Ben Stiller opened up about a controversial movie in his past.
The 58-year-old actor looked back in his filmography to highlight a movie that he did not think would be able to make it to theaters in 2024.
He explained why, noting that it was an example of “edgier comedy” with an “incredibly dicey” element.
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The movie in question was 2008′s Tropic Thunder, which also starred Robert Downey Jr. If you forgot, Robert was criticized for appearing in Blackface in the movie.
“Obviously, in this environment, edgier comedy is just harder to do,” Ben reflected in an interview with Collider. “Definitely not at the scale we made it at, too, in terms of the economics of the business. 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.”
He continued, saying, “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. 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,” he said.
Ben revealed if he had any apologies over making the movie, too.
