Robert Downey Jr. almost ruined movie with ‘bulls**t’ joke, director claims

Anyone who knows Robert Downey Jr. and his decades in the film industry will know that the actor is no stranger to ruffling a few feathers.

The once-outspoken Academy Award-winning star has starred in a series of blockbuster movies over his career, one of his most recent films being Oppenheimer.

Downey Jr. is arguably best known for his portrayal of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but long before superhero films reigned supreme on our movies screens, the 59-year-old played Wayne Gale in Natural Born Killers.

The Hollywood star was at the height of his addiction battles while filming the 1994 movie and was reportedly been 'high, drunk or asleep' for the last two months of filming.

He also ran into a bit of trouble with the film's director Oliver Stone at one stage after suggesting a joke that the filmmaker dubbed 'too far'.

On the day in question, Downey Jr. (who was around the age of 28 at the time), dipped one of the front tails of his white button-down shirt in fake blood and pulled it through the unzipped fly of his suit pants, like a bloodied penis.

And the bit went down like a lead balloon with Stone.

Robert Downey Jr. played Wayne Gale in the 1994 movie (Warner Bros.)

The director said, as per Esquire: "Oh come on - that’s too much! You’re going too far, Robert!"

Stone further raged: "You’re ruining my movie! Forget the dumb dick idea. This isn’t some slapstick bullsh*t."

It's thought that Downey Jr.'s joke was in reference to Lorena Bobbitt case in 1993, in which she severed her husband’s penis after alleging he had raped her - a scandal that unfolded while Natural Born Killers was in production.

Downey Jr. then proceeded to pull his blood-soaked shirt back through his zipper when Stone all of a sudden had a change of heart.

Director Oliver Stone told Robert he was going 'too far' (Dominique Charriau/WireImage)

"Wait, wait - wait a second. Let me see the dick thing again," Stone told him.

He was then urged to 'pull it back half an inch', which ultimately earned the director's approval.

Ultimately Downey Jr.'s joke ended up in the movie, albeit very briefly in the final scene.

Elsewhere in Esquire's conversation with those behind Natural Born Killers (which marks it's 30th anniversary this year), the topic of the cast's drug abuse was discussed.

According to Stone, Woody Harrelson was the 'most sane'.

He explained: "I have to say, it was a zoo in the sense the actors were all on different kind of trips. I think Woody was the most sane."

The chaos seemingly paid off, however, as the film went on to receive a handful of award nominations.