The trio of stars talk about about reaching the heart of darkness and ridiculousness!
Check out the whole cover story interview with Stiller and his co-stars Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. below.
The summers unlikeliest superstar enters the room carrying a black case full of herbs.
Credit: Jake Chessum for EW
No, not those kinds of herbs those days are long past now.
These are the kind you pick up in a health-food store.
Ben Stiller shoots him a wry look.
Do you see the contradictions?
Is there a syringe in there, too?
Jack Black flops onto a couch and erupts with laughter.
Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, a dim-witted action star.
Black plays Jeff Portnoy, a drug-addled comedian best known for his highly flatulentFattiesfranchise.
Stiller directing his first film since 2001sZoolander cooked up the premise way back in 1987.
It was one of those projects that was like, Are we ever going to make this movie?
Once shooting finally began last summer in Hawaii, the film quickly hit a snag.
Owen Wilson, whod been cast as a slick Hollywood agent, dropped out following an apparent suicide attempt.
Ben is a stern dude, says costar Nick Nolte.
When he gets stern, everyone picks it up a notch.
War is hell, and comedy aint a cakewalk either.
Put them together and its a wonder Stiller, Black, and Downey survived to tell the tale.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This movie mercilessly ridicules the self-important aspects of acting.
JACK BLACK:But not in aninterview!
Ive got the masks.
BEN STILLER:Wow.
DOWNEY:I remember looking at this dude and going, You broughtanimal masks?
You honestly think your, like, improv summer-stock idea is going to break it open for me?
Weve gotmoneyon the line.
Im not going to put on rabbit ears and figure out whos king of the forest.
Time for a little nip.
DOWNEY:[To Stiller] But youve never worked drunk or loaded?
STILLER:Um, no.
STILLER:I havent!
Just out of fear of screwing up.
I had an improv class in high school and I came stoned one time.
And I was so paranoid that I never tried to f with it again.
I marvel at some peoples ability to party and then act.
Im not built that way.
I have my own trailer?!
Oh my God, you guys, this is insane!
to[smugly]But I deserve it.
And actually now I expect it.
The transition into the spoiled actor happens really fast.
But thats its own kind of spoiledness too.
[Whispering]We have to film now.
But Im so tired.
I know, but everyones here and were ready to do the scene.
BLACK:There is an infantilization that happens to actors.
STILLER:How could you not tell me how strong the sun was going to be?!
EW:Youre also each playing with the audiences perceptions of you.
Jack, in some nightmare alternate universe, you actually could be starring inThe Fatties: Fart 2.
BLACK:Not even alternate.
I have done lots of farting in movies.
And Ive been fat in almost all of my movies.
So its very close to home.
I dont know where Ben would have gone if I didnt do the role.
He wouldve had to rewrite it.
STILLER:You were dream casting.
BLACK:Or you wouldve had to get some fresh-faced new guy.
And I couldnt let that happen because it would have been someone making fun of me who wasnt me.
So I had to do it to bring some grace and elevate it.
In my own defense, though, I havent done any movies that center around a farting character.
Thats when I hit rock bottom: when its all about my characters flatulence.
That could be coming, though, because I get the feeling people would go see that movie.
DOWNEY:Theres a little Colin Farrell in there, too.
EW: But were you also consciously playing around with your own image?
Like, I really can complain about a script I havent read.
[Laughs]
EW: With the power youve gained this year, that could be dangerous.
DOWNEY:I dont have power.
I have the possibility of power.
[Points to Stiller]He has power.
STILLER:[Shrugs]I dont know what that means…. DOWNEY:Did you see me squeezing [my wife] Susans hand going, Yes!
Look at me!?
EW: Did you all have a sense during theTropic Thundershoot of how hugeIron Manmight be?
STILLER:Robert was talking about it way early on.
All this Im Iron Man.[Dismissively]Whatever.
EW: Ben, by all accounts you really push your actors hard as a director.
DOWNEY:But it worked.
I believed in your vision!
His arms would get so big, and hed be looking really formidable.
Ive never seen you like that.
STILLER:You obviously had a gay crush on me.
DOWNEY:Dude, you were crazy butch.
But more than your physical rawness, it was just your obsessive drive to mastery.
Thats how you got us all.
Because we would have mutinied.
We would have torn you to bits.
That was my fear.
And then we started doing makeup 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.
BLACK:I thought he looked like Lando Calrissian.
EW: The challenge with that character was to find the right line.
DOWNEY:Brandon might have saved the movie that day.
STILLER:For sure.
Brandon said, This feels wrong.
It was definitely a constant process of feeling it out.
But [in general] what Robert was doing was so genuine and funny, it felt okay.
Robert couldnt be tentative about it, though.
He had to commit fully to this guy.
And I heard Downey go to the bathroom.
I could hear the whole thing.
And he stayed in character talking to himself.
He peed in character!
[Pause]And I kind of liked that guy better in a weird way.
DOWNEY:[Nodding]I do too.
I have not been the same since.
DOWNEY:Sixteen years agoThe Playerwas inside.
STILLER:Its because of your magazine.
I dont know, though.
At the end of the day you cant make a movie for everybody.
You have to make something you think is funny without being too indulgent.
DOWNEY:Its pretty effective.
BLACK:Look, humiliation hurts.
So on the one hand, you have the pain of humiliation.
But on the other, you have the delicious guava nectar of laughter.
You have to balance it out: How much of this are you willing to endure to get that?
Certain people have that thing where they need that guava so badly theyd do anything for it.
STILLER:Yeah, its definitely been a part of my career.
Weve all gone for that guava.
But I dont know if anybody has a high tolerance for it personally or enjoys it.
DOWNEY:[Shrugs]I do.
EW: Last question: WhatsTropic Thunder 2going to be?
BLACK:[Pauses, then stabs a finger in the air]Arctic Lightning!
Its the opposite of tropic: arctic.
EW: Or to make a movie of the Ernest Shackleton story, maybe.
STILLER:Yeah, the Shackleton story!
BLACK:Oh my God, thats a great idea.
DOWNEY:Would I actually be playing an Arctic animal then?
Like, a narwhal?
BLACK:[Shaking his head]But you cant really do a sequel to this.
STILLER:Yeah, you cant on this one.
DOWNEY:[Smiling mischievously]Hold on.
Lets see the numbers.
If the numbers come in like were expecting, we can at least talk about it.
