Kate Winslet turned out to be decidedly harsh on her American counterpart and his poor English accent.
Robert Downey Jr. he is no stranger to English characters, having played Sherlock Holmes in two blockbusters and receiving an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin. But his talent did not make him discount perfectionism. Kate Winsletwho smeared him with ice cream, saying that it was his worst english accent he ever heard.
During a recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM, Robert Downey Jr. recalled an audition for the 2006 Nancy Meyers romcom in which he reportedly failed to impress co-star Kate Winslet.
“Jimmy Fallon and I were brought in to fill in the seats… Nancy Meyers needed someone to read to the girls, so while I waited, I thought, ‘At this point, I must have a better English accent than Jude Law. “. But Kate Winslet commented on my performance, exclaiming: “That’s the worst British accent I’ve ever heard.”.
Seeing Downey’s talent, Jimmy Fallon retired from acting.
Robert Downey Jr. read the part that went to Jude Law, his future Dr. Watson, and Jimmy Fallon read the part finally played by Jack Black.
“Honestly, I thought, ‘If Jack Black turns down this film, they’ll pick me.’Fallon recalled. “I’ll take half the salary.”
Despite Kate Winslet’s rejection, Jimmy Fallon was amazed by Downey’s talent. Remember:
“I’m sitting across from Robert Downey Jr. and I’m like, ‘This is the best actor I’ve ever sat and filmed the same scene with in my entire life.’ After that audition, I stopped playing. returned. That was the last time I auditioned for the role.”