Downey Jr. Risks Reputation For Tropic Thunder Role

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. was so desperate to work with his TROPIC THUNDER co-stars BEN STILLER and JACK BLACK he was willing to have his reputation "destroyed" by playing an African-American in the film.

The Iron Man star courts controversy by playing a Caucasian actor who dyes his skin dark in the new Ben Stiller film, and admits he ha# himself the big risk was worth it.

He insists the opportunity to work with Stiller and Black kept him involved in the project.

Downey Jr. says, "I felt like, `I want to work with Ben (Stiller) and Jack (Black), but my way into the movie is I've got to be tarred and feathered for three months and maybe have my reputation destroyed.' That was my fear.

"Then we started doing make-up tests, and it was like Mr. Potato Face: `Can we take that wig off and put these teeth in? Now put this on. Now put that on.' But by the time we were finally in rehearsals, I knew I had it."