NEW YORK – Robert Downey Jr. made his Broadway debut this week in the play “McNeal,” revealing some unexpected inspirations that helped him prepare for the stage.
“Doing ‘Oppenheimer’ with (Christopher) Nolan got me back into this very monastic focus and then doing ‘The Sympathizer’ got me into this kind of flexibility. And that was very different because of playing multiple characters,” Downey said.
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The Oscar winner for his role in “Oppenheimer” stated that those two projects provided the confidence boost he needed. Without them, he said “I believe I would be in a much more precarious situation.”
Downey also sought advice from Bradley Cooper, who earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in “The Elephant Man” in 2015.
“He said, ‘Dude, just remember, you’re going to feel your feet in your shoes. You’re going to walk out onto that stage and the audience is going to be like a pillow.’ And I was, like, well, that’s pretty positive. So I’m going to take the Bradley Cooper approach and let it be a beautiful thing.”
“McNeal” is a one-act play by Ayad Akhtar that delves into themes of artificial intelligence, artistic integrity, plagiarism and copyright infringement. Downey plays the titular character, Jacob McNeal, an acclaimed novelist whose battles with alcoholism and mental illness culminate at a crucial juncture in his career.
The special effects in the play also provided the “Iron Man” actor with a comfort zone, calling a project with effects “strangely natural.”
“It’s a bit of a security blanket to know that it’s a tech-friendly show. I’ve been weirdly tied to storytelling about technology, about the dangers and the options set for technology. So it feels just kind of like a deeper exploration of the same thing,” he said.
Reflecting on the challenges of preparing for his Broadway debut, Downey shared his approach to staying focused
“More than anything, it’s just a matter of what I tend to do anyway — when I’m really hunkering down on something — is you got to live a monastic lifestyle. You got to put all your energy into your job and not have too many distractions. New York City is really distracting.”
And, of course, this included navigating the midtown traffic on his way to the press day for the interview.
“I was rattled because I’m used to waking up in Malibu with, you know, hummingbirds. So the only thing I’m anticipating is needing to control as much as I can in my environment so I can bring the best version of myself to bear for the theatergoing public.”