potential controversy over the role and test screenings for African-American viewers have had positive responses, but some have expressed outrage. The film is being described as "Galaxy Quest" in 'Nam

Ben Stiller is starring as Tugg Speedman, an action movie star who, along with four other macho co-stars, is forced to rely on his boot camp skills to stay alive when things go horribly wrong on their new movie. Jack Black will play Jeff “Fats” Portnoy, an overweight gross-out comedian forced to kick his drug addiction while filming on location in the jungle. Tom Cruise plays the head of the movie studio. It is being reported that Cruise's attorneys threatened a lawsuit if photos showing Cruise bald, bearded and wearing a fat suit, upper right, were published because the film is not part of his production company United Artists (Cruise's studio) andhe does not want his participation in the film to be publicized. Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) also cameos.